The Cornwall Ladies Tennis Team travelled to Tunbridge Wells for Group 6B of the AEGON Summer County Cup 2011. The team was Emma Welch (captain), Sarah Arnold, Clare Hudson, Zoe Lee, Lauren Norton, India Rojano, Vicki Terry-Short and Emily Wicks. Last year the team battled to avoid relegation in the summer, but following promotion in the Winter County Cup, were looking to build on last years performances.
The first day saw the team facing a strong Bedfordshire team. With play stopping frequently for heavy showers it was a difficult day but team spirits remained high. First pair Zoe and Emily played with confidence and won all three of their matches comfortably. After a nervous start, second pair Clare and Sarah, and third pair Lauren and Emma, fought hard and played well. The team ended the day as 6-3 winners.
The team played Isle of Man on the second day. It was a strong performance from all three pairs and the Cornwall Ladies overwhelmed their opponents with a 9-0 win.
As Cornwall went into the final day against Suffolk, they knew a victory would guarantee them promotion. With the sun finally shining and a chance to play on grass at last, the team started positively, winning all three matches in the first round. Clare and Sarah did well to win against the Suffolk first pair in a nail biting third set tiebreak, and Lauren and Vicki came back from a set down to beat the Suffolk third pair in three sets. As the second round got underway the team went 4-0 up and were feeling confident of victory, but Suffolk battled back to level at 4-4. However, Zoe and Emily held their nerve in the final match with a 6-2 7-5 win.
It was a great end to the tournament and a fantastic achievement, Cornwall Ladies are looking forward to playing in Group 5A next year.