Wildmoor Spa Tennis - Junior Cup June Round

Press Release No. 17....21/06/2015

Wildmoor Spa Tennis - Junior Cup June Round

The fourth and final (June) round of Junior Tennis Cup competition Pool matches of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League for the South Warwickshire & District Area have been completed.  The teams who topped the four Pools will go forward to play in the semi-final Play-Offs to be held at Littletons Tennis Club on Wednesday, 1st July 2015, 6.30pm start.  They are Henley-in-Arden A from Pool A, Evesham from Pool B, Stratford-upon-Avon from Pool C, and finally last year’s champions and favourites Redditch side HDA A in Pool D.

Pool A was hosted by Henley-in-Arden and their A pair Alex Evans & Louis Walsh began by overcoming sister side Henley B 6-2.  They then went on to beat Alcester 6-0 and HDA B of Redditch 6-1 to give them a commanding three points lead at the top.  The chasing pair HDA B’s Joe Hollier & Owen Perry managed to beat Alcester 6-1 and Henley B 6-3 but it was not enough.  In the last group game Henley B boys James Price & Elliott Saltmarsh regained some belief when they defeated Alcester’s pair Adam Haerle & Luke Clements 6-1.

Pool leaders Evesham visited Pershore for their last Pool B matches knowing that any sort of performance would see them qualify.  They did not disappoint with their duo of Ben Shepherd & Emmanuel Winston beating closest contenders and hosts Pershore boys Giles Lowbridge & Aaron Mashi 6-2.  Unfortunately the two pairs from Chipping Campden got their dates muddled and failed to appear on the night so forfeiting their matches all by a 6-0 margin.  Evesham and Pershore played another set with the same result.

On to Pool C played at Evesham Tennis Club.  This was by far the most competitive fight for the Pool title and qualification for the Play-Offs.  The hosts Littletons had been challenging the leaders Stratford and needed to beat them to stand any chance of qualifying for the Play-Offs.  They began well as their pair of Liam Clear & Callum Bennett beat Ilmington 6-0 and then Bidford 6-2.  Meanwhile Stratford duo Joe Pinnock & Will Noyes beat Bidford 6-0 and Ilmington 6-0.  In the wooden spoon play-off Bidford boys Adam Farrow & Alfie Lovell managed to fend off a spirited challenge from Ilmington’s Charlie Dews & Giles Sharratt 6-4.  So it all came down to the wire as the big two met.  It was the Littleton’s pair who celebrated victory in a close match beating Stratford 6-4.  This meant that both teams finished equal on  with 22 points apiece.  So it went to games difference and when totalled up Stratford had 83 for and 31 against so +52 and Littletons had 81 for and 34 against which gave them only +47.  This meant Straford qualified by just 5 games difference.  Congratulations to them but also commiserations to an unlucky Littletons who could do no more on the night.

Finally Pool D was played at HDA Tennis Club in Redditch and saw last year’s champions HDA A again cruise to victory in all three of their matches to again qualify for the play-offs.  Their pair Harvey Ravenscroft & Scott Mortimer once more dominated, beating HDA C 6-2, HDA D 6-1 and then HDA E 6-0.  HDA C girls Paulina Jurkowska & Latesha Grant defeated HDA D 6-1 and HDA E 6-1.  Finally, HDA D pair Kiyyah Grant & Jasmine Bwail beat HDA E’s Greg Cook & Aaron Bwail 6-3. 

Photo attached is of Bidford boys Adam Farrell & Alfie Lovell from Pool C