07/12/14
Pim Palmen and Sarah Gaisford won the men’s and women’s singles deciders on the last day of the National Development Series Finals.
Palmen took the opening set of the men’s singles final against 2013 champion Keith Thom 6-0 before Thom was forced to retire. However, Thom went on to partner Palmen to win the men’s doubles as the second seeds edged a thrilling final against top seeds Steve Crompton and Tony Knappett 6-4, 4-6, (10-8).
With the last round-robin match in the women’s singles being a straight decider between Gaisford and Deena Webster, Gaisford earned a 3-5, 4-1, (10-4) victory in a championship tie-break to go one better than in 2013, when she was runner-up in the National Development Series Finals.
06/12/14
Keith Thom moved to within one match of a possible second men’s singles title in the National Development Series Finals after beating third seed Steve Crompton 6-3, 6-2 in the last four. Top seed Pim Palmen moved into the final after dropping just two games in his semi-final as he defeated John Lambert 6-1, 6-1.
Palmen and Thom clinched a deciding championship tie-break in their men’s doubles semi-final to edge out Mehboob Hussain and Lambert 6-3, 2-6, (10-8). Second seeds Palmen and Thom face top seeds Crompton and Tony Knappett in the final.
The women’s singles is set for a thrilling finish after Sarah Gaisford and Deena Webster both beat Marie Hawkswood as the second group of round-round robin matches got underway. Gaisford and Webster, who contested a final set tie-break in their first head-to-head of the week, will now meet each other again on the last day of play.
05/12/14
All four seeded players reached the men’s singles semi-finals after straight sets wins in the last eight, the greater experience of fourth seed John Lambert seeing him through to a 6-1, 6-2 win over 2013 runner-up Greg Shea. While Lambert set up a meeting with top seed Pim Palmen, 2013 champion and second seed Keith Thom will meet third seed Steve Crompton for a place in the final after Crompton came through the toughest of the quarter-finals to edge out James Brady 6-4, 7-5.
The remaining match in the first set of women’s singles round-robin contests ended in Deena Wesbster beating Marie Hawkswood 6-4, 6-1, meaning that all three women’s singles players go into the third day of competition with one win apiece.
04/12/14
The women’s singles round-robin provided two thrilling conclusions on the first day of as Devon’s Sarah Gaisford won one of her two matches as she started her second National Development Series Finals campaign.
The 2013 women’s singles runner-up clinched a final set tie-break as she beat Shropshire’s Deena Webster 6-0, 5-7, 7-6(4), but with a championship tie-break instead of a full final set deciding Gaisford’s second match of the day against Solihull’s Marie Hawksood, Hawkswood prevailed 4-6 6-4, (10-6).
Only one of the day men’s singles matches went to a deciding set, with Jersey’s James Brady defeating Lancashire’s Shahzad Afzal 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Brady’s quarter-final opponent, third seed Steve Crompton, also came through a tough opening match to beat Paul Furber 7-5, 6-4. Elsewhere there were comfortable straight set wins for 2013 champion Keith Thom and the other two seeded players, Pim Palmen and John Lambert, as well as for 2013 runner-up Greg Shea.
03/12/14
The second Tennis Foundation National Development Series Finals, taking place alongside the National Wheelchair Tennis Championships, will be contested by developing players who have earned their qualification by accumulating points in a series of tournaments across the country this year, including a Development Series event at Oxstalls Sports Park in June.
Pim Palmen and Steve Crompton contested the men’s singles final on that occasion and they are among the leading contenders for the National Development Series Finals title this weekend, alongside 2013 Development Series Finals winner Keith Thom and runner-up Greg Shea.
“We are delighted to be bringing the National Championships back to Gloucester for the first time since 2012 and have an extremely exicting four days of tennis ahead, with our elite players set to battle for the National titles, while also inspiring those competing for the men’s and women’s titles in the Development Series Finals,” said Geraint Richards, the Tennis Foundation’s Head of Disability Player Performance. “It’s been another fantastic year for the players on our Performance Programme and we had a sell-out crowd last weekend for the final day of the Masters in the Olympic Park. With the sport and our players creating that kind of excitement, we hope that lots of local sports fans will take advantage of the opportunity to come and watch for free.”
“An important part of the Championships is to give developing players the chance to compete alongside and watch some of the country’s and the world’s best in action, while also providing an appropriate level of competition. Our ever popular calendar of Development Series events allows for that and demonstrates the competitive pathway and opportunities that are available for players of all abilities.”