A busy day ensued when teams of 8 & Under red ball players from Exeter Tennis Centre and S.A.Tennis (based at the Exeter Civil Service Club) came together in an inter-club match.
The event consisted of nine rounds allowing every member of each team to play against all the members of the opposing team. This meant that there was a lot of tennis to be played by every player. Each match win was awarded 1-point for the team.
The event started with the first three rounds of matches being shared equally at 12-12. Exeter Tennis Centre then took the advantage in the fourth round by edging into the lead with a 6-2 win. At 18-14, S. A. Tennis had some catching up to do and fought back with a strong couple of rounds by sharing the matches equally. With the score standing at 27-21 the last four rounds saw Exeter Tennis Centre push forward once more to secure the tie with a final result of 42-29.
Players who deserve a special mention include Lucas Urquiza (Exeter Tennis Centre) who remained undefeated throughout the event and James Fitzpatrick (S.A. Tennis) who won 8 of his 9 matches. Harry Williams was one of the youngest players in the event. Harry played in his first official match after joining Exeter Tennis Centre this summer and had a smile on his face throughout the afternoon. It was also Sarka Garnsworthy’s first ever competitive match play experience, her mum Jana was really proud of her little daughter!
Exeter Tennis Centre’s organizer, Gayle Hulland, said, “ The matches were played in a very sportsmanlike way and it was great to see such enthusiasm for the game of tennis shown by all involved. Many thanks to the junior players who helped to umpire – Joe Charles, George Cann and Mika Morgan, parents of the players, as well as team captains Steve Ashton and Sally Langford.”
A re-match at S. A. Tennis is scheduled for the autumn.
Teams were represented by...
Exeter Tennis Centre: Sebastian Steele Stanbury-Flood, Lucas Urquiza, Tommy Poli, Oliver Cockram, George Daldorph, Jacob Rowe, Ben Fitzherbert, Ethan Murray and Harry Williams.
S. A. Tennis: James Fitzpatrick, Frankie Follett, Max Lockyer, Nathan Lee, Rhea Knight, Sarka Garnsworthy, Benedict Steele Stanbury-Flood and Jack Hannaford.