The 19th annual Suffolk Seniors’ Open Tournament was successfully staged at the Ipswich Sports Club over the Easter weekend. 78 players from 12 counties enjoyed some great competition, with the opportunity taken to meet up with old friends and renew old rivalries. (writes Peter Mornard)
Although losing a hard-hitting 35.0 Final to home club player Jamie Friend, Bedfordshire’s colourful Paul Hammond retained his 45.0 title after whitewashing club colleague Dean Mills. Risbygate’s Mike Ellis also retained his 70.0 crown, though he was pushed all the way to a deciding 10-8 match tie-break by Thomas Petersen, of the Royal County of Berkshire Health and Racquets Club. An all-Suffolk 55+ Men’s Singles saw Peter Taylor proving far too consistent for John Tallent and winning in straight sets 6-3 6-3.
Hertfordshire’s Kistie Caneparo also went the distance with Jenny King of the Essex Golf + Country Club in the 40.0 Ladies’ Singles, the 50.0 Ladies’ decider also producing an exhausting 2-6 6-1 11-9 scoreline before Blofield’s Elizabeth Cubitt finally overcame Frinton’s determined Jo Bond. David Henderson, of the Hunstanton Veterans’ Tennis Club, picked up two doubles titles, winning the 55+ Men’s Doubles with Suffolk’s John Tallent, and the 50+ Mixed with Elizabeth Cubitt.
It was good to see the evergreen Joan Hassell reaching both the 50+ Ladies’ Doubles + 60+ Mixed Doubles deciders. Joan is a hard-working committee member together with the indispensable Keith Flewitt, the Tournament once again very smoothly refereed by Steve and Julie Pilcher. The full results were as follows:-
35+ Men’s Singles: Jamie Friend bt Paul Hammond 6-2 6-4
35+ Men’s Singles Consolation: Dean Mills bt Tamas Farkas 7-5 6-2
40+ Ladies’ Singles: Kistie Caneparo bt Jenny King 6-4 2-6 10-8
40+ Ladies’ Singles Consolation: Catherine Jones bt Patricia Mindham 6-2 7-6 (4)
40+ Ladies’ Doubles: Catherine Jones + Patricia Mindham bt Elizabeth Cubitt + Rachael Prentice 6-4 6-3
40+ Mixed Doubles: Gary Minns + Louise Woods bt Peter + Kistie Caneparo 6-2 6-1
45+ Men’s Singles: Paul Hammond bt Dean Mills 6-0 6-0
45+ Men’s Singles Consolation: Darrol Satchell bt Stuart Harris 6-2 6-2
45+ Men’s Doubles: Alan Lattimore + Geoffrey Moss bt Stuart Harris + Dean Mills 6-2 6-2
50+ Ladies’ Singles: Elizabeth Cubitt bt Jo Bond 2-6 6-1 11-9
50+ Ladies’ Singles Consolation: Elspeth Jones bt Gillian Childs 6-4 6-1
50+ Ladies’ Doubles: Julia Holder + Fenella Pearey bt Jill Crown + Joan Hassell 7-6 (5) 6-2
50+ Mixed Doubles: David Henderson + Elizabeth Cubitt bt Colin Minter + Fenella Pearey 7-5 6-4
55+ Men’s Singles: Peter Taylor bt John Tallent 6-3 6-3
55+ Men’s Singles Consolation: John Coxhead bt Alonso Paez 6-2 5-7 10-1
55+ Men’s Doubles: David Henderson + John Tallent bt David Howell + Kevin Sutton 6-1 6-3
60+ Ladies’ Singles: Elspeth Jones bt Margaret Armstrong 6-1 6-1
60+ Mixed Doubles: David Howell + Maggie Lipscombe bt Colin Stephenson + Joan Hassell 6-4 6-4
65+ Men’s Singles: lst David Hunt 2nd John Fox
65+ Men’s Doubles: Roberto Facchini + David Hunt bt John Fox + Graham Hudson 6-4 6-3
70+ Men’s Singles: Michael Ellis bt Thomas Petersen 2-6 7-6(4) 10-8