The Essex County LTA Junior League Autumn Winter Cycle 2009/10 Final Play Offs saw two of the closest and most exciting matches take place.
Boys Division 3: Palmers 2 V Grove 2
First match on was the boys Division 3 Final in which Palmers Boys 2nd team were pitted against Grove Boys 2nd team. Palmers got off to a strong start when they won both the opening singles rubbers. Sean White beat Scott Rimmer 6-1, and Olly Smith beat Ben Good 6-0 in matches that were closer than the score indicates. Grove fought back strongly to win the third and fourth string singles, Ryan Ponton Beat Alex Gee 6-0, and Matt White beat George Smith 6-4.
With the match tied at two rubbers each the all important doubles got underway to the tune of applause and encouragement from the excited spectators. The second string doubles was one by Grove when Ryan and Matt recorded a 6-3 win over Alex and George. Grove managed to reverse the result in the first string doubles with Sean and Olly beating Scott and Ben 7-5. This meant that the match was tied at three rubbers to each team. Games count back revealed that Palmers 2 were the winners by the narrow margin of 26 games to 24.
Boys Division 2: Whitehall V New Hall
This match was to prove even closer than the Division 3 final.
It was New Hall who made the better start by going out to a 2-0 rubbers lead. Ben Mynard won a hard fought singles against Chris Wells 7-6, and Tom Styles beat Paul Meaden 6-0. Chris’s efforts to stay with his hard hitting opponent were to prove vital to his team in the final count.
Whitehall fought back strongly to level the match at 2-2 rubbers all as Jack Flood beat Andrew Brewer and Sam Miller beat Harry Pratt. Once again everything was going to depend on the doubles.
Chris Wells and Sam Miller fought hard for Whitehall but were unable to come through against the powerful Styles and Mynard partnership going down 6-2. With everything hanging on the vital second string doubles the spectators were on a knife edge. Both pairs responded to the challenge and every point was extremely hard fought with Whitehall’s Paul Meaden and Jack Flood eventually overcoming Andre Brekevic and Harry Pratt 6-3. With the match again tied at 3-3 on rubbers games count back saw Whitehall emerge as the winners by the narrowest margin of 26 games to 25.
Full Roll of Honour Autumn / Winter 2009/10
Boys Division 1 – Grove 1
Boys Division 2 – Whitehall
Boys Division 3 – Palmers 2
Girls Division 1 - Thorpe Bay 1
Green League - Harlow LTC