by Jeremy Wintersteen
The 100th anniversary of the Bathurst Cup will take place in England at Marylebone Cricket Club (Lord’s) from October 8-15. An international amateur team competition between France, Australia, England, and the United States, the Bathurst Cup was first contested in 1922 and is played every two years. It was last hosted by the Racquet Club of Chicago with England taking the Cup.
The United States team is comprised of Jon Crowell (captain), Pat Winthrop, Freddie Bristowe, and Pete Dickinson. Jon and Pat are veteran players from previous Bathurst campaigns and Freddie and Pete are new additions and are products of the Player Development Program. The U.S. team has had two training camps, one in New York at the Racquet & Tennis Club and one in Philadelphia at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. Thanks go to the R&T and RCOP for hosting these training camps and to professionals Conor Medlow, Tony Hollins, and Rob Whitehouse for the training assistance and coaching.
Conor Medlow has been working with the Bathurst Committee as team coach throughout the player selection process and training camps, and will be working with our four players on strategy before they head off.
The Bathurst Cup competition begins on October 10 after two days of practice and matches will be streamed. For more information on the Bathurst Cup, please log onto tennisandrackets.com. To watch the streaming go to Youtube and click on MCC Real Tennis.
This year’s Bathurst Cup will also feature a women’s tournament, which will be England vs. a World Team. We look forward to seeing this as a successful and permanent addition to the Bathurst Cup. Members of the World Team include Xanthe Ranger, Frederika Adam, JoSee Tan, and Saskia Bollerman.
Based on the previous Bathurst Cup in Chicago, England and France will be the number one and two seeds. England has won the cup forty two times, followed by the United States at nine, and Australia at six. The United States last won in 1969. The Bathurst Cup brings together the world’s top amateurs and is the game’s best assemblage of amateur talent.
Many thanks go to the US Court Tennis Preservation Foundation for their support of the U.S. team. The two newcomers to this year’s team came out of the USCTA / USCTPF Player Development Program, which would not have been possible without the Preservation Foundation. Thank you USCTPF.
Good luck Jon, Pat, Freddie, Pete, Xanthe, and Frederika and GO USA!
