Following improvements to their Bath Road courts, the Felixstowe Club is looking forward to hosting their 85th Junior Open next week. This will be their 3rd major tennis event this Summer, local tennis enthusiasts having already seen Suffolk Men’s Champion Matt Hough winning the British Tour and the Group 4 Men’s County Week in July, and thanks to the improved quality of the courts there is also an ITF Veterans’ Tournament in September.
Numbers have been maintained from last year, enhanced by the return of a squad of players from Rugby Tennis Club. Sunday 17th and Saturday 23rd will see Mini Tennis run once again by the tireless Kathy Martin, together with Matchplay on the Sunday, with other events being run as follows: MON/TUES/WED: 10U, 14U, 18U Singles, Doubles and 14U Mixed. THURS/FRID/SAT: 12U, 16U, Open Singles + Doubles, and Plate Matches.
Toby Cutting should be a force in the Open and 18U Singles assuming he has recovered from a back injury that saw him having to pull out at Framlingham, with Catriona Pearson leading the local challenge in the Ladies’ Open. Henry Patten and Max Darrington should also feature in the Boys’ 18U, though again Darrington withdrew from Fram.with injury.
Culford’s William Cooke-Wharton will hope to do well in the Boys’ 16U, as will Framlingham runner-up Noah Cutting in the Under 14s.
Framlingham champions Tom Skinner (Middlesex) and Norfolk’s Monica Raviraj will be looking for further triumphs in the 12Us, though both Zvonko Bencedic and Kylie Bilchev should fly the Suffolk flag with pride. This highly prestigious Tournament gives local tennis fans the opportunity to watch a high number of the “stars of the future”, and spectators will be very welcome at Bath Road throughout the week as usual.
If Felixstowe is a special week for many juniors from home and away, then tomorrow is a red-letter day for one of Suffok’s most successful urban tennis clubs. Hidden away in the heart of Ipswich in Westbury Road, St.John’s URC Sports Club will be celebrating its 8Oth birthday tomorrow afternoon. This free event will be attended by club members and honorary members, together will all the immediate neighbours who have had to put up with all the extra cars for so long.
In addition to the Bowls Club running a raffle, the programme is as follows:-
2.30pm Try out the game of Bowls and normal Saturday Club Play.
During the afternoon: Exhibition game of Mixed Tennis played with wooden racquets !
4pm Cream tea and cake. (I’m looking forward to that !)
4.30 to 5.3opm : Visitors invited to have a try
The club recently raised a magnificent £340-00 for the “Woolverstone Wish” cancer charity, as a result of an annual Mixed Doubles competition held in memory of Fiona MacEwan, a lady member who sadly died of cancer quite young over two years ago. The winning couple play for a trophy donated by Fiona’s parents. (PICTURED) The Suffolk tennis community wish St.John’s a very sunny afternoon, and the happiest of 80th Birthdays !!
Finally, news of the Senior Ladies’ 60 and Over team, who have had mixed fortunes in two very tight matches recently. The side went down 4-6 to Devon at the Ipswich Sports Club, but battled hard to defeat Bucks 5-4 in a match played at David Lloyd, Milton Keynes. With the summer season rapidly drawing to a close, it would be good to have more news of both our Men’s and Ladies’ Senior teams, who have been very busy. Congratulations to our Ladies’ 35.Over side, whose promotion for the 3rd year running at Eastbourne will be highlighted at the end of the month.