MATCH REPORT

On a perfect summer’s day in the idyllic setting of Repton School, Graham Oppenheimer the internationally renowned violist, challenged his viola pupil and Repton Tennis Captain, Dominic Lea, to a tennis match with a difference.

Armed only with a reinforced viola – not even a bow – Dominic faced the racquet wielding and highly competitive Mr O on the Repton courts.  As Dominic tuned into the match it was clear that a closely fought contest lay ahead and Dom was going to have to string together some good points to stand a chance of victory.

Dominic pulled ahead in the first couple of games but as Mr O settled into his stride Dom’s technique looked a little out of tune and he had to use all the viola had to offer.  Sharpening his tactics he perfected a very effective viola lob which defeated Mr O’s serve and volley on more than one occasion.  Some excellent rallies followed and there were one or two extraordinary passing shots whistling off the viola as the match progressed. 

After perfecting the pitch of his viola Dominic converted his second match point and closed the match out at 6-2 as the crowd went wild. Thankfully neither player got too highly strung about the match which was played in excellent spirit. 

It seems unlikely the reinforced viola will be too much in evidence in SW19 during Wimbledon fortnight but it was a great way of raising over £1,100 for Rally4Bally. The money will be split between the Royal Marsden and the Elena Baltacha Tennis Academy and maybe the collective noun for a number of violas should now be a volley of violas.

https://www.justgiving.com/grahamvsdominic

Graham is a Viola Tutor at Chetham's School of Music and Head of Strings at Repton School, and a fanatical tennis supporter. He has followed tennis for a long time and was saddened, as was the entire tennis community, by the passing of Elena Baltacha. Graham had previously seen Elena play at Nottingham and has decided to play against his viola student (and Repton School tennis no 1) in a tennis match with a difference... Dominic will be playing with a reinforced viola (as a handicap) and Graham will have a tennis racquet. Who will win on Sunday 22 June 2014? Please support this great cause in honour of Elena Baltacha #Rally4Bally.  

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