Eiko Thielemann picked up a hat-trick of titles as he won three finals on tournament finals day at St Ives Tennis Club on Sunday September 7.
After a rain-delayed start, he came back from a 3-1 first set deficit to beat three-times former champion Tristan Wynne 6-3, 6-2 in the Men’s Singles final.
Next up he defeated James Brown 6-0, 6-1 in the Men’s Over-50s Singles before partnering Pete Belfield a to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Tristan and recently-retired club coach Colin Stringer in the Men’s Doubles final.
The partnership of Pete and Beth Scorer – both new to the club this year – then overcame 2022 champions Tristan Wynne and Amelia Kitchen 6-1, 6-4 in the Mixed Doubles final.
It was a second title for Beth who had already partnered Carolyn Brown to hard-fought victory over Ruby Hampson and Amelia Kitchen in the Ladies Doubles final.
After losing the opening set 6-3, they took the second 6-4 before clinching the deciding champions tie-break 10-4.
Natalie Oliver also had to battle become the club’s first Over-50s Ladies Singles champion, finally overcoming former Open champion and club committee stalwart Birte Hosken who was playing her last St Ives finals day before moving away from Cornwall.
Birte took the opening set 6-3 but Natalie, in her first St Ives final, hit back to win the second 6-1 and took the deciding shoot-out 10-5.
The two plate events – for players eliminated on their first outings in the main competitions – saw Christian Guerrini and Ruby Hampson beat Rob and Lou King 6-4, 6-1 in the Mixed with David Harrap and Rick Chappell winning a marathon Men’s final 6-7, 6-3, 10-3 – just before the heavens opened and the rain came again.