OK so I'm sorry. I didn't want to put up this news item before the scores were on the LTA site but here we are on Monday night and they aren't there yet. But here is the report without the full Snow's tournament scores. Photo is some of the Boy's 14 & Under players of the Snow's tournament.
Well we are well into the 12 Days of Christmas – sixth actually so what is that six calling birds totally irrelevant but yesterday it would have been Five Gold Rings - and that was irrelevant too! The Boy’s 12 & Under travelled to Southsea and almost came home with a win while at the Snow’s Xmas Tournament nobody from Thornden won major prizes. But let us start at the beginning.
Our team of Freddie Swain, Finley Scott, Jan Baczinsky and Jack Layton-Bunday spent Saturday afternoon at the seaside. Starting with the doubles (so individual players could leave to attend social engagements) Freddie and Finley lost 5-7, 3-6 while Jan & jack won a close match 1-6, 6-4, 10-5. All square and everything to play for! Freddie then had a really close singles winning 6-2, 4-6, 10-3. Finley never really had a chance as he was beaten 0-6, 0-6, Jan had an even closer match than Freddie but lost 4-6, 6-4, 9-11. Jack cruised through to a 6-3, 6-3 win so it ended in a draw – except there is no such thing in Junior tennis. Due to social arrangements Jack and Freddie were off early which meant Jan joined Finlay in the shoot-out tie break which ended with our pair losing.
So back home at the Snow’s Christmas Junior Tournament we had three of our players in action on Saturday. James Ardley, Milan Bharadia and Mats Colling. James lost as did Milan so they proceeded to the Consolation. Mats on the other hand started well and kept going until the Final where he lost in the third set tie break, 6-4, 4-6, 7-10 – to the top seed. The courts had by that time taken on the surface equivalent of crude oil and it really was the one who could stand up that won. In the consolation Milan was beaten in the semi while James won to meet up with our old friend Sam Li in the consolation final – which James won in straight sets. Milan meanwhile won the match for 7th – but no trophy I am afraid.
Sunday the Girl’s and Boy’s 14 & Under had a good complement of Thornden players: Jocelyn Kwan and Nakshatra Sridhar in the Girls with Sam Ardley and Todd Elliott in the Boys. Jocelyn won her first match in a tough encounter whereas Nakshatra had a more comfortable win to reach the semi-finals. At this stage Nakshatra was beaten while Jocelyn progressed to the final at which point she found her opponent much too strong but played well to put up a good fight that ended up with her in silver position. The boys were both beaten in the first round but then progressed through the Consolation draw.
Next week: there is something on my calendar but it seems a bit indistinct: something to do with being nice to people and full of good cheer – can’t apply to me so it must be a mistake. No tennis until January but do check in as I have a report planned for 24th and 31st: topical they will be for sure.
Title: “There’s No Business like Show Business” 1954: Ethel Merman sang it in the musical movie “Annie get your gun”: I recall listening to the Music from the movie - on an album until I knew all the words – especially to “I just blew in from the windy city, the windy city is mighty purdy but they aint got what we got no siree, I’m telling you boys there’s much more life in Deadwood City than the whole of Illinois” (all straight from my head) – well I was only young despite the rumours that I was 39 at the time.