The 2009 3E Security Cambridgeshire Junior County Closed took place at Hills Road Sports & Tennis Centre during the week of 23 to 28 August and brought the end of an era for many players, notably Laura Oates, Robin Goodman and Amanda Black.
All three players had featured in many finals over the years and have been great ambassadors for Cambridgeshire Tennis and this was their last junior tournament before moving into the senior game.
Laura Oates and Robin Goodman stole the limelight with their performances in the 18 & Under events with Laura winning three titles and Robin two. Laura defeated county colleague Amanda Black in the Girls 18 & Under final 6-3, 6-4 and then teamed up with Vicky Nicholas, the Girls 16 & Under winner to beat Amanda and Naomi Jackson in the 18 & Under doubles 6-3, 6-4.
In the match of the day Robin Goodman beat his hitting partner and best friend Matt Nicholson-Lewis 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. This was a match of high quality and was fiercely competitive with both boys playing some excitingly powerful tennis. They then teamed up together to win the 18 & Under doubles beating Sam Fleck and Ben McCann 6-2, 7-6.
Sam Fleck outclassed James Morris in the 16 & Under final winning 6-2, 6-1. Sam has two more years in the junior game and a lot will rest on his shoulders in the coming years. In the girls 16 & Under final Vicky Nicholas was made to fight all the way by Naomi Jackson before coming through 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. Naomi had some success herself by winning the 14 & Under Girls singles final against Sophia Rolt 6-3, 7-5.
The Boys 14 & Under title went to Chris Kindred who was too powerful for Marcel Chambers. Marcel did get his revenge over Chris by taking the 14 & Under doubles with Will Huyton.
The Boys 12 & Under final was won by Josh Wilson, an up and coming Cambridgeshire star who was too powerful for Ben Clark winning 6-1, 6-2. Zoe Douglas had a little too much experience for the younger Lizzie Pam in the girls 12 & Under final but both girls are good prospects.
This year we hosted 10 & Under, 9 & Under and 8 & Under events with some promising players emerging for the future. Lui Murton took the Boys 10 & Under title in a well contested final over Ben Fuller while Abby Hanson won the 10 & Under Girls. Alex Wardley won the 9 & Under Boys event and Kira Reuter the Girls 9 & Under, both exciting prospects. Harry Wendleken won the Boys 8 & Under and Mille Kennedy the Girls 8 & Under. The younger events proved very popular and hopefully will be expanded on next year.
In the final match on the last day, the 18 & Under mixed doubles, Laura Oates teamed up with Matt Nicholson-Lewis to defeat Robin Goodman and Amanda Black in the third set championship tie break by 10 points to 8! The score could not have been closer and the tournament could not have finished on a better note as the junior scene said goodbye to three stalwarts of Cambridgeshire Junior Tennis.