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TENNIS

All the up-to-date news from Boston Tennis Club

June 2006

News for week ending Sunday June 25

The 2006 champions at Boston Tennis Club are Sam Kemp and Danieele Frankish. The finals of the Chattertons-sponsored Closed Club Championships were held on Sunday after nine days of competitive tennis.

Sam progressed to the final with only a few games lost along the way. But Andrew Cook, the other finalist, had a tough three-set semi-final against James Thompson. In the final, Andrew trailed in the first set but did well to recover and forced a tie-break. However, Sam won this set and then took the second 6-2 to win the event.

Jeremy George-Jones had a three-set win over Ray Frankish in the group one final of the men’s singles, and James Povah successfully defended his boys’ singles title with a 6-2, 6-3 result against Will Mason. James Fairweather won 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 against Carl Robinson in the boys’ group one final.

Simon Bush and Mark Thompson won the men’s doubles title 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. They had a demanding semi-final en route to the final, winning the second set on a tie-break having lost the first to James Thompson and Alex Cobb. Having come through this match, they held out against Andrew and Richard Cook.

Danielle Frankish successfully defended the three titles she won last year: The ladies’ and girls’ singles and the ladies’ doubles.

The ladies' singles saw her defeat Andrea Jackson in the semi-finals. Victoria Posey progressed at the expense of Ashleigh Frankish in the other half of the draw. In the final Danielle beat Victoria 6-1, 6-2.

In the girls’ singles Danielle needed three sets to defeat Ashleigh Frankish. And a re-run of last year’s final saw Danielle and Faye Button beat Rachel Atkinson and Ashleigh Frankish to retain the ladies’ doubles title.

Beth Ridlington played Madeline Verdegaal in the group one final of the girls’ competition, winning in two sets.

In the veteran events, Catherine Ellis and Mary Smura were the ladies’ champions with Ros Keanne and Liz Hewitt the runners-up. Fred Calvert and Richard Hart won the men’s event. They defeated Ray Frankish and Sev Smura in the final. Tournament referee Helen Cook did a fine job over the nine days of competition.

News for week ending Sunday June 18

In the Boston and District Tennis League, the three Boston mixed teams have had some good results.

The Boston I mixed team won 6-3 against Woodhall Spa, the side comprising Geoff Short, Rachel Atkinson, Chung Sing Cheung, Faye Button, Micky Audus and Sam Lakin. Woodhall Spa also lost out to Boston III team of Andrew Cook, Emma Cook, Mick Sweeney, Helen Cook, Tricia Sweeney and Ray Frankish. The result of this match was 8-1 to the Boston team.

Boston III lost out, however, to Bourne 4-5. This was an exciting match, the result of which depended upon the last rubber on court, which went to a tie-break and was won by Bourne to give the opposition the edge. Kevin Hawkesworth, Hazel Walker, Ray Frankish, Tricia Sweeney, James Sweeney and Rachel Brook played for the team on this occasion.

In an all-Boston match Boston III played Boston II and won 8-1. The team for this Boston derby was Ray Frankish, Helen Cook, Jeremy George-Jones, Emma Cook, Kevin Hawkesworth and Tricia Sweeney. Meanwhile, Joan Beale, Phil Cosgriff, Peter Elphick, Ros Keane, John Fisher and Fran Keane made up the personnel of Boston II.

There were some close rubbers for Boston II against Rochford but the seconds won 7-2. The team that played against Rochford was Frances Keane, Peter Elphick, Jenny Grant, Callum Simmonds, Joan Beale and Phil Cosgriff.

Matches in the KIA NCL competition are drawing to a close. The mens’ first team will come down in to the National Division Two next season after a tough season this year in Division One.

The last two matches of the season were losses without winning any rubbers. A trip to Manchester last week to play the Northern Club was undertaken by Andrew Cook, Sam Kemp, Callum Simmonds and Louis Warren. This Sunday there’s a home match against Sutton Coldfield for Sam Kemp, Mike Burnett, James Sweeney and Louis Warren.

The men’s second team, playing in the Lincolnshire Division One, had a 5-1 win against Bourne. Simon Bush, James Thompson, Alex Cobb and Richard Cook were 3-1 up after the singles and added the two doubles to reach this result.

In the Lincolnshire Doubles League the ladies team won their second match of the season against Tennis Buddies. It was 6-3 for the team of Sam Green, Lucy Fowler, Rachel Atkinson, Catherine Smura, Danielle Frankish and Mary Smura. The men’s fifth team of Sam Kemp, Mike Sweeney, Sev Smura, David Makins, Gerge Read and Sam Cooper, lost out 4-5 to Sleaford.

The Chattertons’ club championships continue all week with the finals of all the events being played over the coming weekend.

News for week ending Sunday June 11

The annual ladies day took place at Boston Tennis Club on Thursday June 8. Sponsored by Bombay Brasserie, the ladies day — which is an open doubles event — was both popular and successful.

