Snip! Saboteur of the strings hits real tennis
IT has long been a sport of the genteel elite, a favourite of royals and nobility since the reign of Henry VIII.
But the rarefied world of real tennis has been rocked by some rather ungentlemanly behaviour after a player’s rackets were sabotaged before a key semi-final.
Leading British amateur Peter Wright, 42, was set to face French challenger Matthieu Sarlangue in the British Amateur Championships singles match at the prestigious Queen’s Club in West London.
When he went to collect his £200 rackets before playing his 19-year-old opponent, though, he realised two had had their strings cut through, and two others had deep nicks and cuts. Visibly shaken and unsettled, Mr Wright, a business consultant from Berkshire, had to borrow an unfamiliar racket for the game, which he lost.
Now the Tennis and Rackets Association has mounted an official investigation into the incident, which took place a month ago.
The culprit is yet to be found, but Mr Sarlangue is not being considered a suspect.
Chief executive Chris Davies told the Daily Mail the sabotage attack had been an ‘apparently malicious, truly lamentable affair’. He added: ‘Everyone in real tennis is appalled by it. It’s so much out of character for the sport.’
Real tennis – a forerunner of modern lawn tennis – has been played on indoor wooden courts since the reign of Henry VII in the 15th century.
The young Henry VIII was a keen player and current enthusiasts include Prince Edward, who plays at the same Hampton Court club as Mr Wright.