Match Report

Sunday 19th April 2026

Crablands Ladies 2 vs Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club, Hove

Our ladies travelled to Hove on a glorious sunny day to take on Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club in our opening fixture of the season, playing on their well‑maintained clay courts. With warm conditions and an unfamiliar surface, the fixture proved to be a tough but rewarding test against an established club with a strong tennis programme and is the home club to top flight players such as Sonay Kartal.

Bev and Chris paired up for the two doubles matches in what was their first competitive outing together on this surface. The opening match offered a good opportunity to adjust to the slower pace and longer rallies that clay demands. Although they didn’t come away with the win, they settled well as the match progressed, worked hard to find their range, and grew more comfortable in the conditions.

In the second match, Bev and Chris built on that foundation and found their rhythm. They produced some excellent tennis to take the first set, showing strong rallies, confident shot‑making and several impressive passages of play that highlighted their potential as a partnership. As the match wore on, the intensity and length of rallies began to take their toll and the opposition raised their level, leading to a tightly contested second set. The pair showed great resilience to take the match into a championship tie‑break but narrowly lost out after a closely fought contest. Despite the final result, it was a strong performance with many positives to take forward.

Sarah and Jo also put in a superb shift as a doubles pairing. Their first match started well, with both players settling quickly and producing some excellent shots. As the match developed, they began to identify and exploit their opponents’ weaknesses, growing increasingly confident and composed. Although the rallies were demanding, they handled the conditions well and were rewarded with a well‑deserved win.

Their second match brought a very different challenge, with opponents using contrasting tactics and applying pressure throughout. Many games went to deuce, creating a real test of focus and consistency. A closely fought tie‑break decided the first set, but this time the result just went the opposition’s way. Sarah and Jo continued to match their opponents until the end, with the length of the matches and the heat ultimately making the difference — but only by the narrowest of margins, losing the set 7–5.

The overall result was a 3–1 win for Pavilion & Avenue Tennis Club, but the scoreline did not fully reflect the quality, competitiveness and determination shown by all our players. Playing away, on an unfamiliar surface and against experienced opposition proved to be a valuable learning experience, highlighting the importance of adaptability, stamina and confidence in match play. The matches were played in great spirit throughout, with fabulous conditions making for an enjoyable and memorable day of competitive tennis. There are plenty of positives to take forward as we continue to build our matchplay experience, not least the standout statistic that the total games score across the fixture was narrowly lost, just 45–40 — an excellent and encouraging start to our Ladies 2 match‑playing journey. Well done team!

Clare Crossland Team Captain