British Ladies Open Report and Photos 2018
Go to British Ladies Open Results 2018
British Ladies Open Championships 2018
4th – 8th April 2018
Claire Fahey Singles winner with Mark McMurrugh, Chairman of Seacourt
Saskia Bollerman Singles runner up with Mark McMurrugh
Isabel Candy Singles Plate winner with Mark McMurrugh
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Claire Fahey and Sarah Shuckburgh Doubles winners with Mark McMurrugh
Sophie Dannreuther and Isabel Hunt Doubles Plate winners with Mark McMurrugh
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Saskia Bollerman and Tara Lumley Doubles runners up with Mark McMurrugh
Jess Garside and Lea Van Der Zwalmen winners of the Handicap Doubles
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Many thanks to Candida Nicholls for the photos
Claire Fahey
Twenty-two players in all gathered at Seacourt for the Open and the Handicap Doubles. It was good to see so many strong young players on court, showing their ever-improving skills. Although there is still clear blue water between Claire Fahey and The Rest, (Claire’s current bump no handicap, it seemed), the overall standard continues to rise, and there were many excellent close games.
Open Singles
There were 15 in the Singles draw, with a staggered system, so that the five seeds, plus some of the other better players, sat out one or more of the rounds. The only surprise in the first three rounds was Lea Van Der Zwalmen (seeded 5) beating Irina Dulbish (seeded 4) in the quarter finals. But credit must also be given to Jess Garside in her quarter final with Sarah Shuckburgh (nee Vigrass). Jess played extremely well to take seven games off the number 2 seed, eventually losing 6/4 6/3, showing how much she has benefited from a tennis sojourn in Australia.
At the semi-final stage, second seed Sarah Shuckburgh played Saskia Bollerman, with reigning champion Claire Fahey against Lea Van Der Zwalmen.
Lea and Claire both brought accessories beyond the usual racquet and water combo – for Lea, a bionic-looking glove for her racquet hand; for Claire, a six-month old baby bump and a phone poised for hash-tagging her numerous Twitter followers. The dedans filled out early, in anticipation of a possible changing of the guard. For a while it seemed possible, with a string of errors to start from Claire, so that after two changes of ends, it was 2/0 to Lea. The next three games passed by in a blur, with Lea getting to 4/1, with a beautiful low cut shot on the forehand side. A long game of deuces followed, then Claire hit a fantastic chase 1, followed by chase 2. With a tight serve, and then a smack to the grille, she scraped back to 2/4. But then it was 5/2 to Lea, playing as calmly as the eye of a storm.
The Seacourt WhatsApp group started to whirl into action with hasty bets and terrible puns. Could Claire survive the pressure? Scrambling; scrobbling; desperation in the air. And Lea’s bionic glove was working harder than ever. But Claire was hanging on, and the next two games were hers. Then a close call in the next game was called ‘Not up’ in her favour, and she evened the set at 5/5. At 40/30 after two chases, Claire took the set with a gargantuan dedans force, celebrating with a looooo-ng fist pump and drilling eye contact, boring into her opponent on the other side of the net.
The second set felt edgy and unfamiliar after the madness of the first. Claire had clearly decided to shorten the points and with fast, forcing returns, raced to a 4/0 lead. The fifth game was the longest in the set by far, and after four times making chase worse than a yard, she finally missed; but made up for it with a return winner. It was now 5/0 to Claire, so could Lea copy her opponent’s feat in the first set, by returning from the dead in the second? It was not to be: Claire got to match point 40/15, and though she missed a Winning Gallery attempt in a gasp-inducing rest, Lea then made an error to close the match in Claire’s favour at 6/5 6/0. Congratulations to both players.
Open Singles
There were 15 in the Singles draw, with a staggered system, so that the five seeds, plus some of the other better players, sat out one or more of the rounds. The only surprise in the first three rounds was Lea Van Der Zwalmen (seeded 5) beating Irina Dulbish (seeded 4) in the quarter finals. But credit must also be given to Jess Garside in her quarter final with Sarah Shuckburgh (nee Vigrass). Jess played extremely well to take seven games off the number 2 seed, eventually losing 6/4 6/3, showing how much she has benefited from a tennis sojourn in Australia.
At the semi-final stage, second seed Sarah Shuckburgh played Saskia Bollerman, with reigning champion Claire Fahey against Lea Van Der Zwalmen.
