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With the team sheets in at the referees office, we could take our first look at the team sheets. We are out-ranked all through the teams as they all had 4.1, 4.2, 5.1s in their top 6 players; this was going to be a hard three days of play.
Day 1 v Surrey was a hard day as we only won 17 games in 6 singles matches, the doubles improved with Chris Wood and Aaron Banasik winning 7-6 6-3, but we lost the other doubles 0-6 0-6, 2-6 2-6.
Day 2- v Hampshire. On paper, Hampshire was the highest ranked team of the weekend. So I’m afraid it was a similar story as day 1; we just couldn’t get close to winning a set in the singles or doubles, losing 9-0 on the day.
Day 3 v Sussex We were fighting to keep ourselves up this year; Sussex had only won two matches all weekend coming into this match, but still out ranked us through the order. We made the worst possible start to the first two singles, losing them 6-0 in both first sets. We pick up a little in the second, but still lost 6-2 in both. On went our 3 and 4 players, and try as they did, we only took another 7 games over the four sets. Aaron then turned up, firing winners all over the place, beating Samuel Kilhams 6-2 6-4 in a great win. Chris lost a close match 6-1 in the third set to Julian Cash who won the 16/U Winter National Tour Finals at Roehampton just five days before, so well done Chris.
As for reflection on the weekend, the boys are yet again a credit to Nottinghamshire Tennis. Through all the hard times on the court they had manners and respect for myself and vice captain C Chivers at all times, and never let their heads drop.
Simon Ashmore
Team from l to r: Jack Elliss, Ben King, Chris Dornan, Saul Abbiss, Jonny Higham, Simon Ashmore (Capt), Calum Chivers (V-Capt), Chris Wood, Aaron Banasik with Etienne Elliss in arms.
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