Last weekend (26th and 27th October) TLTC were represented by 5 pairs playing at the Save the Children Tennis Cup at the NTC all trying to end 3 years of near misses. Previously the mens doubles had already been played with Ollie Foudah and Andrew Greenleaf safely qualifying to the semi finals while Alex March and Chris Midgley benefited from a pair pulling out to get through as well.
On the Saturday it was the first round of the ladies and mixed doubles. The first round was a mini round robin of 3 teams with 2 mini sets to 4 games (with a tie break at 1-1 set all), with the top 2 progressing to the quarter finals. Both tournaments began at the same time so I barely managed to watch any of Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer playing in the ladies doubles. Such was the ease with which they obliterated their opponents that by the time myself and Geri had struggled to make 1-1 they had already left the court. It was therefore no surprise that they duly finished top of the group with only the loss of a handful of games.
It wasn't quite as straight forward for Alison Mackenzie and David McWha and Geri Cummins and myself playing in the mixed. Alison and David lost their first match to a strong pair while I seemed to be suffering from a strange mental condition that meant that getting the ball into the box via a serve seemed like an alien concept and an almost impossible task. We duly lost as well, leaving us both work to do. Alison and David breezed through their last match comfortably taking second spot in their group. Geri and I took a more complicated route - the pair that beat us subsequently lost, meaning we had to win losing no more than 3 games to get through on games difference. Cue a 4-2 4-1 victory, Happy days!
The tournament now reverted to a knock out 1 normal set shoot out. Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer continued to show us all how to do it in the quarters making equally light work of their quarter final opponents as they had with everyone all day. Alison and David, playing a group winner, came unstuck in the quarter finals. But considering it was a scratch pairing did very well. Meanwhile Geri and I finally started to play some good stuff, also playing a group winner won through.
So TLTC had 4 pairs into the semis on Sunday. The draw threw up an all TLTC encounter in the mens doubles, with Alex and Chris coming though against Ollie and Andrew in a tight 6-3 set albeit with a few rather strange calls coming from the LTA umpire (which was slightly alarming given his chosen profession). Including 1 which seemed to be called in despite hitting the side netting diving the courts, having umpires it seems is not all its cracked up to be!
Then Martha and Alex played their quarter final and you can guess the rest, they easily got through to the final. Geri and myself played a good set of attacking tennis winning 6-1. Leaving us with 3 finalists and 3 opportunities for TLTC to win.
Alex and Chris lost narrowly 7-5 despite playing some great tennis.
Martha and Alex for the first time were pushed (slightly) with the score level at 2-2 their class then began to tell as they didnt drop another game, winning the ladies doubles 6-2 in the final.
While Geri and myself played a really close match in the final but stuck to our guns and continued to take the risks playing attacking doubles winning through 7-5.
The finals represented the culmination of a whole season of Save the Children Tennis Tournaments played.
The results were:
Boys’ doubles:
Seth Crabbe and Oscar Brown, Sevenoaks TC beat
Jamie Thomas and Luke Tweed, Millfield Prep
Girls’ doubles:
Jasmine Poole and Ellie Watts, Tunbridge Wells TC beat
Elena Holland and Jemima Morris, Tunbridge Wells TC
Men’s doubles:
Tomasz Zbikowski and Yann Alsford, Wilton TC beat
Chris Midgley and J Alex March, Twickenham TC
Ladies’ doubles:
Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer, Twickenham TC beat
Jane Humphrey and Gillie Turner, Horsmonden TC
Mixed doubles:
Geri Cummins and James Barlow, Twickenham TC beat
Sophie Rouhaud and Nathan Jennings, Thistleworth TC
On the Saturday it was the first round of the ladies and mixed doubles. The first round was a mini round robin of 3 teams with 2 mini sets to 4 games (with a tie break at 1-1 set all), with the top 2 progressing to the quarter finals. Both tournaments began at the same time so I barely managed to watch any of Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer playing in the ladies doubles. Such was the ease with which they obliterated their opponents that by the time myself and Geri had struggled to make 1-1 they had already left the court. It was therefore no surprise that they duly finished top of the group with only the loss of a handful of games.
It wasn't quite as straight forward for Alison Mackenzie and David McWha and Geri Cummins and myself playing in the mixed. Alison and David lost their first match to a strong pair while I seemed to be suffering from a strange mental condition that meant that getting the ball into the box via a serve seemed like an alien concept and an almost impossible task. We duly lost as well, leaving us both work to do. Alison and David breezed through their last match comfortably taking second spot in their group. Geri and I took a more complicated route - the pair that beat us subsequently lost, meaning we had to win losing no more than 3 games to get through on games difference. Cue a 4-2 4-1 victory, Happy days!
The tournament now reverted to a knock out 1 normal set shoot out. Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer continued to show us all how to do it in the quarters making equally light work of their quarter final opponents as they had with everyone all day. Alison and David, playing a group winner, came unstuck in the quarter finals. But considering it was a scratch pairing did very well. Meanwhile Geri and I finally started to play some good stuff, also playing a group winner won through.
So TLTC had 4 pairs into the semis on Sunday. The draw threw up an all TLTC encounter in the mens doubles, with Alex and Chris coming though against Ollie and Andrew in a tight 6-3 set albeit with a few rather strange calls coming from the LTA umpire (which was slightly alarming given his chosen profession). Including 1 which seemed to be called in despite hitting the side netting diving the courts, having umpires it seems is not all its cracked up to be!
Then Martha and Alex played their quarter final and you can guess the rest, they easily got through to the final. Geri and myself played a good set of attacking tennis winning 6-1. Leaving us with 3 finalists and 3 opportunities for TLTC to win.
Alex and Chris lost narrowly 7-5 despite playing some great tennis.
Martha and Alex for the first time were pushed (slightly) with the score level at 2-2 their class then began to tell as they didnt drop another game, winning the ladies doubles 6-2 in the final.
While Geri and myself played a really close match in the final but stuck to our guns and continued to take the risks playing attacking doubles winning through 7-5.
The finals represented the culmination of a whole season of Save the Children Tennis Tournaments played.
The results were:
Boys’ doubles:
Seth Crabbe and Oscar Brown, Sevenoaks TC beat
Jamie Thomas and Luke Tweed, Millfield Prep
Girls’ doubles:
Jasmine Poole and Ellie Watts, Tunbridge Wells TC beat
Elena Holland and Jemima Morris, Tunbridge Wells TC
Men’s doubles:
Tomasz Zbikowski and Yann Alsford, Wilton TC beat
Chris Midgley and J Alex March, Twickenham TC
Ladies’ doubles:
Martha Bullen and Alex Kramer, Twickenham TC beat
Jane Humphrey and Gillie Turner, Horsmonden TC
Mixed doubles:
Geri Cummins and James Barlow, Twickenham TC beat
Sophie Rouhaud and Nathan Jennings, Thistleworth TC
