Great news reached me on Wednesday – Charlotte Clarke (13), representing the Isle of Man in the Road to Wimbledon in the 14&U Girls had won all three of her round robin matches on Monday and Tuesday with impressive scores 6/0 6/1, 6/3 6/4 and 6/0 6/0. She had a bye in the first round of the Main Draw, then went on to win her second round match beating Isobel Le Clerc (Durham|) 6/2 6/0 on Wednesday. Gaining sponsorship from several companies and individuals for travel has enabled her to gain valuable match experience and she and her parents are extremely grateful for this support.
Meanwhile Roch Mirski (13), playing in the 14&U Boys Singles was runner-up in his round robin group, so moved in to the knockout stages. He received a bye in the first round and beat Harry Tweed (Durham) 7/5 6/1 in the second round. So well done Roch – you and Charlotte are doing Albany proud. Roch is also playing Boys Doubles with Xingchen Cao (Oxford).We also have Sarah Long (12) and Jayden Go (13) spending time at Wimbledon, where they are having coaching. They will all surely have lots of tales to tell. If anyone knows a company that might sponsor any of these four players, please contact me -tel 861497 or e-mail albanytennispr@manx.net. Sponsorship is a major form of support for sport these days. It comes in various forms – the banners in the indoor court keep the cost of the court hire (with lights) down to a minimum and we have room for at least five more banners. Support of our Juniors travelling to the UK or beyond helps them to become better players. Club Coach Ian Watson would like some financial help to take an Albany Junior Squad to UK tournaments, so if anyone can help I’m happy to talk to them or any companies.
Members have been informed, by e-mail that the scheduled court painting has had to be postponed until late Spring due to un-foreseen circumstances. For those who don’t read e-mails, play on the outdoor courts is available as usual.