Lea and Claire both brought accessories beyond the usual racquet and water combo – for Lea, a bionic-looking glove for her racquet hand; for Claire, a six-month old baby bump and a phone poised for hash-tagging her numerous Twitter followers. The dedans filled out early, in anticipation of a possible changing of the guard. For a while it seemed possible, with a string of errors to start from Claire, so that after two changes of ends, it was 2/0 to Lea. The next three games passed by in a blur, with Lea getting to 4/1, with a beautiful low cut shot on the forehand side. A long game of deuces followed, then Claire hit a fantastic chase 1, followed by chase 2. With a tight serve, and then a smack to the grille, she scraped back to 2/4. But then it was 5/2 to Lea, playing as calmly as the eye of a storm.
The Seacourt WhatsApp group started to whirl into action with hasty bets and terrible puns. Could Claire survive the pressure? Scrambling; scrobbling; desperation in the air. And Lea’s bionic glove was working harder than ever. But Claire was hanging on, and the next two games were hers. Then a close call in the next game was called ‘Not up’ in her favour, and she evened the set at 5/5. At 40/30 after two chases, Claire took the set with a gargantuan dedans force, celebrating with a looooo-ng fist pump and drilling eye contact, boring into her opponent on the other side of the net.
The second set felt edgy and unfamiliar after the madness of the first. Claire had clearly decided to shorten the points and with fast, forcing returns, raced to a 4/0 lead. The fifth game was the longest in the set by far, and after four times making chase worse than a yard, she finally missed; but made up for it with a return winner. It was now 5/0 to Claire, so could Lea copy her opponent’s feat in the first set, by returning from the dead in the second? It was not to be: Claire got to match point 40/15, and though she missed a Winning Gallery attempt in a gasp-inducing rest, Lea then made an error to close the match in Claire’s favour at 6/5 6/0. Congratulations to both players.
Sarah Shuckburgh
The second semi-final between Saskia and Sarah was played in the dedans and courtside as well as on-court, with both players enjoying huge crowd support. Even after the tension of the first semi-final, the crowd was lively and ready to get involved in what was set to be a close encounter.
Both players started strongly with some beautiful tennis and closely-fought points. Saskia and Sarah coped admirably with distractions as wide-ranging as bored yelping from Atlas the dog, to Tara Lumley noisily crinkling Pom Bear crisps at key points from just behind the net. The two players were neck and neck, before Saskia started to up her game, hitting a perfect return with a strong force hot on its heels. Then she laid Chase a yard, followed by Chase 2 as both players flew around the court retrieving clever, low shots and showing impressive endurance – 2/3 to Saskia. At this point, she started to pull away, looking very strong on the way to a 5/3 lead, then closing out the set with a strong floor game, 6/3.
The second set was a tighter affair, as Sarah began to sink her teeth into the match, drawing from her experience and natural talent. Both were determined to chase down every ball, and the winning points had to be very good indeed to do the job. All to play for at 4/4. But, finally, Saskia’s training and dedication over the past year paid off, and looking somewhat fresher than her opponent, took a historic win 6/3 6/5. An absolutely stunning semi-final!
Both players started strongly with some beautiful tennis and closely-fought points. Saskia and Sarah coped admirably with distractions as wide-ranging as bored yelping from Atlas the dog, to Tara Lumley noisily crinkling Pom Bear crisps at key points from just behind the net. The two players were neck and neck, before Saskia started to up her game, hitting a perfect return with a strong force hot on its heels. Then she laid Chase a yard, followed by Chase 2 as both players flew around the court retrieving clever, low shots and showing impressive endurance – 2/3 to Saskia. At this point, she started to pull away, looking very strong on the way to a 5/3 lead, then closing out the set with a strong floor game, 6/3.
The second set was a tighter affair, as Sarah began to sink her teeth into the match, drawing from her experience and natural talent. Both were determined to chase down every ball, and the winning points had to be very good indeed to do the job. All to play for at 4/4. But, finally, Saskia’s training and dedication over the past year paid off, and looking somewhat fresher than her opponent, took a historic win 6/3 6/5. An absolutely stunning semi-final!
Claire Fahey and Saskia Bollerman
In the Open Singles final, Claire Fahey played not her sister as so many times before, but Saskia Bollerman from Holland. The question was: could Saskia take advantage of Claire’s reduced mobility due to her well-pronounced bump, or would Claire’s determination to retain her title prevail?
