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TENNIS

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

November 2006

News for week ending Sunday November 26

In the Lincolnshire Veteran’s League the Boston Tennis Club ladies had a good 5-3 win against old rivals Collingham. The team of Rachel Atkinson, Sue Beesley, Catherine Ellis and Jenny McGarel kept a steady hold on the lead in this match to make it the fourth win of the season for the team so far.

There was also a win for the Boston veteran men’s team when they played Grantham. Playing for Boston were Chris Cook, John Gibson, Clive Green and Richard Tupper.

Windy conditions prevailed for teams playing outside over the weekend. In the Boston and District Winter League, Boston E had full exposure to the wind at Horncastle. The team of Rachel Bowser, Louise Linnell, Bryon Smith and Peter Elphick were level after the first round. In the second round a tie-break just slipped away to leave both teams even on rubbers but Boston had a five-game advantage to gain a winning draw.

Also in the Boston and District Winter League a young Boston A team played Rochford and lost out 4-0. The team comprised Connor Trigg, Carl Robinson, Lewis Fisher and Ben Mills.

Last weekend Connor Trigg, Carl Robinson, Lewis Fisher and James Fairweather played Boston C team. This was a closely contested match with three tie-breaks. However the C team of Rachel Brook, Chris Beale, Tricia Sweeney and Sushil Kumar nudged ahead to win 3-1.

Other teams and players in action in what was a busy weekend for late November were the Boston boys’ mini-tennis green team, and the ladies county team.

In the Lincolnshire Mini-Tennis League the boys’ green team played St James and in a close match the team of Zach McDonnell-Woods, Lewis Wyatt, David Cheer and Ben Hutson just missed out 4-6.

For Emily Hawkesworth there was also plenty of tennis activity. Coming second in an Ariel under-11s tournament played at Corby. Making her way to the final with wins over players from Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, Emily lost out 4-5,1-4 to another opponent from Cambridgeshire in the final. This follows on from last weekend when Emily finished third also in an Ariel under-11s tournament but this time taking place at Loughborough.

There was also plenty of opposition from other counties as the Lincolnshire Ladies team played in the LTA’s Winter County Cup from Friday to Sunday. Playing for Lincolnshire alongside other players from around the county were Boston Tennis Club members Jade Windley, Samantha Vickers, Emma Tomlinson, Kelly Thomson and Catherine Smura. The team made a comfortable beginning by winning 8-1 over Suffolk.

On the Saturday it was finely balanced right to the end of play when there was a disappointing 4-5 loss inflicted by Avon. Still with promotion to group four a possibility, the way ahead looked tough as Lincolnshire trailed 0-3 to Northamptonshire on the Sunday. The top seeds pulled the score back to 3-3l after the singles had been played and all rested with the doubles. Some tense moments followed but all the doubles were won and Lincolnshire Ladies gained a promotion.

News for week ending Sunday November 19

At the end of the first month of play in the Bombay Brasserie Singles Leagues at Boston Tennis Club, it is Andrew Cook who leads the way in the main singles league while Carl Robinson at the top of the leader board in the Junior League.

The October round of matches saw Andrew, who is playing in the top group, gain wins over Will Mason and Callum Simmons, while he was held to a draw by Mike Burnett. Will Mason was second placed in this group and both players will retain their position in the number one group. Ray Frankish and Phil Cosgriff will be joining them in November after winning the groups below.

In the Bombay Brasserie Junior Singles League Carl Robinson and Connor Trigg remain in the top group while Thomas Emerson and Lewis Fisher gain promotion to this level. Joe Woolley and Henry Warren move up from group three in to group two for this month. Competition throughout the league is healthy and a good number of the matches were completed.

In group eight, where the players had a high number of matches to play, the youngsters managed a high percentage of games played. Henry Beesley and Matthew Adams came through as the winners of these groups but not without some strong competition from the other players, namely William Campion, Hannah MacLeod, Katy McDonnell-Woods, Rebecca Beardsley, Magan Edmonds and Pippa Wilson.

In the Bombay Brasserie Winter Singles Day League, John Fisher is currently at the top of the leader board. In second and third positions are Richard Tupper and Tim Moorhouse. These three players plus Chris Mepham are all in group one of the league for November while competition from group two comes from Phil Cosgriff, Rod Horne, Mike Sweeney, Richard Walker, Chris Cook and Sev Smura.

Tony Rennick tops the league table for the most consistent player with Charles Tupper and Margaret Allen following. This leader board is for players who are currently placed in a group lower than one or two of the Bombay Brasserie Winter Singles League.

In the Lincolnshire Veterans’ League the men had a hard task ahead of them when they travelled to Grimsby to play Grimsby Tennis Centre. The team of Colin Tuffs, Mike Burnett, John Gibson and Chris Cook lost out to a strong team although at times the team came tantalisingly near to forcing a closer result.

