12U Girls – Having fun in the sun at Royal Wootten Bassett
Day One
We played Avon first match - all the players were a little nervous being the first County Cup for 2 of the 4 players. We soon got into the flow and although had 2 tight matches the team lost overall.
The girls settled much more for the 2nd match against Somerset despite the very hot and humid conditions. Following a team talk by coaches Hannah and Tia the players responded magnificently as they went out and ‘did the business’ with all singles matches being won! Being competitors, we then wanted to win the doubles too. Jess and Grace teamed up together and produced a great game of doubles to record a 4-0 win overall.
Day Two
Dorset - probably the strongest team at the event! The players were encouraged to see it as a real opportunity and compete hard for every point. Jess and Grace both had tight matches but unfortunately lost them. Maddie, however was on fire and took the first set 4-1! The second set went to a tie break and nerves came into the equation. However, remaining strong Maddie took the breaker and the win. Going into the doubles the girls knew if we won we would play a Match tie break shootout to decide the tie. The match was tight but unfortunately Devon couldn't close it out and Devon lost the match 3-1.
Next up were Cornwall and the opportunity to finish 3rd overall. The team were keen to finish on a high and defeat our close County rivals. Jess, Grace and Evie all had comfortable wins and put us 3-0 up to win the match.
Hannah said “The team gelled really well together, and it was fantastic to see the players really supporting and encouraging each other.”
The Team: -Team Managers: Hannah Miller & Tia Sloman – Tarka
Jess Johnson & Maddie Schuchter – East Devon Tennis Centre, Exmouth
Grace Vowles & Evie Norris Bishop – Tarka Tennis Centre, Barnstaple
12U boys - Found the going tough in Torquay
The South West 12U Boys County Cup qualifying was held at Torquay Tennis Club last weekend. Devon had a 4 strong team represented by Julian Hayter, Kallen Roy, Alexander Symcox and Conner McCann.
Devon played against the Channel Islands first and battled hard in 3 competitive rubbers but lost out on a few key points to give Channels Islands the match.
Next up in the midday heat were Dorset. Devon worked hard but were up against some high ranked players who in the end were just too strong. Alex and Connor dug deep in the doubles narrowly losing out in a match tie break placing Devon in 3rd position.
Sunday saw the heavens open and thunderstorms disrupt the match schedule throughout the morning. Devon were drawn against Cornwall who also finished 3rd in their group. Julian was first up and took his opponent all the way to a match tie break. After falling behind in the breaker Julian showed true fighting spirit to get back on level terms and was unlucky with a couple of points to narrowly lose it 10-8. Kallen lost out to a very strong number 2 from Cornwall, meaning Connor needed to win to keep the match alive. Connor showed great composure in his match and gave Devon a winning rubber. Devon needed a win in the doubles to take it to a match tie break, but Cornwall came through to seal their 5th place finish.
Team Captain James Wilkinson said “I am hugely proud of the Devon boys. They all worked really hard and never gave up in some very testing conditions. In the end we were up against some high-quality opposition and we now have to look at what we can do to become more competitive. I am sure with the boys work rate and eagerness to improve, we will see these improvements over the coming months.”
The Team: -
Team Manager: James Wilkinson – David Lloyd, Exeter
Julian Hayter – Atlantic Racquet Centre
Kallen Roy – Tarka Tennis Centre
Alexander Symcox – Ilfracombe Tennis Club
Connor McCann – Exmouth Tennis & Fitness Centre