Saskia started well, winning the first game to love, but Claire then settled in. Claire’s ability to read the game, know exactly where to be, and being content not to run or stretch when to do so would be uncomfortable, meant she could dominate from both ends – and that she did. Her demon returns of serve, especially on the volley, meant that chases, however tight, were no problem for her. Saskia did what she could, making some amazing retrieves, and there were many good rests, but Claire took the first set 6/1.
Saskia took the first game in the second set, and tried to focus on returning to Claire’s backhand, and to put the ball where Claire wasn’t. But Claire was more than equal to all Saskia did, and retained her title 6/1 6/1, an amazing performance in the circumstances.
(Reports by Sophie Dannreuther and Lucy Hutchinson)
Saskia started well, winning the first game to love, but Claire then settled in. Claire’s ability to read the game, know exactly where to be, and being content not to run or stretch when to do so would be uncomfortable, meant she could dominate from both ends – and that she did. Her demon returns of serve, especially on the volley, meant that chases, however tight, were no problem for her. Saskia did what she could, making some amazing retrieves, and there were many good rests, but Claire took the first set 6/1.
Saskia took the first game in the second set, and tried to focus on returning to Claire’s backhand, and to put the ball where Claire wasn’t. But Claire was more than equal to all Saskia did, and retained her title 6/1 6/1, an amazing performance in the circumstances.
(Reports by Sophie Dannreuther and Lucy Hutchinson)
Claire Fahey, Sarah Shuckburgh, Saskia Bollerman and Tara Lumley
Open Doubles
Seven pairs played in the Doubles, with 4 seeds, led by the Vigrass sisters, Claire Fahey & Sarah Shuckburgh, as defending champions and number 1 seeds with a bye in the first round. All four seeded pairs went through comfortably to the semis.
In the first semi-final, Claire & Sarah played Lea Van Der Zwalman & Jess Garside. Both pairs began strongly, with the first game being won by a typical grille shot from Sarah. There was a lot of end-changing, but when at the service end, Sarah and Claire dominated the action, and even some very strong volleying from Lea and Jess was not winning them enough points. Jess did some great defence of the dedans at 4/1 down, with Lea backing her up with solid and clinical volleys, but the Fahey/Shuckburgh team was too strong, and they took the set 6/1.
The second set saw a strong start from both sides again. Claire & Sarah won the first game, then Lea tried a change of pace to win a tambour shot, and Sarah lost a short chase, to make it 1/1. Then, however, some tight serving from Claire, and solid attacking from Sarah, brought the score to 4/1. And despite Lea & Jess putting up a brilliant fight, the excellent retrieving and ball placement of the two sisters saw them take the second set and the match, 6/1 6/1.
The second semi-final saw Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley play Irina Dulbish & Izzy Candy. It was a match with a similar shape to the preceding one, fiercely fought but never in much doubt. Irina & Izzy made a strong start, taking the first game with a winner from Izzy. But then Tara made a fast comeback with strong serving, followed by some clean and powerful hitting by both Saskia & Tara to take the lead 4/1. There was plenty to enjoy in the dedans, with some excellent long rests, but Irina & Izzy could not withstand the powerful attacks of their opponents, and lost the first set 1/6.
They started well in the second set, winning the first game despite being at the receiving end. And this set was very tight with no one giving anything for free. At 3/2, however, some great defence by Saskia & Tara saw them take the service end and the lead 4/2, followed by the next game too.
Despite Izzy & Irina saving two match points in some nail-biting rests, Tara & Saskia were in control and took the match, 6/1 6/2.
(Report by Izzy Hunt)
The final of the Open Doubles was the last match of the tournament, and what a superb one it was! It was Saskia Bollerman’s third final on the trot (Handicap Doubles, Open Singles, and then this one) but fortunately she is extremely fit and enthusiastic. Saskia and Tara’s opponents have moved from Vigrass & Vigrass, to Fahey & Vigrass, to Fahey & Shuckburgh over the last few years, but some things don’t change, including the ability of the sisters to play so well together. With Claire not as mobile as usual, Sarah had more to do, and relished it. They took a 3/0 lead, but Saskia & Tara kept fighting back, and though unable to convert their first two game points, they did win their next to make it 1/4. At 5/1, they hung in to claw back to 4/5; but then Claire & Sarah took the next game and the first set, 6/4.
In the second set, Saskia & Tara continued to press their opponents in some excellent tennis, and stayed in touch, but the old firm came through to win 6/4 6/3. The title had been defended, but the champions had been pressed hard, showing the depth of the game now.
