Thank you to all the members, friends and family coming down to cheer on the players and congratulations to all the winners.
A massive thank you to Coach James (the tournament organiser) and all volunteers helping make it a very special day in our tennis calendar.
Saturday 27th September saw the biggest Club Championships ever at Lymington Tennis Club. The club hosted over 80 spectators watching players compete in 11 wonderful matches.
The first result on the day was for the Ladies Doubles title where a very close fought match saw April Smith and Kate Borisova defeat Billie-Jo Taylor and Laura Braithwaite in a championship tie break having shared the first two sets 7-5 4-6 10-6.
Reigning champion Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet took on Bryn Darbyshire in the Mens Singles. Darbyshire was making his finals debut and gave the younger champion a lot to think about with his fighting spirit in a well contested match. Ultimately the champion’s quality showed through and Tibbert-Wykvliet won his third consecutive singles title 6-4 6-1.
Lymington introduced three 'seniors' events for the first time this year, and the opening final did not disappoint. In the Mens Senior Doubles, David Kendall and Treve Whitworth took on Doug Brown and James Darnton. In a close fought first set, Brown and Darnton won 6-2, then maintained the momentum to take the title with a 6-1 second set.
Ladies Doubles Plate Final was played in great fun spirit with Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell beating Emily Stewart and Zsuzsanna Erdie 6-3 6-1.
Last year's doubles champions Chad Durham and Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet split into new pairings in opposite sides of the draw and met each other in the final. The doubles were Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet and Jon Thring against Chad Durham and Mat Truell. This match saw the fastest serves on the day with all four players using it to their advantage. Ultimately it was the side making the least errors on serve that took the prize with Thring and Tibbert-Wykvliet winning in two sets. 6-2 6-2
Ladies Senior Doubles Plate Final saw Maggie Humphreys and Jane Wade take on April Smith and Jen Ayres. Despite a commendable comeback from Humphreys and Wade in the second set, Smith and Ayres' lead proved too strong and won the match 6-0 6-3.
Ladies Singles Plate Final saw a stunning battle between Laura Braithwaite and fourteen year old Rose Caudery. An incredibly close match saw Caudery come back to take the second set only for Braithwaite to take the match tiebreak with just two points. 6-3 4-6 10-8
Paul Taylor and Tim Kilsby played out a hard fought mens singles plate final, with the veteran Kilsby pushing Taylor all the way. Taylor's energy and consistency won out in the end with a 6-4 6-2 victory.
There were four championship matches decided by walkover. Billie Jo-Taylor won the Ladies Singles title as Suzi Egleston was unable to attend finals day. Doug Brown and James Darnton won the Mens Doubles Plate as Paul Taylor's partner Richard Pope was injured. Rose Caudery and Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet also took the Mixed Doubles Plate win from Zsuzsanna Erdie and Richard Pope due to Pope's injury. The Mixed Senior Doubles title went to April Smith and Tim Kilsby due to Lynne Truell and Mike Torrens also being unable to play on the day.
Ladies Senior Doubles title saw Juliet Darnton and Lucy Elliott in a gripping encounter with Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell where the match could have gone either way with Darnton and Elliott winning with just two clear points in tiebreak decider 6-2 2-6 12-10.
In a close fought contest Pippa Da Cunha and Doug Brown beat Frances Robinson and Oliver Butler 6-4 6-2 in the Mixed Senior Doubles Plate competition.
Fifteen year old Bess Durham was making her championships debut this year, and her partnership with her father Chad had been the surprise package of this years mixed doubles event. It was the last match of the day with all eyes on court from the packed spectator areas. The Durhams came through an intense and hugely entertaining tussle against Billie-Jo Taylor and Jon Thring to take the title in two sets 6-4 6-3, to the delight of onlooking friends and family. It was a fitting finale to a thoroughly entertaining championship finals day.
Results:
Mens Singles: 1, Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet; 2, Bryn Darbyshire. Ladies Singles: 1, Billie-Jo Taylor; 2, Suzi Egleston. Ladies Doubles: 1, April Smith and Kate Borisova; 2, Billie-Jo Taylor and Laura Braithwaite. Mens Doubles: 1, Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet and Jon Thring; 2, Chad Durham and Mat Truell. Mixed Doubles: 1, Bess Durham and Chad Durham; 2, Billie-Jo Taylor and Jon Thring. Ladies Senior Doubles: 1, Juliet Darnton and Lucy Elliott; 2, Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell. Mens Senior Doubles: 1, Doug Brown and James Darnton; 2, David Kendall and Treve Whitworth. Mixed Senior Doubles: 1, April Smith and Tim Kilsby; 2, Lynne Truell and Mike Torrens. Mens Singles Plate: 1, Paul Taylor; 2, Tim Kilsby. Ladies Singles Plate: 1, Laura Braithwaite; 2, Rose Caudery. Ladies Doubles Plate: 1, Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell; 2, Emily Stewart and Zsuzsanna Erdie. Mens Doubles Plate: 1, Doug Brown and James Darnton; 2, Paul Taylor and Richard Pope. Mixed Doubles Plate: 1, Rose Caudery and Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet; 2, Zsuzsanna Erdie and Richard Pope. Ladies Senior Doubles Plate: 1, April Smith and Jen Ayres; 2, Maggie Humphreys and Jane Wade. Mixed Senior Doubles Plate: 1, Pippa Da Cunha and Doug Brown; 2, Frances Robinson and Oliver Butler.
| Champions | Winners | Runner Up |
| Men's Singles | Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet | Bryn Darbyshire |
| Ladies Singles | Billie-Jo Taylor | Suzi Egleston |
| Ladies Doubles | April Smith and Kate Borisova | Billie-Jo Taylor and Laura Braithwaite |
| Men's Doubles | Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet and Jon Thring | Chad Durham and Mat Truell |
| Mixed Doubles | Bess Durham and Chad Durham | Billie-Jo Taylor and Jon Thring |
| Ladies Senior Doubles | Juliet Darnton and Lucy Elliott | Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell |
| Mens Senior Doubles | Doug Brown and James Darnton | David Kendall and Treve Whitworth |
| Mixed Senior Doubles | April Smith and Tim Kilsby | Lynne Truell and Mike Torrens |
| Plate | Winners | Runner Up |
| Men's Singles | Paul Taylor | Tim Kilsby |
| Ladies Singles | Laura Braithwaite | Rose Caudery |
| Ladies Doubles | Jo Hughes and Lynne Truell | Emily Stewart and Zsuzsanna Erdie |
| Men's Doubles | Doug Brown and James Darnton | Paul Taylor and Richard Pope |
| Mixed Doubles | Rose Caudery and Finn Tibbert-Wykvliet | Zsuzsanna Erdie and Richard Pope |
| Ladies Senior Doubles | April Smith and Jen Ayres | Maggie Humphreys and Jane Wade |
| Mixed Senior Doubles | Pippa Da Cunha and Doug Brown | Frances Robinson and Oliver Butler |
