The first visually impaired tournament in the North East took place last weekend at Sunderland Tennis Centre.
Players from both the North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club and from London clubs came together in Sunderland for the first tournament the North East has ever held. It was a packed weekend, full of different events and the players certainly earnt their silverware!
Wendy Glasper of the NEVITC organised the event and through her hard work the tournament went without a hitch. All the players from outside the North East felt extremely welcome and the whole bunch bonded together over dinner on Saturday evening. Odette Batteral, who travelled from London to play, said she enjoyed her time here immensely and was even looking forward to getting the dates for next year's tournament so she can start planning her trip already!
A big mention and thank you has to go to all of the volunteers who helped throughout the weekend, without whom the tournament could not have taken place. They helped umpire the matches and call lines, and even joined in a few of the events! A big thanks for Jack Heslop, Clark Stead, Emma Robson, Muhammad Jamil, Barbara Borwell and Jo Cunliffe for all their hard work!
The results from the weekend were:
Men's Singles:
Winner: Alan Whetherly
Runner Up: John Hawkins
Men's Doubles:
Winner: John Hawkins and Alex Wheen
Runner Up: Alan Whetherly and Paul Martin
Women's Singles:
Winner: Odette Batteral
Runner Up: Wendy Glasper
Women's Doubles:
Winner: Odette Batteral and Minerva Ainsworth
Runner Up: Rosie Pybus and Romona Williams
Mixed Doubles:
Winner: Odette Batteral and Muhammad Jamil
Runner Up: Minerva Ainsworth and Christine Klee
Mixed Sighted and VI Doubles:
Winner: Alan Whetherly and Barbara Borwell
Runner Up: John Hawkins and Christine Klee
Team Competition Winners: Odette Batteral, Alex Wheen and Minerva Ainsworth
Most Improved Player Award: Teresa Usher
Also, click here to see the shot of the tournament!