The Ladies second team comprising Catherine Ellis, Helen Cook, Lyn Capes and Sandra White had a 5-3 win at Gainsborough. Difficult slippery conditions were overcome to achieve this good result.

The Lincolnshire Mini-Tennis Leagues are now also under way for the winter. Played on the indoor courts at Boston Tennis Club teams from around the county compete at all the mini tennis levels. So far it has been the turn of the girls’ and boys’ mini-tennis orange teams.

Boston boys’ orange played against Eastgate and Skegness. The team was made up of Jared Brooks, James Craven, Samuel Felipes and Luke MacLeod. The Boston girls’ orange team of Abigail Coffey, Molly Harrison, Emma Mastin and Becky Pimlott played against Grantham and David Lloyd Burton Waters. Both of the teams gave good accounts of themselves.

There have been many activities at Boston Tennis Club this weekend on behalf of Children in Need. Among the many events that took place was a family quiz (winners being Mike Sweeney’s team), an under-7s party, karaoke and a volleyball tournament (winners, Mike Sweeney’s team). The amount raised is yet to be confirmed but is well in excess of £1,000. Congratulations and thanks went to all the organisers.

This Sunday saw the start of the free year one sessions for 2006/ 2007. School year one children in the Borough of Boston are invited to try their skills at tennis during four free group lessons held on Sundays in the indoor centre with the coaching provided by qualified LTA Licensed Tennis Coaches. The year ones are visited in schools by tennis coaches and then invited to the free lessons at Boston Tennis Club. There will be more sessions taking place in the New Year.

News for week ending Sunday November 12

In the Lincolnshire Veterans’ League, both of the Boston Tennis Club’s women’s teams enjoyed the taste of victory. The first team of Rachel Atkinson, Jenny McGarel, Hilary Calvert and Mary Smura were at home to Grantham and a close match went Boston’s way, by a 5-3 margin. And in a separate home fixture, the women’s second team had a winning draw against Horncastle. The team line-up was Sue Dring, Helen Cook, Lesley Addy and Annette Jakeman.

More locally, there were wins for the B and D teams from Boston Tennis Club in this week’s Boston and District Winter League. The former had a close match against Boston A, but just forged ahead in the last round to win by a score of 2½ – 1½. Boston D had a close match against Boston E, but went on to enjoy a 3½-½ victory.

Boston A team of Callum Simmons, Will Mason, Charles Cottrell and James Fairweather held the B team to a score of 1-1 after the first round was completed while Ray Frankish, Simon Walker, Mike Sweeney and Chris Sweeney had only a one-game advantage at the beginning of the second round. The first rubber in this round went to the B team, but a close contest between the first pairs left the result in the balance.

Eventually, the Boston B first pair won the second set and halved the rubber to give the team the win. This result was welcome for Boston B after their defeat last weekend at the hands of Horncastle. The team comprised Ray Frankish, Simon Walker, Sev Smura and Mike Sweeney.

Boston A team comprising James Fairweather, Charles Cottrell, Carl Robinson and Connor Trigg also suffered a defeat last weekend at the hands of Louth.

The Boston D team have had two wins in a row. On Sunday, the line-up of Graham Housby, Mikey Housby, Chris Mepham and Brian Pycock lost only one set to Rochford although the scores were close at varying times.

A few days earlier, the D team had a match against Boston E, who had Peter Elphick, Andrea Jackson, Gavin Miles and David Allen playing for them. The experience of the D team of Richard Tupper, Matthew Gibson, Chris Cook and Brian Pycock was too great and they ran out 3-1 winners.

Boston C lost out to Pilgrim Tennis Club. Playing for the C team on this occasion were Rachel Atkinson, Joan Beale, Sandra White and Tricia Sweeney.

News for week ending Sunday November 5

In the junior singles league at Boston Tennis Club, Robinson and Connor Trigg remain in the top group while Thomas Emerson and Lewis Fisher gain promotion to this level. Joe Woolley and Henry Warren move up from group three to group two for this month. Competition throughout the league is healthy and a good number of the matches were completed. In group eight, where the players had a high number of matches to play, the youngsters managed a high percentage of games played. Henry Beesley and Matthew Adams came through as the winners of these groups but not without some strong competition from the other players, namely William Campian, Hannah MacLeod, Katy McDonnell-Woods, Rebecca Beardsley, Megan Edmonds and Pippa Wilson.

The Boston Tennis Club Bombay Brasserie Singles Leagues has now completed its first month of action. Andrew Cook has the lead role in the main league while Carl Robinson at the top of the leader board in the junior league. The October round of matches saw Cook, who is playing in the top group, gain victories over Will Mason and Callum Simmons, while Mike Burnett held him to a draw. Mason was placed second in this group and both players will retain their position in the number one group. Ray Frankish and Phil Cosgriff will be joining them this month (November) after winning the groups below.