Neptune Girls U21 years Handicap Singles
Report and Photos 2014
September 29th and 30th, 2014 at Radley Tennis Court
sponsored by Neptune Investment Management
Go to Neptune U21 Results 2014
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Neptune Investment Management agreed to sponsor this year’s tournament and therefore it was an opportune time to change the format. There were 4 groups of 4 players all playing each other with 2 players going through to a knock-out tournament. It is very exciting to see that the overall standard of play has gone up considerably with every player showing potential.
Group A – Araminta Oldham (Oxford, Radley, Hyde), Georgie Willis (Seacourt), Amy Pye (Prested), Eve Shenkman (Manchester). First match of the day was Amy v Georgie. Georgie was giving Amy 15 points. Both girls have made great progress during the last year, showing a variety of serves, being comfortable playing balls easily off the back wall and happy to volley. It was a tight game but leading 4-3 Amy began to dominate the game with her very effective railroad and some excellent return of serves curling into the backhand corner, so taking the set 6-3. Amy then played Eve. What a close tussle this became. Eve played very consistently to go to a 4-2 lead, being quick about the court, volleying well and using a variety of serves. However, Amy pulled back with more aggressive shots and again attacked her opponents backhand and to take the set 6-5. Next up were Georgie v Aramenta. Araminta is a recent convert to the game with a lawn tennis background. Araminta has a strong all round game, volleying well and with attacking ground shots that have cut. Giving away 15 points Georgie returned serve well, placing the ball into the corners and not hitting too hard. The game reached 4-4 but Georgie’s usually strong serve lost its length allowing Araminta to really attack and take the set 6-4. Araminta v Eve was another good match with Araminta winning 6-3. Both girls showed their considerable potential with strong all round game and fleet footwork. Araminta and Amy went through as group winner and runner-up.
Group C - Felicity Sargent (Moreton Morrell), Isabella Rothman (Petworth), Evelyn Fleming (Oxford), Annie Fountain (Oratory/Hardwick). First on court from this group was Felicity v Isabella. Initially this was a very close game with Isabella playing some super volleys and Felicity producing some great retrieving. Unfortunately, Felicity giving rec 15 would climb back to 40 all only to make a mistake and lose the game and so Isabella eventually won the set 6-2. Felicity then took on Evelyn and this was a very tight game. Evelyn is another player new to the game and with a lawn tennis background. She showed that she was excellent with balls coming straight at her but found difficulty with balls coming in at angles. Felicity hit some excellent forehands cross court and won lots of points off her serve especially if it bounced out with spin. Towards the end of the match Felicity made mistakes on the return of serve and so Evelyn won the set 6-4. Annie then took on Evelyn. With some very effective play Annie raced to a 5-1 lead only to see it disappear as Evelyn hogged the serving end and hit a series of excellent shots to the base of the tambour and take the set 6-5. Annie went on to play Isabella and again raced to a good lead this time 4-1. On this occasion she managed to keep up the pressure with some lovely underarm twist serves and took the set 6-2. In the next game it appears that Evelyn demolished Isabella but although the score was 6-1 this is far from the truth. Isabella produced some excellent serves but these were frequently counterattacked by great return of serves or volleys by Evelyn, In the final group game Annie played Felicity with Felicity giving Annie 14 points. Needless to say this was a very close game and it was only when they reached 4-4 Felicity began to attack far harder and she pulled away to take the set 6-4. Evelyn went through as group winner and Annie sneaked group runner-up on games.
