Sad to have to report the passing of Paul Hutchins, former DC Captain and father of Ross Hutchins. He has apparently been suffering from Motor Neuron Disease. I have the pleasure of meeting Paul a few years back when he was in La Manga. The British doubles guys, including Ross, were there training with Louis Cayer. I really put my foot in it as I didn't recognise him at first and asked him what his role was in GB tennis.
He politely informed me that he was just there supporting Ross. It was only later I realised who he actually was. He was so humble and yet knowledgeable at the same time and was happy to stand and chat to a nobody while the guys trained. From my brief encounter, it was clear he was a lovely man.
RIP Paul Hutchins. My thoughts are with your family right now.
Wasn't sure where to put this, since he hasn't been a player for so long that younger contributors to the board will not have heard of him & it's bound to be a short thread, but I was really sad to see this on the BBC site just now.
I never met him but remember him as a gent and the various reports speak so highly of him. I remember him as D.C. captain in 1978 in particular when we reached the final, he will be sadly missed.
There was a fulsome, one-page obituary in yesterday's Times (*) which bears out many of the comments made above & also makes interesting reading for the gaps in our knowledge of the man that it fills in.
From Stu Fraser's "The Slice" column in today's Times:
New competition to honour Hutchins
A fitting tribute to Paul Hutchins, this country's longest-serving Davis Cup captain, will take place during the Fever-Tree Championships this year in the form of a new 18-and-under team competition between Great Britain and the United States.
The Paul Hutchins Trophy will be held on the grass courts of the Queen's Club on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June. Each team will be represented by four players and a captain - the LTA national coach Nick Weal will lead the hosts.
"The Paul Hutchins Trophy is a fantastic way to honour my Dad," Ross Hutchins, Paul's son, said. "I know he would have been very proud of this and would have loved to have been able to watch the younger players compete at such an iconic location. I'm sure it will be an excellent event."