The North Devon League's Friendly Cup Competition kicked off for Rock Park on Sunday, with the Mens' A and B Teams being drawn against each other in the first round robin match!
As can be seen from the scorecard, it was a keenly contested affair. It was fortunate that play could take place at all given the storms forecast and it proved to be pretty much one of the few times any tennis could be played outside in the last week or so, with Barnstaple being flooded the next day! Due to the excellent drainage of the courts, play was able to safely take place and a lot of fun, despite the in-club rivalry, was had by all.
The highlight was perhaps the decider of the first match between Quick/Woo and Bishop/Ward. A Champions' Tie Break had to played to determine the winner after the match stood at one set all. The B Team pair quickly took what seemed to be an unassailable 4-9 lead, with 5 match points. With nothing to lose, Quick/Woo came out swinging and somehow took the next 6 points in a row to go match point up, at 10-9 with a serve to come. Woo hit a decent first serve, but Ward was able to guide it back into the court, after which he and Bishop showed steely resolve to not only take the point but also the next two and won the match (as well as the all-important bragging rights).
Middle-aged guys warm up!
The scorecard shows that another match went to a deciding Champions' Tie Break which the A Team pair were able to win on that occasion, meaning an overall victory rather than a draw.
The League has scheduled the fixtures (which can be rearranged if need be) to take place at weekends and it has proven difficult to secure available players for the teams the Club has entered. Some teams have had to withdraw from the competition as a result, including our Mens' C Team.
The remaining teams are the Ladies' B (Division 2 and 3 opponents), Men's A and B (Divisions 1 and 2 opponents). We may have to imminently withdraw some, if not all remaining teams due to the diffculty in getting players - please let Ruth Holman, Nigel Quick or Graham Ward know if you fancy playing any or even all of the fixtures (see "Return to Competitive Play" news page for dates). The League describes this year's Cup as comprising "friendly competitive matches", which is certainly apt. More relaxed than usual Cup matches, this is an opportunity to try out some of those skills you've been practising in a competitive situation!