Basking in glorious sunshine the players were divided into four groups for the tennis, with a meal for two at the Bombay Brasserie, West Street, the prize for all the group winners.

Group one was won by a pair from Bourne, Harriet May and Helen Whitfield, while Boston Tennis Club members Effie Warth and Lisa Stephenson were the winners of group two. Boston’s Carolyn Green and Elaine Walker won group three and Jacky Warren and Samantha Green were the winners of group four. An impressive lunch provided by Joy Geelhoed and Aggie Maskell followed the tennis and the presentations concluded the day. Joy Geelhoed (the organiser) and Aggie Maskell did a wonderful job and everybody had an enjoyable day.

Two of Boston Tennis Club’s talented youngsters represented Lincolnshire in the LTA under-10s county cup competition. Emily Hawkesworth and Madeline Verdegaal were members of Lincolnshire’s girls’ under-10s team that played at Derby. Initially in a group with Yorkshire and Derbyshire the team came close to an impressive win against Yorkshire, the firm favourites for this event. However, a loss against both of these teams pitched the girls into a play-off with Durham and Cleveland on the Sunday. Gathering themselves after the disappointment of the first day’s results, the girls played remarkable well to earn fifth position.

In the Lincolnshire doubles league there were wins for the club’s men’s third and sixth teams and losses for the ladies’ second and fourth teams. The third team had a convincing win against Eastgate seconds. There were several tiebreaks during the afternoon representing some close rubbers. But these were won by Boston and the overall result was 8-1 for Geoff Short, Kevin Hawkesworth, John Gibson, Ray Frankish, Callum Simmons and Clive Green. The sixth team of Michael Sweeney, Sev Smura, Chung Sing Cheung, James Sweeney, Andrei Clark and Chris Sweeney swept through to win 9-0 against Bourne third team.

The ladies’ second team of Catherine Ellis, Danielle Frankish, Faye Button, Helen Cook, Andrea Jackson and Mary Smura lost out 2-7 to Grimsby’s St James. The ladies’ fourth team narrowly lost 4-5 to Spalding. It was sweltering conditions and a close match for the team of Sue Dring, Lyn Capes, Denise Priestley, Ailsa Linnell, Annette Jakeman and Jessica Dring. At 3-3 going in to the third round, the result hinged on the result of the last rubber on court which swung Spalding’s way in a second set tiebreak.

News for week ending Sunday June 4

Boston Tennis Club Championships, sponsored by Chattertons, got under way on Bank Holiday Monday (May 29). The mixed doubles tournament is a one-day round robin event and is the first of the nine titles to be decided.

Seventy-two contestants took part playing for a place in the semi finals. The eventual eight players who made it through to the semis were Michael Sweeney and Helen Cook who lost 2-6 to Helen and James Povah, and Andrew and Emma Cook who lost out 2-6 to Mike Burnett and Sue Beesley. In the final Helen and James Povah beat Mike Burnett and Sue Beesley 6-3.

The Povahs, the first club champions for 2006, received their trophy from the representative from Chattertons and the whole day was brought to a conclusion by a barbecue provided by Linda and Tony Beswick, of Boston tennis club.

In the Lincolnshire doubles league, Boston Tennis Club’s fifth teams had welcome wins at the weekend. The ladies fifth team had narrowly missed out in their first match of the season but comfortably secured a 7-2 result in their second match. The team of Emma Cook, Nicole Martin, Trisha Sweeney, Rachel Atkinson, Helen Motson and Rachel Bowser played Sleaford in an away match to gain this win.

The men’s fifth team was at home to Horncastle and it was their first positive result of the season. The team was Peter Elphick, Michael Audus, Sam Cooper, Charles Cottrell, Chris Beale and Chris Mepham. For Charles it was his fifth match and at last he was on the winning side.

Chris Beale was playing in his first Lincolnshire doubles league and alongside Peter Elphick. And he won three out of three rubbers — a great start. Overall the result was 8-1 to Boston fifth.

In the Kia Junior National Club League the teams from Lincolnshire that go forward to the regional knock out rounds, are emerging. To date Boston will be represented in these rounds by the under-12 girls team and the under 16 boys team.

At county level the under 16 Boston a team of James Povah, Leo Madden, Will Mason and James Sweeney played Grimsby Town and had a 4-0 victory. The team then went on to play Boston B, comprising Louis Warren, Matthew Tidcombe and Charles Cottrell in the county final. And once again they won 4-0.

Beth Ridlington and Lewis Fisher won the girls and boys 12 and under Lincolnshire Junior Challenge Tournament at Eastgate Club during the school holidays. Charley Madigan won the girls under 10 Lincolnshire Junior Challenge tournament at Boston and Henry Warren was runner up for the boys in the same tournament. Both of these contests are part of a series being held around the county from which the winners will progress to a county final in September.

Entries for the Chattertons club tournament should be made via the club noticeboard. There are eight remaining titles to be decided so there is plenty of scope for all ages.