The Cambridgeshire team of Zac Cox, Leon Kewney, Alexander Boyd-Bench and Megan Carmichael did extremely well to finish third in the Orange (9 and under) Festival at Corby on Saturday 5th January. Eight Counties participated in this event with two groups of four teams and then the first and second in each box moving through to the semi-finals.
Alexander Boyd-Bench came in as a late replacement for number one player Ben Knight who withdrew injured.
The team played against their opposite number from the other Counties. Each match consisted of the best of three tie-breaks to 7 points.
Cambridgeshire beat Leicestershire by 4 matches to 0 with all the team winning. They then beat Corby 4 matches to 0 and in the key group match against Norfolk they drew 2 matches each but won on tiebreaks having won an extra tie-break. Zac Cox lost to Scott Whiting 3/7, 4/7; Leon Kewney lost to Joseoh Henden 4/7, 7/6, 5/7 and then Alexander Boyd-Bench at number three beat Fred Withers 7/4, 7/6, and then Meagan Carmichael beat Eleaner Widdows 7/2, 7/1. This meant they finished top of their group.
Having reached the semi-finals Cambridgeshire then played Northants and this was another very close match but this time Cambs lost on the odd tie-break. Zac Cox at number one lost to Henry Grayson 3/7, 3/7, Leon Kewney then lost to Elita Sillins 5/7, 3/7, but then Alexander Boyd-Bench beat Daniel Bryan 3/7, 7/6, 7/3 and Megan Carmichael beat Ethan La Porta 7/6, 7/3.
This then meant Cambridgeshire were playing for third and fourth position and had to play Norfolk again. They achieved exactly the same result as in the group stages! Zac Cox lost to Scott Whiting 7/5, 7/6, Leon Kewney lost to Joseph Hendon 7/1, 6/7, 8/10 so again it was up to the numbers three and four Alexander Boyd-Bench and Megan Carmichael to win the bottom two matches. Alexander won 7/4, 7/1 against Fred Withers and Megan beat Eleaner Widdows 7/5, 7/0.
Captain Judy Horn said ‘all the team played very well and with a little luck could have reached the final – it was a great day’s tennis’.