It was a scorching day on bank holiday Monday, and luckily we were treated to some scorching tennis! The tournament was played using the sliding handicap system; two groups of four pairs took part in a battle to reach the quarter finals. Strong performances from Ricky and Jenny meant that they topped Group 1 alongside Ron and Anne who dominated Group 2.

A mixture of clay and grass throughout the group stages and quarter finals meant that everyone was kept on their toes! There were some fiercely contested quarters with Alison and Matthew unable to prevent Rita and Scott from progressing and Cheryl and Rob managed to neutralise the John Smith forehand as they beat Liz and John in their quarter final match.

The semi finals were both very closely contested matches. In a very close game it was Rita and Scott who made it to the final by edging past Anne and Ron in what was a very tense match. In the other semi final it seemed to be all over as Cheryl and Rob trailed 0-3, but after a brave fightback it was Ricky and Jenny who claimed the win to reach the final 4-3.

The final was a full set with no handicap and saw Jenny and Ricky take on Rita and Scott. Early exchanges were tense as the match went with serve for the first 4 games. Rita and Scott managed to get a break up on Ricky's serve, only to be broken back immediately. Jenny's rock-like defence and Ricky's resilience ensured that they came out on top 7-5 in what was a great final.

Finally, a huge thanks must go to Linda and Richard for providing an excellent lunch, to Janice for organising the tournament, and to everyone who took part in the event.

Group 1 Jenny Parish + Ricky Boardman Cheryl Harris + Rob Haynes Rita Payne + Scott White Anna Clark + Max Zanghi

Group 2 Sarah Lamb-Hughes + Terry Leahy Alison Gurkin + Matthew Gurkin Liz Price + John Smith Anne Spoerer + Ron de Jong

Rob Haynes 30/8/16