The Woodford Wells Club in Monkhams Lane hosted the thirty fourth annual tennis tournament which attracted over 340 entrants from as far afield as Yorkshire. Last year the tournament committee, in agreement with the referee Graeme Luckin, decided to convert it from just a junior tournament to an open event and so the week long tournament attracted players from as young as 6 years old to players over the age of 60 years.
Pictured above: Two of the new Plexipave Courts at The Woodford Wells Club
This tournament was one of the biggest in Essex in terms of numbers of entries and it was the first major event that the club could show off their new Plexipave hard courts that have just been resurfaced. The courts were adjudged to be an excellent surface for tournament play and the Club is grateful to Essex Tennis for the interest-free loan that helped to finance the cost of these courts.
In addition to the eleven courts at Woodford Wells the tournament also used courts at Chingford School of Tennis and at the indoor courts at Redbridge Sports Centre.
Club members were delighted when the Woodbridge High School student and club member, Alex Nakov, won the boys 14 and under doubles with Samuel Constantinou defeating Daniel Varda and Namgyal Samuels in a tight three set final. In the girls’ 12 and under Maddie Mcloughin from Suffolk, who is ranked ten in the UK beat Justice Hall, also from Suffolk, in a high quality final in another three set final. In the open men’s singles Woodford’s Lewis Thompson impressed in the final with a display of hard hitting tennis defeating the talented Essex player James Caddies by 6-2 6-4.
In the men’s senior event club member Clive Schaller lost to Hertfordshire’s Bob Birchley 6-3 6-4 in a competitive final.
The tournament was sponsored by Holly House Hospital and, in addition, many club members volunteered to help out in the kitchens and as court supervisors. The Club was delighted with the quality of the play and look forward to the thirty fifth event in 2016.