Taunton Tennis Club Men’s and Ladies have started their national division with mixed fortunes this summer. The ladies started with a tough away fixture against Halton Tennis Centre in Buckinghamshire. Taunton struggled at the top of the order with comfortable losses against good players for Natalie Ayton and Zoe Leach. Clare Tresidder did well to grind out a win at 3 with a 6-4 7-5 win against counterpart Claudia Marsala and Tennis Manager Kerry Quirk lost out 6-2 6-3 at position 4. Quirk and Tresidder combined well at second pair doubles winning on the championship tiebreak after sharing the first two sets. Ayton and Leach lost the 1st pair doubles 6-2 6-3 leaving Taunton to suffer an 8-4 loss.
In the second match, at home to the Royal Berkshire Club, Taunton performed strongly winning the overall tie 10-2. Taunton completed an extremely comfortable set of four singles wins with only one change in the line up from the week before, Kate Brown coming in for Natalie Ayton. All but one of the sets was won with the team members losing only two games or less. Brown and Leach combined well in the doubles to win at the first pair 7-6 6-1, but Taunton failed to keep the clean sweep after Quirk and Tresidder lost there tense doubles in three sets, although note must be had that they took it to three after losing the first 6-0. Sharing the first two fixtures has left Taunton lying 3rd of 7 teams in the South West region.
The Men’s team captained by club coach Richard Stock were drawn against the two toughest teams in the group Winchester and West Hants for its opening two fixtures. The season opener went down to the wire against Winchester with a narrow loss on the tie-break shoot out after Bruce Wheatley and U16 / U18 national doubles champion Jack Findel Hawkins won singles at 1 and 2 and first pair doubles. Somerset player Craig Phillips lost out in his singles narrowly in three sets and the team couldn’t quite take the tie-break shoot out after having opportunities in all matches. Credit must go to Taunton youngster Alec Blake who played at number 4 and competed well in his matches.
Nevertheless Taunton took positives into the next match against last seasons South West Champions at National Quarter Finalists West Hants. Fielding a weakened team missing Jack Findel Hawkins, Taunton were up against it and eventually lost out 10-2. Matches were all well fought and a notable win was had by Somerset county player Sam Edwards, who took out Dorset counterpart Tim Prosser in three sets. James Deem and Richard Stock performed well in the doubles taking there match to a championship tiebreak third set after losing the first but went down in that 10-6 after making a good start.
Taunton men are next at home against Bath University on Sunday 29th April. Taunton Ladies are at home against East Gloucestershire on the same day.
Tennis Development Manager James Deem said “it’s great to see that Taunton Tennis Club have ladies and men’s teams playing at the highest level of team tennis in this country”. He added “there are sure to be many more tough matches for the teams across this summer”
For more information about Taunton Tennis Club please visit www.toneleisure.com and for opportunities to play at tennis sites across the county please visit www.allplaytennis.com