05/05/14
Peter Willcox won his 12th men’s singles title and Beth Simmons claimed her second women’s singles title as the 2014 National Tennis Championships for the Deaf drew to a close on Monday at Gosling High Performance Tennis Centre, Welwyn Garden City, with both players earning a full house of singles and doubles titles.
West Byfleet-based Willcox, who won the first of his men’s singles titles in 1999, took on 2012 champion Lewis Fletcher in the men’s final for the third successive year after the top two seeds had won their quarter-final and semi-final matches comfortably on the first two days of competition. In the first three set final between them Willcox finished the stronger for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory.
“I am delighted to win my 12th national singles title. All the hard work I have been putting into training has paid off,” said Willcox. “Today it was about executing my game and in the first and third sets I did this very well. In the second I let Lewis back in and he raised his level, which made it tough for me. However I played a great third set and served brilliantly.
“I am grateful for all the support I have had from my family and friends over the last year and for the support of the Tennis Foundation, who have provided us with a fantastic set up.”
There was a thrilling end to the women’s singles final after Beth Simmons beat her twin sister Alex Simmons 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) after a final set tie-break. It was the first time that the Oxfordshire twins had met in the final, with Beth having previously lifted the title in 2005.
Earlier in the tournament Alex secured a surprise straight sets win over defending champion Bethany Brookes in the round-robin phase of the event, while Beth defeated Brookes in Sunday’s semi-finals.
I am overwhelmed about beating Alex in the final. It was a very close and tense match,” said Beth. We had lots of close rallies. The funding I’ve had from SportsAid has helped me massively to prepare for this tournament, so I would like to say thank you to them and to the Tennis Foundation for their support.”
Later in the day there was further success for the Alex and Beth Simmons in the women’s doubles when they claimed a 6-2, 6-1 win over Brookes and Valerie Copenhagen to win their third National title together after previous victories in 2005 and 2007.
Fletcher and Willcox clinched their fifth men’s doubles title as a partnership and their third in a row after the top seeds earned a 6-2, 6-0 win over second seeds Nicolas Ansell and Jack Clifton in the final. It was a 15th successive men’s doubles National title for Willcox.
Top seeds Willcox and Beth Simmons also won the mixed doubles in another exciting conclusion, defeating second seeds Fletcher and Brookes 6-4, 3-6, (11-9) after a championship tie-break to regain the title they first won together in 2012.
Organised by the Tennis Foundation, this year’s Championships gave members of the National Deaf Tennis Squad the chance to put in eye-catching performances ahead of the announcement of selections for the Great Britain team for the Dresse and Maere Cup, the Davis and Fed Cup of deaf tennis, which will take place in Chattanooga in the USA in July.
04/05/14
Alex and Beth Simmons will make history on Bank Holiday Monday when the Oxfordshire twins will meet in the women’s singles final for the first time at the National Tennis Championships for the Deaf, while top seed Peter Willcox and second seed Lewis Fletcher will contest the men’s singles final for the third successive year, having both won the title in the last two years.
Fletcher, Willcox and Beth Simmons all remain on track for a possible hat-trick of singles and doubles titles.
Alex Simmons secured a surprise win over defending champion Bethany Brookes in the round-robin phase of the women’s singles on Saturday to line Brookes up for a semi-final against second seed and 2005 champion Beth Simmons and Beth won the important points to beat top seed Brookes 6-3, 6-4. Meanwhile, Alex had a more comfortable semi-final win, beating Valerie Copenhagen 6-3, 6-0.
For the second year in a row top seed Willcox faced a considerable challenge from third seed Jack Clifton in the men’s singles semi-finals, but the 11-time champion came through for a 6-3, 6-3 win as 2012 champion and second seed Fletcher earned a 6-1, 6-1 win over fourth seed Esah Hayat.
Fletcher and Willcox kept themselves on track for a possible fifth men’s double title after beating Richard Hounslow and Shaun O’Brien 6-0, 6-0 in their semi-final. They will play Nicholas Ansell and Jack Clifton for this year’s title after Ansell and Clifton defeated Toby Clifton and Hayat 6-2, 6-1.
With Alex and Beth Simmons having already teamed up to win two women’s doubles National titles, they got their bid for a third title off to a fine start. They will meet Brookes and Copenhagen in the decisive round-robin match on Monday after both partnerships wrapped up 6-0, 6-0 wins in their respective matches against Savannah Elliott and Savanna Ramsbottom.
There was another 6-0, 6-0 win for Willcox and Beth Simmons in their mixed doubles semi-final when the top seeds and 2012 champions eased past Ansell and Copenhagen. Second seeds Fletcher and Brookes booked their place in the mixed doubles final with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jack Clifton and Alex Simmons.
03/05/14
Alex Simmons secured the outstanding result on the first day of the 2014 National Tennis Championships for the Deaf when she beat three-time champion Bethany Brookes in the round-robin group phase of the women’s singles.
