Strong UK Contingent Head to Zurich

John Reynolds reports:

18/06/26: Nine Brits made it to the annual tournament in Zurich for a fabulous few days of fives and fraternity.

The event – run expertly once again by Renato, Felix and Dieter Buechi – was held on the two courts in the suburbs of the Swiss metropolis for a total of 22 players, most of whom learnt their fives in the Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz. The school, up in the Engadin Valley near St Moritz, has had Eton fives courts for more than a century and its alumni have a wonderful habit of building more wherever they settle.

Four of this event's British guests were members of the Old Citizens' Eton Fives Club. Edwin Gosnell, John Reynolds, Geneva resident Alex Kasterine and Bonn resident Martin East (plus his son William).

They were joined on this occasion by current City of London School pupils Joaquin and Daara. Abs Bhattacharia and Stefan Nowinski completed the nine.

After a very enjoyable day's competition, Martin East won the John Reynolds Trophy (named for not by JPR) with Marc Tavra (who spent many years here in London) beating John and Stefan in the final. As a side note, this match comes some 55 years after Martin and John first stepped on a court together at CLS.

On the Sunday, the Brits played a four-pair match for the Hawken Garrett Cup (named after two Old Citizens who restarted the OCEFC after the Second War, and who started visiting Zuoz in the 1950s), and lost 1-3. We had our chances and didn't take them - we'll get our revenge next time.

All in all we had had a magnificent weekend, and our hosts – the wonderfully generous Zurich fives crew and especially the Buechi family and Alex Heuberger – treated us to magnificent meals the whole trip and generally made us feel very much at home.