The sun shone intermittently and the clouds scurried across the sky as stiff breezes blew and made play difficult. Some over 65 serves boomeranged backwards but an underarm serve was never seen. Alert and experienced brains on aging bodies were able to cope. Rain forced us indoors twice but plenty of grass court tennis was enjoyed (really?-Ed) by our hardy perennial entrants.
Entries were sadly down on last year and lowering the over 45 limit to over 40 only attracted one extra entry – but he was excellent. Skills, experience and stamina were witnessed in abundance and play, as expected, was to a high standard.
Chapel A is a great venue for this event. Club members and fellow competitors watch the outdoor games from the balcony, adding atmosphere and misplaced advice. Adjudicating when tempers are roused! It is a friendly club with excellent viewing facilities and well-kept traditional grass courts.
Stunning tennis was seen in the O40 singles and the excellent Dave Mangham, last year’s runner-up, beat both the first and second seeds to deservedly gain his first Yorkshire closed title. As the memories fade, we all recalled our victories of years gone by. There is no need for truth when you reminisce.
