Hugely impressive displays from Talbot Heath and Bournemouth Collegiate saw teams from both schools qualify for the Aegon Team Tennis Schools National Finals with ease.
Talbot Heath stormed through after winning the regional finals in both the girls’ year 8 and year 10 age groups. The schools teams, who were national champions in 2012, were the top seeds for their respective draws and they duly showed why they are once again the teams to beat after obliterated their opposition.
The school’s year 10 team were in majestic form as they tore through the field. In their opener against Cardiff High School, the team conceded just two games in six matches during a whitewash 12-0 win. The team somehow went one better in the final against Somerset’s Millfield Prep School. Another 12-0 whitewash win followed, but only a single game was conceded in the entire match.
Talbot’s year 8 team were also in dominant form and they even managed to better the year 10 team’s results by completing a 12-0 whitewash win over Royal High School of Bath without conceding any games in their six matches. The final of the draw was marginally less straight forward, but the team registered another 12-0 whitewash victory as they cruised past Millfield Prep School, dropping just nine games in their six matches.
Bournemouth Collegiate school’s year 8 boys’ team also successfully qualified for the national finals after cruising through their draw, beating fellow Dorset team St.Peter’s school in the process. The draw went with the seedings as Bournemouth Collegiate, the top seeds, and St.Peter’s, second seeds, both came through their first matches to meet in the final.
St.Peter’s experienced a tense finish to their opening match against Millfield Prep School. The match was all square after the singles and doubles matches were shared, but St.Peter’s squeezed through after winning the deciding tie-break match to claim a 7-6 victory and a place in the final. Bournemouth Collegiate had a much easier time in their opener. They completed a whitewash victory over their opponents from Highdown School, Berkshire, dropping just eight games in six sets.
The two teams played a good final, but Bournemouth Collegiate were simply too strong for the St.Peter’s team and took the match 10-2. Collegiate’s Harry Butler was one of the team’s star performers; the youngster, who has played for the under 14 Great Britain team, won all his matches and conceded just three games in his four matches.
The St.Peter’s year 10 team were unfortunate to begin their draw against a top class Millfield Prep School team. The match ended in a 12-0 victory for Millfield who will no doubt go on to challenge for the national crown, but St.Peter’s players applied themselves admirably and will return to the competition next year with more experience.
Talbot Heath’s year 8s and year 10s and Bournemouth Collegiate’s year 8s will compete for the national title over the weekend of November 30th - December 1st at the Bolton Arena.
Team Lists:
Talbot Heath Year 8: Erin Richardson, Danielle Sebata, Mille Smythe, Esther Adeshina, Aleksandra Topalovic.
Talbot Heath Year 10: Jodie Burrage, Elle Baker, Selina Briggs, Eliz Maloney, Lauryn John-Baptiste, Sophia Haine.
Bournemouth Collegiate Year 8: Harry Butler, Freddy Bridgman, Joe Collins, Thomas Powell, Luke Chappell.
St.Peter’s Year 8: Rhodri Atkinson, Sam Burt, Charlie Haywood, James Holden, Sam Pool.
St.Peter’s Year 10: Shuei Belcher, Reiga Belcher, Jose Pegorini, Darshan Brooks.
Click on each school’s name (above) for more information on their matches at the Aegon Team Tennis Schools Regional Finals
By Harry Lund