It was always going to be a tough weekend for a young 18&u girls team who travelled to Redbridge. The team of Georgia Harris, Olivia Hine, Florence Kenworthy, Florence McCausland, Taylor Ball, Flora McWhirter and Sofia Khalyaeva were competing in Division 5b.
On day 1, The girls were beaten 9-0 by an experienced Northamptonshire team.
Hine came closest to troubling her opponent but couldn't convert 3 set points, eventually losing 7-5 6-1. Northamptonshire were just as strong in the doubles with Harris and Khalyaeva pairing at no 1 and Hine and Kenworthy at no 2 unable to really challenge their opponents. In the third doubles Ball and McWhirter went down 6-4 6-1.
Against Wiltshire on day two, Khalyaeva playing in her first County Cup had a close defeat to her respective No. 4. The youngest member of the team at 12 years old hit some impressive groundstrokes and unsettled her opponent at times. Experience prevailed and eventually her opponent took the sets 6-3 6-3. Defeats also for Harris, Hine, McCausland, McWhirter and Kenworthy meant Suffolk fell 6-0 down after facing six strong singles opponents. In the doubles Ball, also playing in her first County Cup, teamed up with WcWhirter again and started well leading 5-2. However, it was errors from the two suffolk players that allowed their opponents back into the set losing it overall 7-5 6-2. Wiltshire won the tie 9-0 and went on to become the overall group winners.
On the final day, Suffolk faced Oxfordshire for the 3rd and 4th play off. Playing in her first singles of the weekend Ball had a close 7-6 6-3 match against her respective No 6.
Hine playing at No. 2 made a promising start leading 4-2 but couldn't keep her momentum and her opponent fought back to take the set and the match 6-4 6-2
McCausland played at No. 3 and after losing a close first set 6-4, fought back to take the second set 6-2 after some strong defensive play and attacking groundstrokes. However in the 3rd set her older and more experienced opponent had re grouped and took the 3rd set 6-0. Harris playing at No.1 found herself up against another strong opponent, who made very few errors. Ball and McCausland picked up a doubles win for Suffolk at no.3 pair, winning 4-6 6-3 10-7 in a third set championship tie break. Hine and Kenworthy at no 2 pair missed out in a close doubles, losing 6-3 6-4. The tie finished 8-1 to Oxfordshire, relegating Suffolk.
"It was a tough weekend for the team, who were without several of their regular 18&u players. Being a young team and some players competing in their first County Cup does mean that they have gained valuable experience of competing at this level for years to come" Captain Emily Wharton