December 2015

The Gene Scott Trophy - IC USA v The Bahamas IC

The Bahamas and USA IC’s played a very enjoyable two day series of matches on December 9th and 10th at The famous Lyford Cay Club, Nassau to honour the memory of Gene Scott.

Gene was a USA Davis Cup and internationally respected tennis player of the highest standard. Just as importantly Gene was a major tennis figure off court and a leading figure in the IC movement. Gene’s ventures included Tennis Week Magazine among many other activities. Gene’s family had a home in The Bahamas and he was instrumental in the formation of The Bahamas IC with its first President Barrie Farrington. Indeed Gene originally presented a trophy for such a match between the two IC’s which has now been resurrected for what proved to be a great event.

On the USA IC Team visiting The Bahamas was his wife Polly Scott who not only played in the match but presented the Gene Scott trophy. At the Team’s Dinner Polly told us about some of the legacies of his work one of which is helping many less fortunate young people to take up the game in the Bronx district of New York.

The match consisted of two mens doubles, two ladies doubles and four mixed doubles matches played over two days. Five of the eight matches went to a third 10 point tie break sets. Of these The Bahamas won four out of the five to win the overall event 5 matches to 3. All matches were played in the IC spirit of “ hands across the net, friendship across the ocean”.

Both IC’s felt the result was not the most important thing and the two IC’s made every effort to balance up teams of similar standard which seems to have succeeded. The teams consisted generally of older players with the USA being the slightly older. However most of their players had won Senior National titles and still playing high standard tennis. The Bahamas responded with a slightly younger team that had two past Davis Cup players and a past Fed Cup player on the team.

The Bahamas is a small country and as such a small IC. The Bahamas was pleased to have half its IC members and IC friends attend the “Teams Dinner” although many didn’t play. It was a memorable occasion where IC friendships were made and and fitting tribute to a major figure in the IC world.

Both The Bahamas and USA IC’s look forward to the next return fixture in The USA .

BAHAMAS 5, USA 3

Mens and Ladies Doubles
1 B.Neller / H.Cooper (USA)d. J.Antonas / N.Mactaggart 6-2, 6-1
2 G.Bouffard / K.Spencer (BAH) d. R.Chace / D.Dickenson 6-1, 6-3
3 D.Mortier / G.Hillhouse-Banks (BAH) d. M.Cooper / P.Scott 6-4, 1-6, 10-8
4 P.Vlasov / J.Raenden (BAH) d. F.Dickenson / I.Graham 6-4, 2-6, 10-8

Mixed Doubles
1 J.Farrington / P.Vlasov (BAH) d. H.Cooper / M.Cooper 5-7, 6-4, 10-4
2 J.Antonas / Hillhouse-Banks (BAH) d. B.Neller / I.Graham 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.
3 R.Chace / P.Scott (USA) d. N.Mactaggart / T.Mactaggart 7-5,6-0
4 Dickensons (USA) d. K.Spencer / J. Raenden 5-7, 6-4, 10-5