tennis Fixture

Category B Open Championship (Level Singles for Handicaps 10-19) 2013

The 10-19s at Bridport 2013.

Once again the 10-19s descended on Walditch to provide sleepy Dorset with some top level tennis from the country's leading amateurs and young professionals.

The 'shock' of the tournament was Jules Camp as he flew past local boy Levi Gale in the semi-finals of the 15-19s in straight sets 6/2 6/2. Jules had been training for two weeks solid with Scott Blaber up at Cambridge and I had only squeezed him into the tournament on the promise of excellence through practice. Throughout the tournament Jules was level headed, fit and hitting an impossible length with both his serves and his ground strokes.

In the final of the 15-19s Jules met Charlie Braham, a very physical Rackets player who struggled in the first set with the steady flow of great length shots from his opponent. In the second Charlie started to find his feet and was just seeming to get more comfortable as the match ended 6/2 6/4 to Jules. Charlie is only 16 though and we hope to see him keep up his rapid improvement! Well done Jules!

John Prenn, who has attended this event at the Hyde for the last four years now, was seeded number one coming into the 10-14s, but had to face a bevy of young talent to get through. In the semi-finals he had to face off local assistant professional Neil Mackenzie in a long three setter that finished 6/3 4/6 6/2 in Neil's favour.

In the other half of the draw Lewis Williams from Prested Hall managed to destroy Ben Boddington 6/1 6/0 and was noticeably fresher coming into the final. Both players were playing to single figures in this incredibly tight match as their ground strokes and serving seemed fantastically tight and Neil managed to sneak a 6/2 win in the first set. Lewis could not help but comment at the end of this that it felt much closer than that, and the crowd agreed. To further prove the point the second set disappeared in a flash as Williams stole it 6/0! The third set saw a replay of the first as both players settled down again, and despite a 3-0 deficit Lewis managed to overcome his opponent to take the match 2/6 6/0 6/4 and claim the trophy.

Look out for Williams and Mackenzie folks as they start making an impact at a higher level