Hosts Win 6-3…
On yet another lovely sunny Sunday on 8 May (maybe we should play an Millennium Cup Tie every weekend!), Norbury Park edged out the win against visitors, Wigmore, by six rubbers to three.
In summary, the Men’s contests were perfectly matched, whereas the Ladies saw Norbury come through with a little to spare, although I gather that doubles specialists had to fill in for absent singles players for the guests.
The Juniors resulted in a win apiece: Mark Lovejoy [NP] proving a little too steady for the improving Thomas Fallowfield [W] and, conversely, Sophie Quagraine [W] coming through a fiercely competitive battle against Norbury’s Monica Wiszowata.
In a high quality Men’s Open Singles, Matt Simpson [W] eventually prevailed in a Match Tiebreak against Norbury’s Tom Brown, whilst the final score in the Men’s Vets Singles hardly does justice to either player in a two hour slugfest where almost every game featured multiple deuces.
The contest was also enlivened by the players’ inability to keep score and often meeting at the net to, good-naturedly, fathom out quite who had won what.
Ziggy Szadujko [W] emerged victorious against a gallant Mohamed Sahi [NP], who had stepped in at the very last moment to play, and has promised to bring an abacus with him in future.
The Men’s Doubles produced some of the fastest serving ever seen in the competition from David Dodds [NP] and from Sulphuro Burrell and David Shaw [W]… but, in contrast, maybe the slowest deliveries in the entire history of the sport itself – courtesy of Tony Abell, so gentle was the flight that you could easily read the print on the ball as it wafted over!
Nevertheless, Tony was altogether more assertive at the net and Norbury just got over the line in an epic encounter in what was most definitely the match of the day.
The Ladies Doubles never quite caught fire with Wigmore’s Alex McAdam-Clark & Vicki Wolfe just unable to wrest the momentum away from the Norbury duo, despite a good spell in the middle of the match.
Thelma Ziervogel, in her Millennium Cup debut, impressed with some very secure mid-court volleys while Helen Mountain scurried, scuttled and scampered around the baseline to typically good effect throughout.
Elegant Charmaine Boyd [NP] hit with depth and accuracy to overcome the equally graceful Annette Barrett [W] in a suspiciously youthful looking Ladies Vets, whilst Norbury’s Laura O’Duffy quelled a second set rebellion from Wigmore Captain Ann Boucnik to clinch the Ladies Open Singles.
Ann was out on court again shortly thereafter with partner Nick Eastwood for the Mixed but the Wigmore pair took a little while to get going, only showing their true colours in a second set embroidered by a couple of outrageous half-volleys from Nick and some heavy forehands from Ann pinning her opponents back almost against the fencing.
Carole Watson’s general consistency and some uncharacteristically accurate serving from Nigel Flay got Norbury through for the point and cementing the tie, 6-3.
Report by Nigel Flay, Norbury Park
Results
Norbury Park d Wigmore 6-3
(Norbury Park names first)
Women’s Singles: Laura O’Duffy d Anne Boucnik 6-1 6-3; Men’s Singles: Tom Brown lost to Matt Simpson 6-4 6-7 [1-0]; Women’s Over 40 Singles: Charmaine Boyd d Annette Barrett 6-0 6-1; Men’s Over 45 Singles: Mohammed Sahi lost to Ziggy Szadujko 6-2 6-3; Girls Under 16 Singles: Monica Wiszowata lost to Sophie Quagraine 6-2 6-2; Boys Under 16 Singles: Mark Lovejoy d Thomas Fallowfield 6-0 6-2; Women’s Doubles: Helen Mountain & Thelma Ziervogel d Alex McAdam Clark & Vicki Wolfe 6-2 6-1; Men’s Doubles: David Dodds & Anthony Abell d David Shaw & Sulphuro Burrell 7-6 7-6; Mixed Doubles: Carole Watson & Nigel Flay d Anne Boucnik & Nick Eastwood 6-1 6-3.