Meanwhile, all four seeds reached the men’s singles semi-finals and the men’s doubles and women’s doubles semi-finalists were confirmed.
Alex Simmons, a two-time former doubles champion with her sister Beth, produced a fine performance as she opened her bid for a first National singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 win over defending champion and top seed Brookes as both players advanced to the knockout semi-finals.
Brookes will now play 2005 National champion Beth Simmons for a place in this year’s final after Beth and Valerie Copenhagen both advanced from their round-robin group, with Beth dropping just three games in her two group matches. After defeating Savannah Elllot to ensure her semi-final berth Copenhagen will play Alex Simmons in the last four.
Top seed Peter Willcox and second seed Lewis Fletcher, the National champions for the last two years, both dropped just one game apiece in their quarter-finals against Nicholas Ansell and Shaun O’Brien, but the most comfortable win in the last eight belonged to third seed Jack Clifton, who eased to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Bradley Wilson. Clifton meets Willcox for a place in the final, with Fletcher facing Esah Hayat. Hayat had the toughest of all the quarter-finals, but held off Jamie Matthews 6-4, 6-
Richard Hounslow and O’Brien won the only men’s doubles match to complete the semi-final line-up and will now meet top seeds and defending champions Fletcher and Willcox. Meanwhile, Ansell and Copenhagen won through in straight sets set up a mixed doubles semi-final against top seeds Willcox and Beth Simmons. Jack Clifton and Alex Simmons also earned themselves a semi-final against second seeds Fletcher and Brookes.
The first day of action at Gosling High Performance Centre also included a deaf tennis clinic for adults and children followed by a fun tournament.
02//05/14
The top two seeds have byes through to the men’s singles quarter-finals, with top seed and defending champion Peter Willcox to play either Nicholas Ansell or Jack Clifton during Saturday’s first day of play.
The women’s singles starts with two round-robin qualification groups of three players to decide the four semi-finalists, while the first of three days of play also sees the start of the doubles events.
28/04/14
Four former champions are among a strong field for the men’s and women’s singles at the 2014 National Tennis Championships for the Deaf, which takes place at Gosling High Performance Centre, Welwyn Garden City from 3-5 May.
Organised by the Tennis Foundation, the Championships are the domestic highlight on the deaf tennis calendar and give experienced and up-and-coming players the chance to compete side-by-side.
Players will compete for honours in men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles, while a clinic for adult and juniors and a fun tournament on the first day of the Championships will ensure that there are plenty of opportunities for players of all abilities to encourage and inspire more deaf people to take up tennis.
This year’s Championships will also see members of the National Deaf Tennis Squad aiming to put in eye-catching performances ahead of the announcement of selections for the Great Britain team for the Dresse and Maere Cup, the Davis and Fed Cup of deaf tennis, which will take place in Chattanooga in the USA in July.
West Byfleet-based defending champion Peter Willcox will bid for a 12th men’s singles title, but is bound to face strong opposition from Wiltshire’s Lewis Fletcher, who beat Willcox in 2012 before Devon-born Willcox avenged that loss in last year’s final.
Among the players expected to challenge Willcox and Fletcher this year are Surrey’s Jack Clifton and Liverpool’s Shaun O-Brien. Clifton won silver in the junior boys’ singles at the 2012 European Championships before making his Deaflympics debut in Sofia, Bulgaria last year, while O’Brien is a former winner of the British Deaf Tennis Association’s Most Promising Player Award.
A talented group of players from Surrey includes three-time women’s singles National champion Bethany Brookes, who, like Willcox is also bidding to retain the title she won most recently last year. Brookes won two medals at the 2012 European Championships, earning gold in the junior girls’ singles and silver in the women’s doubles.
Brookes defeated 2005 National champion Beth Simmons in the 2013 final and Oxfordshire’s Simmons, the women’s singles champion in 2005, returns again this year. She will be joined in the field by her twin sister Alex Simmons, a former women’s doubles National champion with Beth and a former Deaflympics mixed doubles bronze medallist.
“The 2014 National Championships is set to be a fascinating event once again, with the entry including experienced internationals and some of the sport’s rising young stars,” said Catherine Fletcher, Great Britain Deaf Tennis Coach and a seven-time women’s singles National champion. “I have played plenty of tough matches against the likes of Bethany, Alex and Beth in the past and will be watching with great interest.
“The men’s singles and doubles will also be great events and spectators can expect a very high level of tennis as the likes of Peter and Lewis pit their experience against the up-and-coming players. I’m also very excited by the opportunities we have for players of all ages and abilities and the chance to introduce new players to deaf tennis through our clinic and fun tournament.”
Entry to the National Tennis Championships for the Deaf is free to all spectators and play is scheduled to begin at 10.am on Saturday, 3 May.