(Reports by Izzy Hunt and Lucy Hutchinson)
Seven pairs played in the Doubles, with 4 seeds, led by the Vigrass sisters, Claire Fahey & Sarah Shuckburgh, as defending champions and number 1 seeds with a bye in the first round. All four seeded pairs went through comfortably to the semis.
In the first semi-final, Claire & Sarah played Lea Van Der Zwalman & Jess Garside. Both pairs began strongly, with the first game being won by a typical grille shot from Sarah. There was a lot of end-changing, but when at the service end, Sarah and Claire dominated the action, and even some very strong volleying from Lea and Jess was not winning them enough points. Jess did some great defence of the dedans at 4/1 down, with Lea backing her up with solid and clinical volleys, but the Fahey/Shuckburgh team was too strong, and they took the set 6/1.
The second set saw a strong start from both sides again. Claire & Sarah won the first game, then Lea tried a change of pace to win a tambour shot, and Sarah lost a short chase, to make it 1/1. Then, however, some tight serving from Claire, and solid attacking from Sarah, brought the score to 4/1. And despite Lea & Jess putting up a brilliant fight, the excellent retrieving and ball placement of the two sisters saw them take the second set and the match, 6/1 6/1.
The second semi-final saw Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley play Irina Dulbish & Izzy Candy. It was a match with a similar shape to the preceding one, fiercely fought but never in much doubt. Irina & Izzy made a strong start, taking the first game with a winner from Izzy. But then Tara made a fast comeback with strong serving, followed by some clean and powerful hitting by both Saskia & Tara to take the lead 4/1. There was plenty to enjoy in the dedans, with some excellent long rests, but Irina & Izzy could not withstand the powerful attacks of their opponents, and lost the first set 1/6.
They started well in the second set, winning the first game despite being at the receiving end. And this set was very tight with no one giving anything for free. At 3/2, however, some great defence by Saskia & Tara saw them take the service end and the lead 4/2, followed by the next game too.
Despite Izzy & Irina saving two match points in some nail-biting rests, Tara & Saskia were in control and took the match, 6/1 6/2.
(Report by Izzy Hunt)
The final of the Open Doubles was the last match of the tournament, and what a superb one it was! It was Saskia Bollerman’s third final on the trot (Handicap Doubles, Open Singles, and then this one) but fortunately she is extremely fit and enthusiastic. Saskia and Tara’s opponents have moved from Vigrass & Vigrass, to Fahey & Vigrass, to Fahey & Shuckburgh over the last few years, but some things don’t change, including the ability of the sisters to play so well together. With Claire not as mobile as usual, Sarah had more to do, and relished it. They took a 3/0 lead, but Saskia & Tara kept fighting back, and though unable to convert their first two game points, they did win their next to make it 1/4. At 5/1, they hung in to claw back to 4/5; but then Claire & Sarah took the next game and the first set, 6/4.
In the second set, Saskia & Tara continued to press their opponents in some excellent tennis, and stayed in touch, but the old firm came through to win 6/4 6/3. The title had been defended, but the champions had been pressed hard, showing the depth of the game now.
(Reports by Izzy Hunt and Lucy Hutchinson)
Singles and Doubles Plates
Sunday morning started at breakfast time with the two Plate finals: both were a matter of deuces (should that be ‘juices’?) and bagels! But in both cases the scores belied the closeness of the matches.
The Singles plate final was played between Izzy Candy and Sophie Dannreuther, a good match with lots of good rests, and Sophie upping her game. However, Izzy was too accurate and consistent and won 6/0 6/0, a score which doesn’t do Sophie justice.
Then came the Doubles plate: Sophie (again) & Izzy Hunt against Lucy Hutchinson & Candida Nicholls (who had played a tough three-setter to get there). It was another double bagel, and was a very jolly game to watch and to play in, judging by all the smiles on court – perhaps rather too many ‘beaming’ smiles from Lucy and Candida as they mishit and found the Seacourt roof beams. When not skying, they played well, but Sophie and Izzy were too good, especially with their use of the tambour, and were worthy winners, 6/0 6/0.
(Report by Lucy Hutchinson and Hannah Lucey)
Sunday morning started at breakfast time with the two Plate finals: both were a matter of deuces (should that be ‘juices’?) and bagels! But in both cases the scores belied the closeness of the matches.
The Singles plate final was played between Izzy Candy and Sophie Dannreuther, a good match with lots of good rests, and Sophie upping her game. However, Izzy was too accurate and consistent and won 6/0 6/0, a score which doesn’t do Sophie justice.
