The September Mixed Doubles Tournament turned out to be a real nail-biter on account of the sudden transition from a sunny late summer to a distinctly rainy autumn. Nevertheless, a window of opportunity opened between 0900 and 1200 hrs on the day of the tournament, and so we grabbed it!The September Mixed Doubles Tournament turned out to be a real nail-biter on account of the sudden transition from a sunny late summer to a distinctly rainy autumn. Nevertheless, a window of opportunity opened between 0900 and 1200 hrs on the day of the tournament, and so we grabbed it!

As 1100 hrs approached, we were able to get the final match of the main tournament underway. 25 mins later the atmosphere became positively Wagnerian; it was as if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had decided to ride into Southsea simultaneously just at that very moment.  The thunder crackled and the lightning flared and, just as the four finalists were about to settle the match in a 5-point tiebreak, the skies opened up! The match was abandoned, and the result declared a draw.

The picture shows the four winning finalists with Ann; Clare and Andrii on the left and Ashley and John on the right.

Meanwhile, the plate competition where, typically, more tennis is played on account of the round robin format, produced a winning pair in Liv and Steve, shown below.

And so, the 2023 Club tournament season crashed literally into a highly dramatic end. But that did nothing to affect the good humour which accompanied the event throughout.

Our thanks to all who took part and, in particular, to Ann, our tournament organiser whose nimble footwork on the organisational front ensured a perfect morning’s tennis.