The first year of the AEGON Team Tennis mini red and mini orange events were successfully held at Swanmore Gardens, Bournemouth on Sunday 10th May. The events saw teams from all over Dorset come and compete for the AEGON team tennis titles.
Clubs from both East and West of the county attended the event to ensure the whole of Dorset was represented. The Mini Tennis Red Team event was won by Victoria Avenue TC, Bournemouth who won the final 7-1 after beating West Dorset side Dorchester Tennis Club. All clubs fought strongly at the event which included representatives from Southbourne Tennis Club, Weymouth Tennis and Christchurch Tennis Facility. On the evidence of this event there are plenty of future starts training in clubs in Dorset.
The Mini Tennis Orange Team Event was won by West Hants Club A team who beat Victoria Avenue Tennis Club in the final by the margin of 8 matches to two. The event contained many of the players identified at recent Talent ID days held by Somerset and Dorset Talent and Performance co-ordinator David Kirby. This event was also well represented with clubs form other parts of the county. These included a Dorchester TC, Christchurch TC, Southbourne TC, East Dorset TC and a further two teams from West Hants.
Many of the orange players will be progressing onto the green ball this September. The Team Tennis AEGON green ball event is run in a league format which was won this year by Weymouth TC (boy’s event). The girls’ event was run across Hampshire and Dorset with Winchester Tennis Club from Hampshire. This competition will provide the next challenge for Dorset’s up and coming orange ball talent.
Organisers, county mini tennis co-ordinator Neil Cook and Team Tennis co-ordinators Andrew and Judith Sanger oversaw the smooth running of the event. The standard of the event was exceptionally high, featuring many of the players that train at the local satellite clubs and high performance centres by the counties top coaches.
A special mention must go to the competition assistants from Victoria Avenue Tennis Club who umpired matches the length of the day. Thanks also to those clubs that brought along mini tennis equipment to support the event. All the event organisers look forward to this new event growing form strength to strength in Dorset with the support for LTA lead partner AEGON.