Then came the Doubles plate: Sophie (again) & Izzy Hunt against Lucy Hutchinson & Candida Nicholls (who had played a tough three-setter to get there). It was another double bagel, and was a very jolly game to watch and to play in, judging by all the smiles on court – perhaps rather too many ‘beaming’ smiles from Lucy and Candida as they mishit and found the Seacourt roof beams. When not skying, they played well, but Sophie and Izzy were too good, especially with their use of the tambour, and were worthy winners, 6/0 6/0.
(Report by Lucy Hutchinson and Hannah Lucey)
Lea van der Zwalmen, Jess Garside, Saskia Bollerman and Tara Lumley
Handicap Doubles
The nine pairs in the Handicap Doubles were sorted into two round-robin groups, with the winners and runners-up in each group going through to a knock-out stage.
The first group had five pairs, with a time allowance of five hour. Plenty of time one might think, but the players had different ideas, much to the organiser’s (Viv’s) consternation. The hour-long eventual overrun was evidence of the long, close matches, and of course, the Dutch pair of Lucie Douwes-Dekker & Kim Van Boeckel, having made the journey here from Holland, were particularly keen to stay on court as long as possible.
The first match, between the Dutch players against Lucy Hutchinson & Candida Nicholls, was close in handicap and close in play. Hard hitting from Lucie & Kim put them 5/3 up, but somehow their opponents fought back and won 6/5. Next, the Dutch pair took on the wily locals, Doris Oldland & Linda Ford, giving them 10 points. This time, Lucie & Kim were determined not to lose their early lead, and won 6/4. After that, the youngest pair, Hannah Lucey & Amy Pye, had to give Doris & Linda 13 points, which proved too much. But in their next match, against more locals, Rose Law & Di Wilson, (and again giving 13 points), the young ones held on and won a tight match 6/5. Then it was the turn of Lucy & Candida to play the two local pairs, with in both cases a 12 point difference in favour of the locals. Lucy & Candida struggled against Rosie & Di, but managed to beat Doris & Linda, with some tight serving and Candida’s endless hits into the dedans. Then the Dutch came back on court. Kim, a relative newcomer to the game, was improving with every match, and they saw off Hannah & Amy. Later, however, they played well but unsuccessfully against Rosie & Di. A couple more matches and all was over (and overrun!!), with locals Rosie & Di winning the group, and Lucie & Kim in second place.
In the second group, four pairs played, with an outright winning pair left standing at the end: Lea Van Der Zwalmen & Jess Garside won all three of their matches with aggressive play; Jess seemed to be improving all the time, and there was no holding back from either in-form player.
Their toughest opposition came from Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley, in a match with long rallies from the beginning, and lots of hard hitting from all players. Saskia & Tara were 4/3 up, at 40/15, but a net cord from Lea saved one game point and sent her and Jess back to the service end, to then level at 40/40. Jess hit the grille to make it 4/4, and from then on, Lea’s cross-court backhand to the tambour proved lethal, and she and Jess powered through to win 6/4.
Saskia & Tara came out in their final round-robin match, against Irina Dulbish & Sophie Dannreuther, with all guns blazing. They won the first two games without dropping a point, and didn’t allow Irina and Sophie a game until 5/0 up. Just the one game, mind.
The two Izzys (Candy & Hunt) also won their match against Irina & Sophie, so the match to decide who would be runner-up in the group was between them and Saskia & Tara. The Izzy’s had a good start, and all was level at 3/3. Then Saskia and Tara grabbed the service end, from where they dominated the rest of the match, refusing to give away any chases, and despite some great rests and retrieving from the Izzy’s, Saskia & Tara went through 6/3.
The first semi-final saw Rosie & Di against Saskia & Tara, with the latter winning 6/2. And in the second, Lea & Jess fought Lucie & Kim, with the Dutch pair defeated 6/0.
So the Handicap Doubles final was between two excellent pairs of players, with Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley (owe 15) against Lea Van Der Zwalmen & Jess Garside (love). All four played at the top of their game, with many long, high-quality and entertaining rests, with excellent volleying and retrieving. Saskia and Tara managed to save five match points, but they could not get the better of Lea and Jess, who won 8/3.
(Handicap reports by Izzy Candy and Lucy Hutchinson)
A big thankyou to Nino Merola and Aaron Flippence for the marking – ably helped by Saskia, who not only marked some matches but also played in all three tournaments and got to the final of them all. Also to the five match reporters who have contributed to this compendium report.
