A young Cambridgeshire boys U14 team got some valuable experience in the County Cup finishing 5th. The team of Jan Ortonowski, Charlie James, Maki Zivotic, Vincent Chen and Alex Wardley all battled in very hot conditions.
With two groups of three, a different format to last year - Cambs had Sussex and Leicestershire in a round robin group. Playing doubles against Sussex on the 1st day - Jan Ortonowski and Maki Zivotic paired up and Charlie James and Vincent Chen both lost in straight sets to go into the Sunday 0-2 with only four singles to play.
Chen got off to a good start with a hardfought match tiebreak win, before Zivotic and Ortonowski both lost in straight sets. James battled well but unfortunately lost 7-5 in a very good match.
It all meant Cambs lost 1-5 in rubbers.
With the format of this year’s event, it meant that Cambs had to play singles and doubles against Leicestershire on the same day.
Vincent Chen and Maki Zivotic both lost in straight sets before Jan Ortonowski also lost in straight sets. Charlie James won the 1st set 6-3 before dropping the 2nd 1-6 but bounced back well to beat Luke Tatman 6-3 in the 3rd set - his 2nd three set of the day in hot conditions.
Trailing 1-3 with only two doubles, Cambs were inspired and determined to do the impossible. With Ortonowski injured, it meant the doubles pairings were altered with Charlie James pairing up with Alex Wardley while Maki Zivotic and Vincent Chen were put together.
Both pairs went a set up and it looked like Cambs could do it - but it wasn’t to be and eventually both lost in match tiebreaks meaning a 1-5 loss to Leicester but it could have been so different.
Finishing last in the group, Cambs played Notts who also finished last and it turned out to be easy with a convincing 6-0 win against a poor Notts side.
With Ortonowski still injured, it meant Wardley played singles with everyone winning in straight sets apart from Maki who had to come from a set down to win 6-1 in the 3rd.
Sussex beat Herts in the final and Leicester beat Lincoln meaning Cambs were in a tough group.
Captain Chris Johnson said “we had a young team, the youngest here with four players who can still play next year and this will give them all great experience. Charlie James was the standout player for the team and on the Sunday spent over 6 hours on court and he did fantastically well”