World Doubles Racquets Championship 2023
The Inaugural World Doubles Racquets Championship took place at The Manchester Tennis and Racket Club and The Queen’s Club, back in 1990. The event is held every 2 years, making it all the more special and exciting. Like the World Singles Racquets Championship, the format is two Legs to the best of seven games with the winners being decided by the best aggregate score. While traditionally one Leg is held in North America and the other in the UK, this years Championship will be the first time that both Legs will be held in a single location, The Tennis & Racquet Club of Boston!
The formatting change will make for a very exciting event, magnified by the fact that this is the first time in the Club’s history that it will host a Racquets World Championship. The T&R is gearing up for an amazing few days of competition and camaraderie.
The Players
Tom Billings
World Doubles Ranking: 8
Club: Queen’s Club
Nationality: UK
Tom started Rackets at Haileybury School under the coaching of Mike Cawdron and is now based at The Queen’s Club in London. In 2019, Tom won the World Singles title and became the 27th Rackets World Singles Champion. He lost the Singles WC to one half of the Challenger pair, Ben Cawston, in April 2023. Tom has spent several years ranked as World number 1 at Singles and, with partner Richard Owen, World number 1 in Doubles. Together they have won numerous British Open and US Open Doubles Championships. They won the US Open Doubles when it was last played in Boston in 2019.
Doubles World Champion with Richard Owen since 2021.
-US Open 2018, 2019, 2020
-British Open 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
-British Amateur 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2023
-Manchester Gold Racket 2011.
-Noel Bruce 2017, 2021, 2022
Richard Owen
World Doubles Ranking: 5
Club: Queen’s Club
Nationality: UK
Richard Owen is the current holder of the World Doubles Racquets Title and learned to play at Cheltenham College and at Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club whilst at University. Richard joined Queen’s Club after leaving Manchester and has primarily focused on doubles for the past 5 years. With Tom Billings, they have won 4 British Opens and 3 US Opens, which includes their title here in Boston in 2019. Richard possesses a strong serve, a powerful forehand but can get seriously exposed when on the backhand side.
World Doubles Titles: 1
Open Doubles Titles: 6
British Open
2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
US Open
2018, 2019, 2022
Ben Cawston
World Doubles Ranking: 1
Club: Queen’s Club
Nationality: UK
Ben started playing rackets at the age of 9 at Winchester, where his father is the Head Rackets Professional. After attending the Westgate School Ben turned professional working at Tonbridge, Wellington, and Radley, and recently won the title of World Singles Racquets Champion.
World Doubles Titles: 0
Open Doubles Tiles: 1
US Open
2023
Manchester Gold Racquet Doubles:
4x
Mike Bailey
World Doubles Ranking: 2
Club: Queen’s Club
Nationality: UK
Educated at Winchester College and the University of Bristol, Mike has been on the scene the longest competing at a high level for almost two decades. He is the Knott Stevens 2013 Captain as well as a Mjolnir, Jester, & Queen’s Club member. He hopes to pick up his first World Doubles title alongside partner Ben Cawston.
World Doubles Titles: 0
British Amateur Doubles:
2019
Manchester Gold Racket Doubles:
2019
Noel Bruce Doubles:
2019
Clifton Cup 2018, 2019, 2022
Open Doubles Titles: 1
US Open
2023
World Doubles Championship Historic Results
J. Male/J. Prenn def S. Hazell/N. Smith (8/5)
S. Hazell/N. Smith def W. Boon/J. Prenn (7/3)
S.Hazell/N. Smith def J. Male/J. Prenn (7/7 166-160 points)
S. Hazell/N. Smith def J. Male/J. Prenn (5/0)
S. Hazell/N. Smith def W. Boon/P. Brake (7/6)
J. Male/M. Hue Williams def S. Hazell/N. Smith (5/0)
J. Male/M. Hue Williams def A. Robinson/G. Barker (6/6 130-134 points)
A. Robinson/G. Barker def T. Cockroft/G. Smith-Bingham (7/4)
N. Smith/M. Hubbard def H. Foster/M. Hue Williams (5/0)
H. Foster/M. Hue Williams def N. Smith/M. Hubbard (7/5)
T. Cockroft/A. Tichener-Barrett def H. Foster/M. Hue Willams (8/5)
J. Coyne/W. Hopton def T. Cockroft/A. Titchener-Barrett (6/2)
C. Portz/A. Titchener-Barrett def J. Coyne/W. Hopton (7/2)
J. Stout/J. Larken def C.Portz/A. Titchener-Barrett (6/2)
J. Stout/J. Larken def T. Billings/R. Owen (5/0)
T. Billings/R.Owen def J. Stout/J. Larken (5/1)
TO BE DETERMINED