Over two action-packed days, ten matches unfolded to determine the champions of the inaugural Anglo Hibernian Cup. Five players from England and five from Ireland travelled to Liverpool not only to compete, but to proudly showcase Para Standing Tennis at its best.

Day 1 could not have been closer. Ireland took the opening match, England answered in the second. Ireland claimed the third and fourth before England struck back in the fifth—setting the stage for my match to close out the day. After a hard-fought battle, I defeated Alex Morrogh 6–4, 6–4, bringing us level at 3–3 heading into Day 2.

Day 2 featured four doubles matches, and with the score tied, the likelihood of finishing level seemed stronger than ever. Ireland won the first, England replied in the second, and Ireland edged the third—once again leaving my match to determine whether we’d equalise or fall behind. My partner, Matthew Johnstone, and I pulled through with a tense 10–8 win in the championship tiebreak!

We all know in tennis you either win or you lose, so a tie wasn’t something we had in mind. With the teams deadlocked, both captains selected two players for a final deciding doubles championship tiebreak. It was every bit as tight as expected, but England narrowly lost 11–9, crowning Ireland the first-ever Anglo Hibernian Cup champions.

Nonetheless, we all had an incredible weekend and most importantly raised the profile of the sport.

P.S we are already plotting our revenge for next year!

Report: Georgia Routledge