TENNIS TOURNAMENT: THE IRISH TIMES/IAVI tennis tournament took place last night at Lansdowne Tennis Club with 11 teams in the hunt for The Irish Times Perpetual Trophy.

There were two teams each from Sherry FitzGerald and Savills with Hooke MacDonald, Knight Frank, Daphne Kaye, Independent Valuations, McGinley Farrelly O'Connor and The Irish Timesentering a team each.

The hotly contested tennis-fest is held before agents gear up for the autumn season. Originally intended as a social outing, it has become a bit of a white-knuckle event, with agencies taking it very seriously and bringing their not inconsiderable sense of competitiveness to bear on the proceedings. Savills HOK won the tournament for three years preceding Sherry Fitz’s win last year while Sherry Fitz has won six titles, one clear of arch rivals Hooke MacDonald, who last won in 2004.

Down the years there has been an excellent atmosphere at the competition. Teams knocked out in earlier rounds head for a barbecue or the bar.