In just one week our Senior Men’s A are away travelled to Winchester A on Monday. The Apsley A stayed at home to Bassett A on Saturday, the Boy’s 12s was away to David Lloyd Ringwood and the Boy’s 14s was away to PTA. Then on Sunday 20th May the Men’s 2 was at home to Steep followed by the Men’s Elite at home to Milton Keynes. Also on Sunday the Girl’s 14s team was away to David Lloyd West End. And there was some wedding thing on televideoputercablething and the FA Cup on Saturday. Photo: our jubilant Apsley team after a dominant display. Photo: Apsley A at home to Bassett.
Paul Stavely & Chris Osbourne quickly lost 0-6, 3-6while Martyn Lucas & Mark Wellby lost 3-6, 1-6 to Winchester A on Monday. In the reverse singles things did not improve as Paul & Chris lost 5-7, 4-6 and Mark & Martyn lost a much neater 0-6, 0-6. Just one of those days when things just will not go right I suppose, but then Winchester A is riding high at the top of the league table so there is that in our favour.
Saturday was a different day altogether. I saw the teams go on court for the mixed doubles at 13:00 and thought I would pop back at about three to see how the mixed doubles had worked out. Well the match was just coming to an end at 15:15 with Thornden dominating the proceedings. Dita Mezihorakova & Paul Scullard had a comfortable rubber winning 6-1, 6-2, Summer Colling & Mats Colling cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win Magda Kornijczuk & James Blair blew the opposition away 6-0, 6-0 and Frankie Colling & Alex Billingham barely worked up a sweat winning 6-0, 6-1. The Ladies doubles was more of the same, Dita & Frankie winning 6-1, 6-0 and Magda & Summer 6-0, 6-0 victors. Paul & James won 6-0, 6-0 and Mats & Alex won 6-1, 6-0. It was a very strong team with a number of top county players in the squad so Bassett was quite pleased to have taken some games off our pairs.
Off down the M27 and A31 the Boy’s 12s was having a bit of a ball at David Lloyd Ringwood. Sam Ardley decided it was too hot to stay on court too long so won 6-0, 6-0 and not to be outdone Ben Hatfield did the same 6-0, 6-0. Harry Robinson took a little time to warm up but still won 6-3, 6-0 whereas Nicolaas Van Zyl Smit started slowly losing the first set 3-6, came back to win the second 6-5 but lost the tie-break 5-10. In the doubles Sam & Ben wanted an early tea so won 6-0, 6-0 and Harry & Nicolaas didn’t keep them waiting too long, winning 6-1, 6-1. That will improve the statistics!
The Boy’s 16s went in the opposite direction to the 12s with a full team. On arrival at Portsmouth Tennis Academy it was discovered that PTA only had two players! That meant that no matter what happened on the courts we would win. Ashton Kerslake was dispatched by a more experienced player but not without a fight 1-6, 1-6. Will Hatfield did a little better losing 1-6, 2-6. In the doubles the captains agreed to TTC playing the #3 & #4 players so James Hurlock & Thomas Gibbs were not uunsurprisingly beaten 0-6, 1-6. The PTA captain then persuaded our captain that they could play the shoot-out with #1 and #2 players so this was played – totally unofficially – so TTC take the win on a defaulted shoot-out. Well we deserved it after taking four players for a totally frustrating outing to Portsmouth who with all their resources could not put out 4 players.
Sunday at Thornden was a bit cloudy to start with but this soon burned away and the sun beamed down on our boys with Steep B as their opponents. Joe Henbury started as he intended to continue with a solid win 6-3, 6-3, Alex Billingham won comfortably 6-0, 6-3, Tom Vinnell played superbly to win 6-0, 6-1 and Slavek Kornijczuk had a good win 6-0, 6-3. The doubles was more of the same for Steep B as Joe & Alex teamed up well for a 6-1, 6-3 win and Tom & Slavek soundly winning 6-1, 6-0, Nice day and a very nice win that keeps them in the top three and a strong chance of beating the team at #1 in early June.
The Girl’s 14s travelled the short distance to David Lloyd West End for a critical match in the league. The match was moved outside from the start so the conditions should have favoured our girls but who can tell! Nakshatra Sridhar was playing a higher rated girl and in a really close game, and I mean really close, lost 6-7(6-8), 7-6(7-5), 7-10 in a rubber that lasted for 2.5 hours no less. Jocelyn Kwan won a really exciting singles, also against a higher rated girl, 4-6, 6-4 10-6. All square so everything depended on the doubles that was delayed while Nakshatra and her opponent had a well earned rest. Well not enough rest actually as we then lost 0-4, 3-5 in a light hearted, well roasted (by the sun) rubber that all the girls enjoyed. Who cares about winning the league: lets have fun girls!
Back home the afternoon did not go too well for Thornden Men’s Elite as they entertained Milton Keynes. James Blair gave everything to try to win but unfortunately lost in a great tussle 1-6, 2-6. Paul Scullard thinks his opponent was nice to him as he pulled out all the stops to win 7-6, 6-4 but Mats Colling lost 4-6, 1-6 and James Ardley tried to counter the opposition but lost 1-6, 0-6. Paul handed over to Tim Cook who partnered James Ardley but they lost 1-6, 4-6 while James Blair & Mats lost 3-6, 2-6. So not quite what we were hoping for but we can still manage to stay in the league if we can win at home to David Lloyd Poole, North Oxford or much less likely against Halton.
David Thomas pointed out that we have royal connections as he espied Andrew Middleton among the guests at Saturday’s big splicing event in Windsor. Apparently Andrew, Kate’s first cousin, was a regular member of the club for a number of years and played in our A-TEAM alongside the likes of Tim Cook and others a few years back. So we can almost say that we are almost royal appointed as supplier of Tennis Club services to a distant relation of the future King of England. I like the sound of the “Royal Thornden Tennis Club” – should be able to get some decent sponsorship with a name like that!
Just a reminder - we are now selling tickets for our big fund-raising event Masala n Music on Saturday 23rd June 2018. Contact Bill Chatterton, Frankie Colling, Sharon Ardley, Christine Johnson, Roger Travers, Liz Taylor, Paul Scullard, Nigel Lindley or Ginny Arrowsmith – or all of them if you want lots of tickets. It will be fun: great food, great company and great music – all for £ 15.00, about the price of four beers without the food or music.
Last of all I must say I was amused by the story of the Pizza Festival that ran out of pizza – we promise that will not happen if you buy your tickets early so we know how many are going to come. Harry is coming back from London especially to play, Leon C is playing the Basingstoke Festival and taking his helicopter to fly in for the event and we have a professional sound and lights to make sure the presentation is top quality. BE THERE!
Next week: Wednesday 23rd May Senior Men’s A at home to Avenue A and Senior Men’s B away to Riverside. Saturday 26th May Men’s A at Southsea, Men’s B at home to Salisbury B, Men’s C at home to South Hants and Leon C is playing at the “Good Intent” in Petersfield.
Title: Popular song from before I was born. Yep, I know it is difficult to believe that there was such a time but I was well down the list of offspring in the year my Mum & Dad did what Meghan & Harry did today. Written I 1924 by Walter Donaldson (music) & George A Whiting (lyrics) but published 1929 and recorded in 1927 by Paul Whiteman.