LADIES MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007
Match Report

We’re starting the third match of the 2007 Ladies Master Championships being held at Petworth for the final year and we’re already running an hour behind schedule!  How can this be? We started on time!  Both of the first two matches were only two sets each, however, they were so hotly contested and close with deuce after deuce after deuce, was this to be indicative of the whole weekend’s progress?

Fortunately, bit by bit we came back onto time and the girl’s could then start concentrating on other important matters i.e. Is the sun over the yard-arm? Would you like red or white? Where shall we dine tonight?

In fact, due to the generosity of the Petworth members (competitors or not), all of the player’s billeted were treated to dinner by their hosts on the Friday evening.

Saturday’s tennis progressed mostly predictably.  Lynda Fairbrother from Cambridge gave Tiff Fielding, from Manchester, a scare in the quarter finals with Tiff squeezing a 3 set victory after a stunning first set which went to Lynda 6/5.  Tiff then had to work very hard to win the next two sets 6/4, 6/0.  Carolyn Nicholls from Petworth, playing Jo Millar from Moreton Morrell, also played a very solid and consistent game to triumph 6/3 in the third set, having lost the first.

On Saturday evening, 23 of us enjoyed an excellent dinner at The Welldiggers Arms.  A new venue for us all, we were given our own room and a few of our sponsors and Petworth gentlemen kindly joined us (to even out the numbers)!

The final, held between Caroline Gilmore and Jill Newby was most exciting with an incredibly tight first set.  Caroline made such an impressive start and was 4/1 ahead in the first set playing stunning shots to the base of the grill and tambour and hardly making an error.  Jill slowly and efficiently clawed her way back to 4 all playing accurate volleys and consistently laying shorter and shorter chases.  The game continued to 5 all causing the audience to tense up in excitement and anticipation of which way the set would go.  Again, Jill’s supreme chase laying allowed her to triumph through to win the first set 6/5.  In the second set, Jill found a better length on her serves and through her consistent play dominated to win the second set 6/1.

The plate this year consisted of a round-robin handicap tournament, best to five games.  Each of the four pairs who competed all won and lost sets and the matches were incredibly close.  Thus, the winners were not decided until the final match when the two Lucys (Davies, from Hardwick and Hutchinson from Petworth) won their last game 5/4 giving them the overall victory.

Petworth are very sad to lose the Ladies Masters this year, we have so enjoyed holding this annual event.  As is the tradition, the tournament stays at one venue for three years and then moves on.  We can now look forward to visiting Bristol and Bath next Spring for the 2008 Masters.  For any ladies (40 years, or more, young), who have not yet entered, please do enter next year.  It is always a very friendly fixture and great fun, (as commented on by two new players to our tournament this year).

Carolyn Armstrong-Smith