Aldershot & District Lawn Tennis Association

Affiliated to Surrey LTA and Hants & Isle Of Wight LTA

TOURNAMENTS

ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM TOURNAMENT

FINALS’ DAY REPORT – 12^th September 2010

The finals of the Aldershot & Farnham Tennis Tournament run by Aldershot & District LTA were held on 12^th September at Onslow Village Lawn Tennis Club in Guildford.

In the Ladies’ Singles Betty Maitland (Elstead), who was the defending champion, played Kay Sargent (Bourne). Maitland served to a consistently good length, made good use of the drop shot and had few unforced errors. Sargent tried to keep the rallies short but Maitland was on top of her form. In just 40 minutes Maitland deservedly won the Ladies’ Singles for the 6^th consecutive year. Result: 6-1, 6-0

The Ladies’ doubles pitched Jo Brooker and Rosemary Wilson (Bourne) against Jill Lederer and Laura Williams of Camberley. The first set contained some tentative play from all 4 players and most points seemed to be won from errors rather than winning shots. In the 1^st set the first 2 games went with serve, followed by 6 games all going against serve. At 4 all though Williams held her serve and she and Lederer also broke again in the next game to take the 1st set. In the 2^nd set Lederer and Williams stormed ahead to a 3-0 lead but gradually the experienced team of Brooker and Wilson clawed the deficit back until they were 5-4 up and a 3^rd set looked on the cards. Williams and Lederer then knuckled down and stormed into the next 3 games to take this topsy-turvy set and the match. Result: 6-4, 7-5

Andy Warry and Jane Powis (Bourne) played Richard Honeysett and Mary State (Camberley) in the mixed doubles. The first set contained quite a few unforced errors, as the players settled into their match and gauged each other’s game. Honeysett and State had the edge though and took the 1^st set. The 2^nd set was much more competitive and although Honeysett and State gained the lead with sharp volleying at the net, Warry and Powis put up a good fight and clawed their way back to 5-all, and eventually forced a tie break. Only 4 of the 12 games though in this set had gone with serve. The tiebreak went Honeysett and State’s way and they won the match. Result: 6-3, 7-6

The Men’s doubles was certainly the most competitive of the matches played, and it was played to a high standard, resulting in a very watchable match. Steven Bozas and Gary Stanford (Aldershot TC) who are past winners of this trophy, had Andy Bedwell & Nigel Hilder (Bourne) as their opponents. The whole match saw fine volleying from all players and plenty of domination at the net and good use of the whole of the court from both pairings. Bozas and Stanford edged ahead in the 1^st set by breaking the Bedwell serve in the 3^rd game. This was the only break of an excellent set but was enough to give Bozas and Stanford the 1^st set. The 2^nd set was equally as good as the first and a third set (from an entertainment point of view) would have been welcomed by the supporters. It was not to be though. Bozas and Stanford took a 4-2 lead and from there only needed to hold their serves (which they did) to win the match. Result: 6-4, 6-4

Unfortunately 2 matches could not take place. The ladies’ Vets doubles due to injury – leaving Claire Beer and Rosemary Northcote Smith (Bourne) champions, and the Men’s singles where Gary Stanford (Aldershot TC) took the trophy as his opponent Carlos Silva was unable to get back from abroad.

This tournament is arranged by the committee of the Aldershot and District LTA and is for tennis players in the region (approx 10 mile radius of Aldershot). If you would be interested in playing next year, then please check our web site in April 2011 (www.aldershotdistrictlta.com).

Historical Tournament Reports