After the showers at Wimbledon, Friday 1 July was a fine day with only the slightest threat of rain on the other side of SW London at the Surbiton Racquet and Fitness Club.

10 pairs of tennis players arrived in good time for an afternoon competing to win the impressive Fehr Cup, which this year was sporting a new additional plinth for the ever growing list of winners to be recorded on. The competition was founded in 1935 by Basil Fehr and is played out between pairs from Baltic Exchange Member Companies.

For some it was a welcome return to grass courts which this year have hosted many well-known players, not to mention the legendary Murray brothers. Whilst the tennis wasn’t pitched quite at those heady heights, standards were good, with a welcome mix of old and new faces, spanning a wide range of ability.

The round-robin format ably sorted by Costas Maramenides, matched two groups of five pairs alongside some simple seeding, allowing plenty of sport for all throughout the afternoon in a more sociable tournament than the traditional knock-out format permits.

After a wonderful tea, playoffs kicked in for final positions with the top teams in each group playing a best of three sets, final.

In pursuit of the cup, a combination of MOL’s Mathew Cannon and Glencore’s Giles Brickwood took on opponents Michael Oliver and Harvey MacLennan from Howe Robinson;. The first set saw some thrilling tennis enjoyed by the Pimm’s sipping spectators at the side of Court 1, with MOL edging it 6-4. In the second, MOL turned the screws with some fantastically tricky shots, quickly imposing their superiority to finish triumphant, in front of the crowd.

Meanwhile over on Court 2, the battle for third saw another Howe Robinson team made up of Greg Magnin, fresh-in from Singapore and return player Nick Young, who took on newcomers to the tournament in the athletic form of Julius Klutmann and Luke Ravenscroft from Clarksons. Despite staunch replies from the Clarksons pair, Howe Robinson came out on top, taking second in an exhilarating match, taking second in an exhilarating match.

A few words were given by Carrie Scott, Richard Fehr’s daughter, about the competition and her father, before the splendid trophy was presented to MOL by Carrie and her mother Sally to the victorious pair.

Prizes donated by the Baltic were then awarded to the runners up, which were well received.

The play was arranged by Costas Maramenides and Perry Perera and the day organised by Catharine Bacon, greatly assisted by Crispin Eccleston.

Those that take part often report the Fehr Cup as one of the finest Baltic sporting-social days – thanks to all that took part and for anyone interested in joining in future, should contact Catharine Bacon (catharinembacon@gmail.com) or Crispin Eccleston at the Baltic (ceccleston@balticexchange.com).

You can view pictures from the day here.