This week the Girl’s 16 & Under was at home to Winchester on Saturday while on Sunday the Men’s Bees was away to Bassett A, the Ladies Belles at home to Waterside A, and the boy’s 12 & Under was meant to be at PTA but no courts and no players. The title incidentally has nothing to do with the report. Photo: Thornden & Winchester Girl’s 14 & Under teams on Saturday
I was looking at the Ladies Angels data this week. No I haven’t analysed win/loss or any of that rubbish but just looked at who had played. Captain Frankie Collings and Summer Colling both played all six matches, Dita Mezihorakova and Magda Kornijczuk made 5 each, Sue Wells 4, Liezl Edom 3, Lydia Kelly, Chairperson Christine Johnson and Nicky Cozens 2 and Anna Vinnell just one. Until the league tables catch up I cannot tell you the detailed statistics but we won 35 rubbers and halved one, a total of 71 sets won to 37 lost. Best win had to be against Winchester A, although Kingsgate A pushed our girls hard. Biggest scoring margin was against David Lloyd West End but the conditions favoured our team as the opposition are used to playing on windless and sunless courts! Mind you I did note that the David Lloyd pairs tried to pick on Magda which, as we all know, is a big mistake! Just one great big solid performance from beginning to end: must be celebratory tennis tops for the team to mark this great league win. Mind you one or two other teams are doing quite well so maybe we need to be careful here: maybe a certificate or a postcard size thank you might be better! I will also have to think carefully about renaming them the Ladies Archangels!
Committee Meeting this week and so there is lots for me to tell you about. The Skittles evening will be on Friday 23rd March at the Phoenix Inn in Twyford. You should have received an email about this. We are planning to hold a LTA supported Parent Child competition: this is for novice parents and kids under 11 I think. Paul also announced the date of the Inter-Club Challenge for our novice Junior/Mini players – Sunday 1st July. The possibility of a Quiz evening was discussed but more on that later in the year once we have had a chance to do a bit of study to prepare ourselves! Mini lights are now fixed but there is a potential problem with spares for our lights so we need to start thinking about new fittings. Complaints about the heaters in the club: DO NOT COVER THESE WITH ANYTHING: WHEN COVERED THEY OVERHEAT AND THEN A SAFETY CUT OUT MCHANISM SHUTS THEM DOWN. TABLES WILL BE REARRANGED SO PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THEM BACK TO THE OLD ARRANGEMENT.
Tennis – ah tennis. The Girl’s welcomed Winchester on a Saturday that promised rain so it was touch and go if the match would be played. Special arrangements were made to start at 12:00 and this proved to be a wise decision. Nakshatra Sridhar had a really close match with Maya Gandee-Morgan winning 6-2, 6-3 while Jocelyn Kwan took time to overcome a determined Gabrielle Gwilliam 6-2, 6-1. The temperature had risen but the wind-chill had risen to compensate as the damp players were persuaded to return to the courts on the basis that they would play short sets. While we huddled inside the club house trying to keep warm the girls had a great time, Nakshatra in glove and Gabrielle in a raincoat, to return a score 3-5, 4-2, 10-2 to bring the result to 3-0 for Thornden. The tennis was the winner, the girls being the heroes in quite horrible conditions. You will note that I have mentioned the visitor’s names and I included them in the photograph as a deserved winner of sportsmanship at its best. Well done to all of you.
The Ladies Belles entertained Waterside A on Sunday that looked OK as far as the weather was concerned and so it proved. Unfortunately a player pulled out on Saturday evening so Archangel Francis stood in but unable to accrue any points. Julie Kelly & Sue Wells started strongly with a 6-2, 6-1 win Sue Fogg & Helen Haigh halved 6-4, 6-7 (frustrating to lose the tie break) and Anna Wise & FC had a friendly match. So that was all square after the first round. Julie & SueW then halved 6-1, 4-6, as did SueF & Helen 6-7, 6-1 while Anna & FC enjoyed their friendly. But now 2.5: 3.5 down. After a quick warm up in the Pavilion, Julie & SueW had a comfortable 6-4, 6-0 win, but SueF & Helen lost 2-6, 2-6 largely as a result of my congratulating SueF on how well she was playing! The end result was a 3.5: 5.5 loss to end the season in the lower reaches of the league. We really must recruit some of the younger girls into the Belles next year.
Also on Sunday, down the road at Bassett the Men’s Bees was engaged with the Bassett A team, always an interesting engagement. Slavek Kornijczuk & Alex Billingham started with a half, 2-6, 7-6, Jon Saville & Andy Bickerton lost 4-6, 2-6 and Jon Francis & Stephen Thompson lost a tough rubber 3-6, 1-6. Slavek & Alex were then thoroughly outclassed 1-6, 0-6, Jon & Andy managed a half 2-6, 6-3 but Jon & Stephen again lost heavily 1-6, 2-6. So only one rubber had been won at that point. Final round Slavek & Alex lost 3-6, 4-6, Jon & Andy lost 3-6, 2-6 and Jon & Stephen losing a competitive first set 4-6 but then going down 1-6 in the second. So a miserable day for the Bees to end their campaign hopefully somewhere above the relegation zone!
Half-term has already played havoc with junior fixtures as parents take the opportunity of doing things with progeny they normally are not allowed to do. Not much has happened this week unless you are a FTSE, CAC or DOW in which case you have been bouncing up and down like a springer spaniel on speed. Wife came back from Spain and after about three days started planning to go back: yep, it took that long. Dog continues to lose weight even though she is back on full diet: seems her energy level has risen and she burns off her food in additional exertions: we increase her food in search of the perfect balance but she just runs even more. Leon is playing away on Thursday at Jags @ 119 Festival Sessions in Portsmouth and then at home on Friday he is at the Art House in Southampton: two late nights for me this week then! Thought half-term would be restful.
Next week: Saturday 17th February: Mixed Boyz at Lyndhurst. Sunday 18th February: Men’s A-TEAM at home to Winchester A – always an exciting fixture.
FOR YOUR DIARY - SUNDAY 14TH APRIL - LADIES ANGELS IN LEAGUE SHOOT OUT VS PORTSMOUTH LTA LEAGUE AT SOUTHSEA. If they win the will definitely be known hereafter as the Archangels!
Title: Not a song and has no real bearing on the tennis. Johann Johannsson composed this piece in 2006. He was a great composer using all sorts of electronic and other techniques in his music, largely for films. Now he is composing for the heavenly choirs.