Walmley Tennis Club conjured up the spirit of Wimbledon when it staged its first ‘Open’ doubles tournament of 2020. An excellent turnout saw all seven courts in use with a round robin format to find men’s and women’s doubles champions, along with a mini-invitation tournament.
Mindful of good health and safety practice, the draw was made in advance with the players divided into three distinct ‘bubbles’. Each bubble was set up with its own sanitisers, separate seating areas and court entrances, with break times staggered to maintain social distancing.
The Open event was organised by player Jim Latham and coach Tom Clive. Their efforts were rewarded with Wimbledon-style blue skies and some high quality matches. Phil Lucy and Ashley Parr were crowned men’s ‘Walmley Wimbledon Open’ champions, while Sarah Ward and Jackie Latham won the women’s title. The invitation doubles was won by Joe Nolan and Jon Lewis.
