The Spring Mixed Doubles Tournament is unique in that the players enter the competition singly and are paired by the organisers. Each match consists of two sets of 5 games with a 7-point tiebreak in the event of a draw.  All players are guaranteed to play 3 matches and a semi-final.

16 players took part in this year’s competition which ultimately produced a winning pair and a pair of runners-up.

The picture shows from left to right: Tony Eames and Helen Shelton, the winners, Ann, our tournament organiser and Anthony Fitch and Helen Nelson, the runners-up - a combination of familiar and new faces, which is what this particular tournament sets out to achieve with its strategically chosen pairings.

A day which started out indifferently weatherwise ended in a high of bright sunshine both literally (as the picture above shows) and metaphorically, if the look of pleasure on the faces of the players was anything to go by.