The Caveney Road Surfacing Inter-League Tennis Charity Cup Final was held last Saturday, the venue courtesy of Evesham Tennis Club and their captain Ray Foster-Morison, between last years' Summer South Warwickshire Caveney League Champions Stratford-on-Avon and this year’s Stratford & District Winter League Champions Leamington Spa.
A strong Stratford side were determined to make up for losing last year’s Charity Cup Result. Leamington despite appearing in the final for the first time began as slight favourites. However, after some extremely high quality and exciting tennis the Stratford team of Callum Bailey, Ralf Nielson, James Smith and Tim Page ran out 3-1 winners against Leamington’s Matt Finnerty, Will Pendred, Carl Gallagher and Tony Pillinger.
Stratford and Leamington first pairs served up a closely contested first rubber with Bailey & Neilson being first to break serve. With the score 4-3 to Stratford, Nielson had to survive four break points on his serve after some excellent play by Finnerty & Pendred before serving out for a 5-3 lead. The Stratford pair then broke to love to clinch the first set 6-3. The Leamington duo bounced back in fine style hitting a purple patch to break three times and take a commanding lead at 5-0. That was the signal for Neilson & Bailey to stage a dramatic fight back to level at 5-5 and then hold to 6-5. After several juices on Finnerty’s serve Stratford finally closed out the set and match with an agonising net cord winner from Ralf Neilson.
In the rubber between the second pairings Smith & Page got Stratford off to a flying start, which they maintained throughout the first set. Gallagher & Pillinger took longer to adjust to the hard courts and although they were at juice on several occasions the Stratford pair maintained the upper hand taking the set 6-0. The pattern was repeated in the second set, which also finished 6-0 to Stratford, a score that belied the effort put in by Gallagher & Pillinger.
In the third rubber Gallagher & Pillinger got off to a better start and it was going with serve until at 4-3 to Stratford Neilson & Bailey broke serve and then served out to take the set 6-3. The second set was also closely contested with Neilson & Bailey being first to break serve again to take a 4-2 lead from which they completed the job efficiently to win the set 6-2 and the rubber 2-0.
In the final and arguably the most exciting rubber Finnerty & Pendred were marginally the more consistent pair although the match took several twists and turns. The Leamington pair were first to break taking Page’s serve for 3-1 and holding for 4-1. Smith & Page broke straight back for Stratford and then levelled to 4-4. The set continued on serve to 6-5 when Finnerty & Pendred flirted with the lines with some excellent shots to break and take the set 7-5. The second set was just as fiercely contested Finnerty & Pendred taking a 3-1 lead and Smith & Page responding straight away to level at 3-3. The Leamington pair then broke serve again to take a 6-5 lead before serving out the set at 7-5 to tie at one rubber apiece. So a championship tiebreak beckoned and Finnerty & Pendred hit some blistering winners to take a 3-0 lead. Smith & Page steadied the ship getting back to 3-2 before the Leamington duo stamped their authority firmly on the championship tiebreak to establish an 8-2 advantage and eventually close out at 10-3 to win the rubber. It was a fitting end for Finnerty & Pendred to take the rubber given their spirit and determination after losing the first rubber.
Full Result: Stratford-on-Avon Lawn Tennis Club beat Leamington Spa Lawn Tennis Club 3-1.