|
Round-up for week ending Sunday April 29
Juniors have sights on progress to KO stage
Junior teams from Boston Tennis Club are eager to get on
with their initial matches in the Junior National Club League. The May
deadline for completing fixtures is rapidly approaching and teams with
aspirations to move into the knockout stages of the event are working hard in
the league action schedule that operates as a qualifying phase for later
games.
The girls’ under-14 team of Kathie Dawson, Sophie Hawkesworth, Andrea Jackson
and Beth Ridlington clinched a third win of the campaign when they had a 4-2
result against Appleby Frodingham at the weekend in Scunthorpe. The under-14s’
previous wins had been by 5-1 margins over Tealby and Eastgate. They now sit
top of the table with one match remaining.
With three Boston Tennis Club teams at the girls’ under-12s level there have
been numerous matches involving the players in these teams. The latest was
between Boston C and Bourne. Playing for Boston C were Hannah Macleod, Pippa
Wilson, Elizabeth Tracey and Georgia Hodgkiss. The girls stood 2-1 ahead after
the first round but secured a great 5-1 win following the second round.
The boys’ under-12s team were dismayed to lose 5-1 to tough opposition at
Grantham. Still in with a chance at just 2-1 down after the first round, the squad
of Lewis Fisher, James Niedermeier, Henry Warren and Joe Woolley missed out
in some close second round rubbers.
The Boston mini-tennis red team of Ellie Stanley, Charlotte Priestley,
Michael Niedermeier, Thomas Cozens, Karan Gupta and Joe Fisher had a match
against Bourne/Deeping and Branston. All the players displayed great attitude
and skill and carried off silver medals, showing they are players to watch
out for in the future.
Meanwhile, at the senior end of the scale, Boston Tennis Club’s veteran mixed
team played the first round of the national knockout competition. A trip to
Cambridge brought with it a welcome 3-1 success for the team of Sue Beesley
and Mike Burnett plus Julie Thompson and Kevin Hawkesworth, to progress to
the next round.
Boston Ladies’ fifth team were the only Boston team not to have played a
match this season in the Lincolnshire Doubles League. This was rectified on
Sunday when they played Woodhall Spa. This was an experienced opposition for
the ladies of Emma Cook, Jane Hindmarch, Helen Motson, Claire Smith, Jacky
Warren and Lesley Addy and, despite some close rubbers and good performances,
Boston Ladies missed out when suffering a 6-3 reverse.
Forthcoming events for club members include the club mixed tournament on the
Spring Bank Holiday Monday (May 7) and the summer doubles league that will
start soon. Anyone interested in these should see the club notice board for
details.
|
|
Round-up for week ending Sunday April 22
Busy time on leagues front for Boston teams
In the Lincolnshire League there were two inter-club
matches involving the Boston Tennis Club’s men’s first and second teams
playing in Division One and the ladies third and fourth team in Division Two.
The men’s first team of Mark Thompson, James Shacklock, Simon Bush, James
Puttrell, Louis Warren and Chris Beale won 6-3 against the second team of
Andrew Cook, Matthew Deane, Andrei Clarke, Kevin Hawkesworth, Mike Sweeney
and Mickey Audus.
The ladies’ match result was 9-0 to the third team, but it was closer than
the score suggests. The ladies’ third team of Helen Cook, Rachel Atkinson,
Hilary Calvert, Sandra White, Ailsa Linnell and Rachel Brook, had to face
several third set tie-breaks. Playing for the fourth team were Sue Dring,
Annette Jakeman, Denise Priestley, Ann Manning, Lyn Capes and Lesley Addy.
Juniors were also busy playing NCL matches.The under-12s girls’ A team of
Emily Hawkesworth, Elizabeth Hall, Charlotte Harness-Knowles and Charley
Madigan had a 6-0 win over the Boston C team comprising Hannah Macleod,
Elizabeth Tracey, Pippa Wilson and Georgia Hodgkiss.
Boston’s under-12 B team lost 2-4 to Tennis Buddies in an exciting match that
hinged on the last rubber. The team was made up of Rebecca Beardsley, Jessica
Frankish, Astrid Preston and Abigail Hindmarch.
The annual tennis and golf day organised by Dennis Ellis involving members
from both Boston Tennis Club and Kirton Holme Golf Club was held recently. A
total of 40 participants tried their hand at nine holes of golf and tennis to
eventually reveal the winning team of Denise Priestley, Mike Burnett, Nev
Kemp and Tim Pexton.
