Team: Annie Townsend, Yi-Toong Yee, Annabel Flett, Kiera Foster
Captain: Tom Edis
Assistant: Natasha Bierrum
Bucks travelled to Oxford Sports Tennis Club for the annual Aegon County Cup qualifying event on the weekend of 30/31 May. Annabel Flett made her County debut in a team buoyed by a more than respectable performance in the Lionel Cox inter-county event some weeks before. As per usual, Bucks were placed in a very tough-looking group, with Middlesex, Essex, Berkshire and Oxfordshire all lying in wait.
Saturday saw some glorious sunshine (for a change!), with conditions conducive to good tennis and a fantastic atmosphere. Oxfordshire were up first, with Yi-Toong, Annabel and Kiera all producing battling displays against girls that were far more used to competing at this level. Annabel had the standout performance here, managing to take 3 games off the #2 Aoife McGuire before finally succumbing to some heavy hitting.
Outsiders to top the group were Berkshire, who arguably had the most gifted player of the weekend playing for them in Phoebe Coleman. Luckily for Bucks, her services were not required until the doubles round later on, as Bucks tried valiantly against another talented side. However, the oppositions’ superior experience told in the end, in spite of some impressive rallies and fighting spirit from, this time, Annie, Yi-Toong and Annabel. Indeed, Yi-Toong and Annabel came mighty close to grabbing Bucks first set of the weekend, but it just wasn’t to be.
In the doubles, Annie and Yi-Toong produced some fine net-play and teamwork in their eventual 4-1 4-1 defeat against Oxfordshire, with Kiera pairing up with the dyamic Yi-Toong in an entertaining match versus Berkshire (Miss Coleman included!). This match was tighter than the score suggested, as both teams were able to stretch each other and win some thrilling points. The Bucks girls just couldn’t get the rub of the green though, as another straight sets defeat resulted.
Sunday brought rain and grey skies to the proceedings, but the Bucks girls were far from downbeat from their previous days’ exploits, as Yi-Toong arguably made the best performance of the weekend from Bucks point of view . Her 4-1 4-1 defeat to Middlesex’ Given Roach had parents, spectators and coaches enthralled from both sides; time and again the Bucks girl battled back against the powerful Middlesex # 2 despite looking down-and-out. Yi-Toong’s fighting spirit and aggressive display served as an inspiration to her team mates, who knew they were up against it for the day against maybe the strongest 2 counties.
Annie was unfortunately completely overwhelmed by the Middlesex #1 Ruby Hart, and while Kiera had her chances against #3 Athina Radicopoulos, it became clear that performances and learning experience for Bucks were to be the order of the day, rather than actual rubber wins themselves.
Kiera went toe-to-toe with Aimee Bromfield of Essex in her next singles match, but once again fine margins meant that all-important first win continued to elude the girls. Imogen Brooker and Poppy Chapman were too strong for Annie and Annabel respectively, which left the doubles for the girls at least to go out with a bit of a bang, and some fun in the process!
Yi-Toong and Annabel tried valiantly against Given and Ruby but the Middlesex duo had a fantastic understanding, and sadly there was no way through. Even so, at least Annie and Kiera ran Imogen and Selena Brathwaite close in their, and the teams’, final rubber of the weekend. With break points at 2-1 up in the second set, a shock seemed a distinct possibility. Sadly though, the Essex team showed too much savvy, and the opportunity was snatched away in the end.
So some tough lessons for the Bucks team overall. The players vowed, however, to use the weekend as motivation in their desire to improve and progress, as they now come out of mini tennis and into yellow ball players at 12u.