Huge thanks to Viv, who ran the tournament with tact, patience, efficiency and skill - and was never fussed even when matches overran considerably. She also arranged the billets, and thanks are also due to all those who put up participants, and to the Seacourt Club staff for feeding us, and to the members who gave up the court for us and who came to support and add to the happy atmosphere.
The nine pairs in the Handicap Doubles were sorted into two round-robin groups, with the winners and runners-up in each group going through to a knock-out stage.
The first group had five pairs, with a time allowance of five hour. Plenty of time one might think, but the players had different ideas, much to the organiser’s (Viv’s) consternation. The hour-long eventual overrun was evidence of the long, close matches, and of course, the Dutch pair of Lucie Douwes-Dekker & Kim Van Boeckel, having made the journey here from Holland, were particularly keen to stay on court as long as possible.
The first match, between the Dutch players against Lucy Hutchinson & Candida Nicholls, was close in handicap and close in play. Hard hitting from Lucie & Kim put them 5/3 up, but somehow their opponents fought back and won 6/5. Next, the Dutch pair took on the wily locals, Doris Oldland & Linda Ford, giving them 10 points. This time, Lucie & Kim were determined not to lose their early lead, and won 6/4. After that, the youngest pair, Hannah Lucey & Amy Pye, had to give Doris & Linda 13 points, which proved too much. But in their next match, against more locals, Rose Law & Di Wilson, (and again giving 13 points), the young ones held on and won a tight match 6/5. Then it was the turn of Lucy & Candida to play the two local pairs, with in both cases a 12 point difference in favour of the locals. Lucy & Candida struggled against Rosie & Di, but managed to beat Doris & Linda, with some tight serving and Candida’s endless hits into the dedans. Then the Dutch came back on court. Kim, a relative newcomer to the game, was improving with every match, and they saw off Hannah & Amy. Later, however, they played well but unsuccessfully against Rosie & Di. A couple more matches and all was over (and overrun!!), with locals Rosie & Di winning the group, and Lucie & Kim in second place.
In the second group, four pairs played, with an outright winning pair left standing at the end: Lea Van Der Zwalmen & Jess Garside won all three of their matches with aggressive play; Jess seemed to be improving all the time, and there was no holding back from either in-form player.
Their toughest opposition came from Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley, in a match with long rallies from the beginning, and lots of hard hitting from all players. Saskia & Tara were 4/3 up, at 40/15, but a net cord from Lea saved one game point and sent her and Jess back to the service end, to then level at 40/40. Jess hit the grille to make it 4/4, and from then on, Lea’s cross-court backhand to the tambour proved lethal, and she and Jess powered through to win 6/4.
Saskia & Tara came out in their final round-robin match, against Irina Dulbish & Sophie Dannreuther, with all guns blazing. They won the first two games without dropping a point, and didn’t allow Irina and Sophie a game until 5/0 up. Just the one game, mind.
The two Izzys (Candy & Hunt) also won their match against Irina & Sophie, so the match to decide who would be runner-up in the group was between them and Saskia & Tara. The Izzy’s had a good start, and all was level at 3/3. Then Saskia and Tara grabbed the service end, from where they dominated the rest of the match, refusing to give away any chases, and despite some great rests and retrieving from the Izzy’s, Saskia & Tara went through 6/3.
The first semi-final saw Rosie & Di against Saskia & Tara, with the latter winning 6/2. And in the second, Lea & Jess fought Lucie & Kim, with the Dutch pair defeated 6/0.
So the Handicap Doubles final was between two excellent pairs of players, with Saskia Bollerman & Tara Lumley (owe 15) against Lea Van Der Zwalmen & Jess Garside (love). All four played at the top of their game, with many long, high-quality and entertaining rests, with excellent volleying and retrieving. Saskia and Tara managed to save five match points, but they could not get the better of Lea and Jess, who won 8/3.
(Handicap reports by Izzy Candy and Lucy Hutchinson)
A big thankyou to Nino Merola and Aaron Flippence for the marking – ably helped by Saskia, who not only marked some matches but also played in all three tournaments and got to the final of them all. Also to the five match reporters who have contributed to this compendium report.
Huge thanks to Viv, who ran the tournament with tact, patience, efficiency and skill - and was never fussed even when matches overran considerably. She also arranged the billets, and thanks are also due to all those who put up participants, and to the Seacourt Club staff for feeding us, and to the members who gave up the court for us and who came to support and add to the happy atmosphere.