The Stratford upon Avon Junior Open spread its net far and wide this year with entries from as far afield as Thailand and Marrakesh, as well as a wealth of local talent.
Boy’s events, from U10-U18, were well represented, although (as per national trend) the volume of girls was a little disappointing: although what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in talent.
Charlotte Ray (Hampton in Arden) and Meryl Bird (Caerphilly) played a phenomenal quarter final in the U16’s – play which was worthy of a final.
The week saw some superb tennis and culminated in a fantastic day of finals on the Friday.
The U10 final between Joshua Elliot and Charlie Roberts and the U18 match between Tom Holmes and Philip Cotteral were real highlights and enthralled onlookers.
The Warwickshire Smile campaign was well received with both players and parents demonstrating their commitment by signing up on arrival.
The Stratford Upon Avon BBQ , already legendary, exceeded the already high expectations of players and parents alike with Alan Colbourne providing a constant supply of fantastic food.
A massive thank you to all those who supported the event this year and I look forward to seeing you all back at the club in 2010.
Nick Harper