On the national and county front and building on the
success of the previous week, Boston Tennis Club ladies’ first team had a
second win in the Kia National Club League. The ladies visited Coventry to
play the Beechwood Club. The Boston team comprising Rachel Atkinson, Samantha
Vickers, Danielle Frankish and Ailsa Linnell won 5-1 to put them in a good
position in Division One.
The men also had a good win in Division Two with a 4-2 success against
Edgbaston Archery Club. All four players — Mark Thompson, Andrew Cook, Will
Mason and Matthew Deane — won their singles rubbers to set up the team for a
win after the first round. The doubles went to the opposition.
The only Boston team to stumble was the ladies’ second
team of Catherine Smura, Sam Green, Faye Button and Ashleigh Frankish who
lost 6-0 to a strong Queen’s Halifax team. With two matches remaining the
team is looking for a second win this season to avoid relegation back to the
County Division after last year’s promotion.
In the County Division, the men’s second team had a well-earned win against
Gainsborough. It was the second win in the league for this team in yet another
close match. At 2-2 after the singles round, the doubles rubbers both went
the way of the Boston team to give a 4-2 result. Playing for Boston were Ray
Frankish, Simon Bush, Kevin Hawkesworth and Alex Cobb.
|
|
Round-up for week ending Sunday April 1
Testing encounters as new campaign begins
The first round matches for Boston Tennis
Club ladies’ teams in the KIA National Club League proved to be testing
encounters. Boston Ladies’ first team, playing in National Division One, were
up against rivals from the David Lloyd (Leeds) complex in an away fixture.
The team comprised Samantha Vickers, Emma Tomlinson, Faye Button and Danielle
Frankish. The singles round was kept alive by a win at number one singles for
Samantha Vickers. However, the team then trailed 3-1 as proceedings reached
the doubles round. Here, the unit of Samantha and Danielle won their doubles
to add one more rubber. But the team had to settle for a 4-2 loss against
strong opposition.
The ladies’ second team, who play in National Division Two of the KIA
National Club League, were at home to local opposition in the guise of
Lincoln-based Eastgate. The team of Phillida Dawson, Ashleigh Frankish,
Andrea Jackson, Ailsa Linnell and Sue Beesley were defeated by a 6-0 margin.
Although unable to pick up any points from the match, Boston players still
ensured that most rubbers were closely contested. There were a fair share of
three set rubbers and tie-breaks in a close and compelling match.
In two weeks’ time, both ladies teams will be playing at home against
Leicestershire and Blackburn Northern when they will be hoping to make some
impression on the league table by winning these matches.
Boston men’s third team got off to a good start in Division Two of the KIA
National Club League with a 5-1 victory against Ruston Marconi. The team made
an excellent start when gathering all four singles rubbers to open up an
unassailable position. Playing for the team on this occasion were Will Mason,
Callum Simmons, Louis Warren and Mike Sweeney.
Elsewhere, Boston Tennis Club was well represented by players in the
under-12s age group at the Corby Counties competition. This event runs
through the winter months at Corby for the five different age groups for boys
and girls. The under-12s rounded off this season’s matches on Saturday.
Representing Lincolnshire, the boys' and girls' teams included Boston
players, Elizabeth Hall, Emily Hawkesworth, Madeline Verdegaal, Lewis Fisher,
James Niedermeier and Peter Watson. The other counties that Lincolnshire must
play are Hereford & Worcester, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Before
Saturday, Lincolnshire (with 18 points) were in third position in Division
Three, behind Cambrideshire (27) and Hereford and Worcester (22). However,
they were five points ahead of Bedfordshire (13 points).
Following Saturday’s result, Lincolnshire maintained this position by gaining
a win against Bedfordshire but were unable to close the gap on the leading
counties. Youngsters from Boston Tennis Club played at Skegness Tennis Club
in a Mini Tennis Red event involving Boston, Grimsby and Skegness. The team
finished a creditable third. Bronze medals were awarded to Joe Fisher, Sam
Fisher, Nitin Joachim, Hattie Needham, Michael Niedermeier and Alexandra
Thorogood.
On Easter Monday (April 9) the ever-popular tennis and golf day organised in
conjunction with Kirton Holme Golf Club takes place. This annual event
attracts a lot of participants so those wanting to take part need to sign up
as soon as possible on the club noticeboards.
|