The fifth year of Writhlington Tennis Club's Closed Championships culminated into a day of finals on Saturday, 31st May at Writhlington Tennis Centre. With eight finals being decided, the tournament had been played over a series of weeks, with many close matches being played late into the evenings.
The Men's and Ladies Singles were sponsored by local company, Design Base International, and were won for a second year by Alex Day, playing Tom Hunt, who had three finals in one day) and Writhlington Tennis Coach, Mandy Baldwin, with Mandy playing her sister, Sarah Dawe.
Other cups were the Stone King Mixed Doubles, won by Tom Hunt and Marie Craig, Watts Family Ladies Doubles, won for a second year by sisters, Mandy Baldwin and Sarah Dawe, the Farrington's Farm Men's Doubles Cup was an excellent final won by youngsters, Alex Day and Tom Hunt, beating last year's winners, Chris Cox and Richard Chapman.
The Anyone for Tennis Mixed Veterans Cup, played in an American-style doubles format, in one evening, where partnerships continually change with the overall winners being those players who won the most games. The final of this tournament was held on the Saturday, with Mark Finch defending his title with partner for this year, Christine Hunt, against Ray Clarke and Marie Craig. Mandy Stonier, Head of Tennis at the Centre, said: "There has been such a great club atmosphere throughout the championships, with some fantastic tennis being played by juniors and adults alike."
Two Juniors Cups contested this year were both won by fourteen-year-old Callum Silkstone, who beat Ryan Guy in the U14 and Matt Alexander in the U16 – both finals were of an excellent standard, showing off the talent that is now coming through the junior ranks of the tennis club.
The finals day ended with a presentation evening held at Writhlington, where all the Cups were presented by their sponsors to the winners, including the Stonier Hobbs Volunteer of the Year to Rachel Gibbs and Bernard Pendle Cup for Club Member of the year to Mandy Stonier.
The O'Mahony Cup for Most Improved Junior went to Matt Alexander for his outstanding contribution to the tennis programme and his improved player rating from 8.1 to 6.2 in twelve months. Most Improved Mini of the Year went to nine-year-old J'quon Duvall-Richards, who plays for the Avon County, is an Orange 1* rating, the first at Writhlington Tennis Centre and is set for bigger and better things. His Coach, Tom Entwistle, said: "Jay works really hard in every lesson and group session, we have been working on his highly competitive nature over the last few months to ensure he takes each win and loss and builds on it for the next time, hence winning this award is so special as the club now recognises how much he has developed over the last twelve months."
Highlight of the Finals Day was the exhibition match, played between the coaching staff, with Patrick Lodge and Mandy Baldwin taking on Tom Entwistle and new Coach, Kerrie Marshall, with over seventy juniors and adults watching. It turned out to be a most entertaining match with Tom and Kerrie edging it in the end for a 2–0 win.