The revival of the club championships has been a great addition to the club’s fast-growing repertoire of competitions and finals day did not disappoint.
The mixed doubles and ladies' singles kicked off early in the day with beautiful sunny skies creating a stellar atmosphere for what was to come. The mixed doubles was a close fought affair with countless deuces and a brilliant variety of shots from all four finalists. The result was decided after a tense second set which culminated in a tie break with Dan Church and Kathleen Burbridge edging out Shaun and Bev Vallender.
The ladies' singles competition was won by Jennie Lloyd with consistent shots and some great tactical play to move Alison Patey (runner up) around the court. Alison gave her best, but recovering from injury and a lack of singles play this year made her task a difficult one.
The men’s singles and ladies doubles finals followed after a brief break to refuel. The men’s singles was played under divine sunshine with some brilliant passing shots played by Alan Burbridge the eventual runner up. Winner, Dan Church played some consistent tennis and with flashes of power to overhaul Alan and take the title.
The ladies doubles final was an intense battle from start to finish. There were many points flirting with fifteen shot rallies making it a war of attrition towards the end. Finalists Bev Vallender and Alison Patey had both played in another final earlier in the day but didn’t let this phase them.
The second set saw several breaks of serve with some really tense points and culminated in a tie break, eventually won by Sally Whitemore and Ann Kibby. At one set a piece it was down to a champions tie break to decide the overall victors. Another battle ensued with some exceptional shots being played by all players. After two hours of play Sally Whitemore and Ann Kibby prevailed to rapturous applause from the growing crowd.
Prize giving preluded lunch with the winners bagging the cups presented to the club by Beryl and Bernard Coombs. The cups had been loving restored to their former sparkle and really capped off an excellent morning of tennis.
Lunch was swiftly engulfed, and a great spread was put on by all those who brought food along. With excitement growing for the American tournament to come, seventeen players began warming up on courts preparing themselves for the fun and fast paced tennis served as a dessert to lunch.
The American tournament gave members a chance to play with new players and get to know each other better. The points were racy and with real intent to accumulate points, however fun remained the focus of the afternoon. After the group stage, the two top scoring men and women were teamed up and played a champions tie break to decide the overall men’s and ladies' champions; Clive Kibby and Jennie Lloyd respectively.
A huge thank you to all committee members who assisted in the organisation of the club championships and to all players who came down and supported and joined in. The club cannot wait for next year’s competitions.