South Warwickshire's "Wildmoor Spa Tennis League" Junior Cup Play-Offs

The Wildmoor Spa League Junior Cup competition Play-Offs, sponsored by the League President and Alcester man Tony King, took place at Littletons Tennis Club this week attended by the Winners of each of the four Pools which played between March and June inclusive plus the best runner-up. The teams qualifying for the play-offs were

Pool A Winners Henley A, Pool B Winners Evesham, Pool C Winners Stratford-Upon-Avon and Pool D Winners HDA Redditch A.

The play-off matches produced some good quality competitive tennis especially considering the heatwave conditions in the mid 30’s Centigrade and were watch by parents, coaches and league officials, with refreshments supplied by hosts Littletons.

The aged 12 and under teams played, as previously in Pools, a round robin competition where each team played one set against each other with the prize of a place in a full match Final, to be played later, for the pairs finishing in the top two positions.

In the first round of matches the reigning club Champions HDA Redditch, although with a new pair of players Scott Mortimer & Harvey Ravenscroft, began well overpowering Stratford’s William Noyes & Joe Pinnock 6-2.  On the other court Evesham boys Ben Shepherd & Manny Winstone enjoyed a close tussle before the Henley duo Alex Evans & Louis Walsh defeated them 7-5.  In round two of the matches Evesham rebounded with a 6-1 result over Stratford, while HDA Redditch had a tough time just edging out Henley 6-4 after many deuces.

So to the final round and Henley’s Evans & Walsh breezed past Stratford lads Noyes & Pinnock 6-1 to look favourites to qualify.  Meanwhile, the Redditch HDA duo Mortimer & Ravenscroft found themselves 4-1 behind to Evesham’s Shepherd & Winston before making a stunning come back to win the next five games in a row and take the match and the other place in the Final 6-4.

The losing pairs at the Play-Offs Evesham & Stratford were presented with individual awards for winning their respective pools.  Meanwhile, HDA Redditch and Henley-in-Arden will now go forward to play in a full match final alongside the Men’s Inter-League Charity Cup Final to be played at Henley-in-Arden Tennis Club on Sunday, 6^th September, 2015, 2.30pm start.  Their awards along with cups and all the league trophies will be presented following the finals at this annual Wildmoor Spa Tennis League Buffet Presentation.