Group D - Anna Willis (Seacourt), Julia Vermont (Bristol), Hannah Parry (Bristol), Melissa McAlpine (Radley). The first group match started with Anna v Julia. With less experience Julia played well to overcome Anna 6-3 by playing some very good volleys. Hannah then played a last minute replacement Melissa. Hannah was giving 15 points away and kept calm and played consistently against Melissa’s good return of serves to take the set 6 -2. Hannah v Anna was an excellent game. This time Hannah was only giving 10 points away. Both players were placing the balls well into the corners of the court, and Hannah was hitting some wonderful half volleys and volleys. At 5-5 Anna took the serve and Hannah seemed to lose concentration and made sloppy footwork errors on the return of serve allowing Anna to take the set 6-5. Melissa v Julia was an even match with good volleys from Melissa and good forehands from Julia with Julia winning the set 6-4. The final group game was Anna v Melissa. Anna was much too experienced and her strong serving and accurate target hitting won her many points. Hannah and Anna became the group winner and runner-up.
The first of the quarter finals was between Hannah & Annie, playing first to 8, Hannah was much too consistent and placed the ball well into the corners of the court to win 8-2. Araminta v Anna was the next encounter. Araminta raced to a 4-1 lead with some good length serves. Anna became more consistent and Araminta began to make a few mistakes and soon it was 4-4. However, Araminta kept her nerve continued to attack and finally won the match 8-5. The third quarter final was Amy v Hannah. There was lots of hard hitting in this match and not so much placing of the ball into the corners. Amy served well and with variety throughout the match forcing Hannah to make mistakes with the result that Amy won 8-3. The last quarter final match was between Evelyn and Harriet. With Evelyn giving 15 points on handicap, these two fought a long close set with some excellent play. Evelyn managed to just take the match 8-7.
Next match on was the first semi-final between Hannah and Araminta in which Araminta was giving Hannah 11 points on handicap. Despite this difference, Araminta fought hard to keep the scores level by producing some good cutting shots but she just could not quite stop Hannah who was retrieving well. Hannah won 8-6. The remaining semi-final match was between Amy and Evelyn, the latter giving 10 points on handicap. Despite Amy continuing with her good serves, Evelyn managed to return these well and soon found herself taking an early lead in the match. This lead she maintained and ran out the winner 8-2.
So the prospect of an all Prested final disappeared. Hannah Lucey was to face Evelyn Fleming in the final with Hannah having the benefit of a 7 point difference in their handicaps. Both players started well with good nick serves. Evelyn produced some fine cut shots and was managing to keep just slightly ahead of Hannah. However, Hannah’s determination shone through in the end with steady stroke play and consistent serves and she ran out the eventual winner 8-6.
Group A – Araminta Oldham (Oxford, Radley, Hyde), Georgie Willis (Seacourt), Amy Pye (Prested), Eve Shenkman (Manchester). First match of the day was Amy v Georgie. Georgie was giving Amy 15 points. Both girls have made great progress during the last year, showing a variety of serves, being comfortable playing balls easily off the back wall and happy to volley. It was a tight game but leading 4-3 Amy began to dominate the game with her very effective railroad and some excellent return of serves curling into the backhand corner, so taking the set 6-3. Amy then played Eve. What a close tussle this became. Eve played very consistently to go to a 4-2 lead, being quick about the court, volleying well and using a variety of serves. However, Amy pulled back with more aggressive shots and again attacked her opponents backhand and to take the set 6-5. Next up were Georgie v Aramenta. Araminta is a recent convert to the game with a lawn tennis background. Araminta has a strong all round game, volleying well and with attacking ground shots that have cut. Giving away 15 points Georgie returned serve well, placing the ball into the corners and not hitting too hard. The game reached 4-4 but Georgie’s usually strong serve lost its length allowing Araminta to really attack and take the set 6-4. Araminta v Eve was another good match with Araminta winning 6-3. Both girls showed their considerable potential with strong all round game and fleet footwork. Araminta and Amy went through as group winner and runner-up.
