So Phil, how did you end up having to write this report for us?
I was minding my own business, hoping to retain a spot in the 60s team from last year when I got a call from Peter Hennessey Smith to the effect that he didn't think he would be in a position to run the team this year and would I like to take it over?
And what did you think of that?
I thought at least I should get a game, so I said, “Yes”.
Then came figuring out how to enter the results on the LTA website, the meet and greeting of players, player availability, some practice sessions, making contact with 6 other county captains, arranging the match dates and accomodation for the away fixtures, booking the courts for the home fixtures, sorting out the food and explaining the expenses procedure to those unfamiliar to it (have I missed anything out here? - oh yes, meeting the delightful Chris Bawden at the county office),
Thanks Phil, so quite a job then. How did the matches go?
We lost our opening match 3-2 at Plymouth to Norfolk. Always a little hard to judge whether that was because they were pretty good or whether we would struggle in the division when it's the 1st match, but Norfolk had finished one place above us last year and had beaten us 5-0 in Norwich, so it didn't seem too bad a start.
We then lost our 2nd match 3-2 at Cheltenham to Gloucestershire. Whereas against Norfolk we were 3-0 down and salvaged some pride in the 2nd session, this was a much tighter affair with Peter Hennessey Smith losing a 3rd set tiebreak 12-10 and Trevor Taylor, in an impressive singles debut, also losing 10-7 in a 3rd set tiebreak. Whilst both Devon pairs defeated the Gloucestershire pair, their singles players were equally adept at doubles and defeated Phil Harbottle and myself in the deciding rubber.
Between our 2nd & the 3rd match at home to Cambridgeshire, Peter advised that he would be unavailable for the other 4 matches and Trevor Taylor who had been carrying a leg injury said that the singles was proving a bit too much, but would be OK for the doubles. Fortunately, we had had some singles practices as well as doubles and I had played in a couple of them without too much embarrassment. Unfortunately, my own overall county singles record to date could be described politely as “modest”. On the other hand, I had won a few singles matches, so I nominated myself and John Norman as the singles players and Trevor, who had formed a promising partnership with Mike Cox as the doubles pairs with Pete Morgan as reserve/5th player.
How did things go in the remaining matches?
We won pretty comfortably 4-1 in the end over Cambridgeshire (which was so nearly 5-0). Good to be off the mark and looking to the away weekend against Bedford and Suffolk which would surely define what kind of season this would be.
The result against Bedfordshire is interesting. How do you win a match, yet lose 7-6 on sets and 54-38 on games?
The answer is to win your championship tiebreaks, which we did against Bedfordshire. Trevor and Mike, Mike Lewis and I in the Doubles and I in my singles all lost the opening sets, yet came back to win in 3. The other 2 rubbers were won by Bedfordshire in straight sets, but Devon won the match 3-2.
On to Suffolk the following morning where Plymouth's Mike Lewis comfortably won the opening singles, but Devon also won 3 out of the other 4 rubbers which all went to 3 sets, so winning 4-1 overall.
Our final match was at Torquay against Somerset where familiarity with the clay surface by 2 of our players, John Norman and Trevor Taylor gave us the edge and saw Devon prevail 4-1.
All in all a pretty good season then?
We ended a slow start by winning 4 out of the 6 matches and have finished 2nd which will give us promotion to the 2nd level in 2015. As for Norfolk, who played and defeated us in the opening match, they clearly set the standard for the division by winning all 6 matches to win the group.
My thanks to all who played whether in the matches or the very useful practice sessions at Torquay Tennis Club, to the hospitality received both home and away and to the admin and other support from Ken Jones and Richard Stafford at Virgin Active Devonshire and Maureen Sowerby and Steve Maslem at Torquay. Also, a special thanks to my singles sparring partner, Anna Kellagher, at my local club in Exeter whose keenness to play singles prepared me for more singles matches than I'd originally anticipated!
What advice would you give yourself for the future?
First, keep making your net cord winners really count (1 of my 3 against the Cambridge No.1 won the 1st set, the 2nd broke his service and the 3rd was at 2-2, 15-30 on my serve in the 2nd set). (I think it may also have broken his spirit).
Second, if you're due to play a singles match at 11am and you'd really like the traditional British Breakfast at the hotel, appreciate the fact that the restaurant opens at 7am and don't meander down at around 8.30 and expect to get served quickly!
Thanks Phil and congratualtions to you and the team for a season well played!