16 players from across the Midlands were invited to take part in an 8’s Regional Invitational Match that was held at the Nottingham Tennis Centre to coincide with the Aegon Trophy.
A schedule of 16 Timed Doubles Matches was put together including Boys/Girls and Mixed Doubles. No scores were taken in, giving players the opportunity to compete and express themselves with no end result. This worked well and the atmosphere on court with players and off with parents was very relaxed yet still keeping the competitive edge to the matches. It was great to see players and parents working together, a unique experience for both parties.
The schedule was worked around the order of play of the Aegon Trophy so players could watch a set of all matches played on Centre Court:
Match 1: Ladies Final – Karolina Pliskova v Petra Martic
Match 2: Mens Semi Final – Benjamin Becker v Kenny DE Schepper
Match 3: Mens Doubles Final – Ken Skupski/Neal Skupski v Jamie Murray/John Peers
It was a great day not just for the players but also the game, as it was a way of looking to grow and promote the game. It was fantastic to see spectators and younger children watch the tennis and take a keen interest in what was happening, with many people asking how old the players were and how well they played at such a young age.
The young players had a great surprise when Judy Murray made her way on court then stayed for pictures and to sign autographs. And that wasn’t the end, as the players then went on to meet the doubles finalists for more pictures and autographs!!!