One of the closest Inter-League Charity Cup Tennis Finals took place at Alcester Tennis Club last Sunday 2nd September between Stratford-on-Avon representing the South Warwickshire Summer League and Leamington Spa representing the Stratford and District Winter League.
This is the eleventh year of this competition between the two leagues the winners of which decide the fate of the £100 cheque donated by the leagues. Summer League Champions Stratford fielded their four players Callum Bailey partnered by Cameron Malik, while coach Ralf Neilson was teamed up with Sam Righton. Stratford's normal captain Tim Page was away on holiday. For the Winter League Leamington fielded a cosmopolitan side of captain Miguel Espada with Andy Cowden, while Swiss born Jonathan Hofstetter partnered Romain Jalard.
There followed some superb tennis rallies in the opening rubbers especially between the top pairs Stratford's Bailey & Cameron against Leamington's Espada & Cowden before the Stratford pair triumphed after many deuces 6-4, 6-4. On the other court Leamington got the upper hand in another tight match as Hofstetter & Jalard beat Neilson & Righton to square the match at the halfway point 1-1.
After the change Bailey & Cameron played some scintillating tennis to overwhelm Hofstetter & Jalard 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile it was a closer affair between the other contestants before Espada & Cowden again pulled the match level for Leamington at 2-2 after they overcame Neilson and Righton 6-3, 6-4. Both sides then agreed to their best pairs playing a Championship Tie-Break decider in which the first side to reach ten points by a margin of two clear points takes the title.
Stratford's Bailey & Malik started off like a train to reach 8-4 but Espada & Cowden pulled it back to 8-9 before Bailey pulled out yet another pass to clinch the Charity Cup for the Summer League and Stratford to add to their Premier Division title in 2012. The Cup and individual awards were presented by the competition sponsor and Summer League President local Alcester man Tony King. While the Chairman of both Leagues and WLTA Secretary Tony Eskew presented the £100 cheque to Stratford who donated it to the Starlight Foundation Children's Charity.