Group C - Felicity Sargent (Moreton Morrell), Isabella Rothman (Petworth), Evelyn Fleming (Oxford), Annie Fountain (Oratory/Hardwick). First on court from this group was Felicity v Isabella. Initially this was a very close game with Isabella playing some super volleys and Felicity producing some great retrieving. Unfortunately, Felicity giving rec 15 would climb back to 40 all only to make a mistake and lose the game and so Isabella eventually won the set 6-2. Felicity then took on Evelyn and this was a very tight game. Evelyn is another player new to the game and with a lawn tennis background. She showed that she was excellent with balls coming straight at her but found difficulty with balls coming in at angles. Felicity hit some excellent forehands cross court and won lots of points off her serve especially if it bounced out with spin. Towards the end of the match Felicity made mistakes on the return of serve and so Evelyn won the set 6-4. Annie then took on Evelyn. With some very effective play Annie raced to a 5-1 lead only to see it disappear as Evelyn hogged the serving end and hit a series of excellent shots to the base of the tambour and take the set 6-5. Annie went on to play Isabella and again raced to a good lead this time 4-1. On this occasion she managed to keep up the pressure with some lovely underarm twist serves and took the set 6-2. In the next game it appears that Evelyn demolished Isabella but although the score was 6-1 this is far from the truth. Isabella produced some excellent serves but these were frequently counterattacked by great return of serves or volleys by Evelyn, In the final group game Annie played Felicity with Felicity giving Annie 14 points. Needless to say this was a very close game and it was only when they reached 4-4 Felicity began to attack far harder and she pulled away to take the set 6-4. Evelyn went through as group winner and Annie sneaked group runner-up on games.
Group D - Anna Willis (Seacourt), Julia Vermont (Bristol), Hannah Parry (Bristol), Melissa McAlpine (Radley). The first group match started with Anna v Julia. With less experience Julia played well to overcome Anna 6-3 by playing some very good volleys. Hannah then played a last minute replacement Melissa. Hannah was giving 15 points away and kept calm and played consistently against Melissa’s good return of serves to take the set 6 -2. Hannah v Anna was an excellent game. This time Hannah was only giving 10 points away. Both players were placing the balls well into the corners of the court, and Hannah was hitting some wonderful half volleys and volleys. At 5-5 Anna took the serve and Hannah seemed to lose concentration and made sloppy footwork errors on the return of serve allowing Anna to take the set 6-5. Melissa v Julia was an even match with good volleys from Melissa and good forehands from Julia with Julia winning the set 6-4. The final group game was Anna v Melissa. Anna was much too experienced and her strong serving and accurate target hitting won her many points. Hannah and Anna became the group winner and runner-up.
The first of the quarter finals was between Hannah & Annie, playing first to 8, Hannah was much too consistent and placed the ball well into the corners of the court to win 8-2. Araminta v Anna was the next encounter. Araminta raced to a 4-1 lead with some good length serves. Anna became more consistent and Araminta began to make a few mistakes and soon it was 4-4. However, Araminta kept her nerve continued to attack and finally won the match 8-5. The third quarter final was Amy v Hannah. There was lots of hard hitting in this match and not so much placing of the ball into the corners. Amy served well and with variety throughout the match forcing Hannah to make mistakes with the result that Amy won 8-3. The last quarter final match was between Evelyn and Harriet. With Evelyn giving 15 points on handicap, these two fought a long close set with some excellent play. Evelyn managed to just take the match 8-7.
Next match on was the first semi-final between Hannah and Araminta in which Araminta was giving Hannah 11 points on handicap. Despite this difference, Araminta fought hard to keep the scores level by producing some good cutting shots but she just could not quite stop Hannah who was retrieving well. Hannah won 8-6. The remaining semi-final match was between Amy and Evelyn, the latter giving 10 points on handicap. Despite Amy continuing with her good serves, Evelyn managed to return these well and soon found herself taking an early lead in the match. This lead she maintained and ran out the winner 8-2.
So the prospect of an all Prested final disappeared. Hannah Lucey was to face Evelyn Fleming in the final with Hannah having the benefit of a 7 point difference in their handicaps. Both players started well with good nick serves. Evelyn produced some fine cut shots and was managing to keep just slightly ahead of Hannah. However, Hannah’s determination shone through in the end with steady stroke play and consistent serves and she ran out the eventual winner 8-6.
