Woodfield Grove give Norbury Park a run for their money

Defending champions Woodfield Grove Tennis Club hosted Norbury Park at home on Sunday 22 June in the last tie of the league stage of the competition, and gave them a run for their money.

First blood to WGTC

Norbury were looking to score sufficient points to gain their place in the final but on a perfect day for tennis, at least for watching it anyway, it was the hosts who got off to a flyer with Maggie Hodges [WG] prevailing over Carole Watson [NP] in the Ladies Vets and MC debutant James Ramkoleea [WG] rallying to capture the 2nd set and the match in a good quality and good natured match with Norbury’s Tom Brown.

Siobhan Thompson [NP], although slightly distracted by the wonderful barbecued sausages, steadied the ship with a hard fought Ladies Singles win over young Candice Kyle, acquitting herself superbly in her first Singles outing.

Norbury garnered another vital point when free-hitting David Snook [WG ] became the latest MC veteran unable to fathom out the Rubik Cube that is Norbury’s Marek Strzelichowski’s unorthodox..er..style.

The Boys and Girls matches were both walk-overs – one apiece….seems most teenagers are in the middle of exams whilst those 16 year olds who’ve finished are all hitching off to Woodstock or somelike (Glastonbury?)!!

A highly entertaining Men’s Doubles saw some heavy artillery off the ground from Joel Johnson [NP] and Aiden Doyle [WG] and a series of utterly gung-ho interceptions from their respective partners Terry McGranaghan and Joe Thompson – most of which were spectacular winners.

The Norbury pair, although constantly under threat, came through the battle in straight sets to inch the visitors ahead overall.

Norbury pull ahead

The Mixed saw Annemarie O’Hara & Asim Farooq [NP] just about edge a nervy first set and then closing out the second stanza with a little more to spare. Nice to see the significant improvement in Andrea Thompson’s game over the last 12 months – and to welcome David Murray into the mix; exactly what the Millennium Cup was devised for.

The match of the day was the Ladies Doubles in which Lisa Patient & Kate Hazelwood [NP] spurned 2 match points on their way to being gunned down in the Championship Tie-break 10-8 by a youthful Kyle/Thompson combination….young Anna Thompson’s ferocious back-hand caught the eye as did Esme Kyle leaping around the net like Darcy Bussell in her prime [yah]!!  Good to see Kate back in MC action by the way.

So a final score then of Woodfield Grove 4 to Norbury Park’s 5.

Thanks to Alex Kyle and Peter Risdon for their customary hospitality towards our team and apologies for us exhausting your supplies of London Pride….predictable really though guys 🙂

Report by Nigel Flay, Norbury Park

Results

Woodfield Grove names first

Women’s Singles: Candice Kyle lost to Siobhan Thompson 6-4 6-3; Men’s Singles: James Ramkoleea d Tom Brown 6-2 7-5; Women’s Over 45 Singles: Maggie Hodges d Carole Watson 6-1 6-1; Men’s Over 40 Singles: David Snook lost to Marek Strzelichowski 6-3 6-0; Girls Under 16 Singles: W/O to WGTC; Boys Under 16 Singles: W/O to NP; Women’s Doubles: Anna Thompson & Esme Kyle d Lisa Patient & Kate Hazelwood 3-6 7-6 [10-8]; Men’s Doubles: Joe Thompson & Aiden Doyle lost to Joel Johnson & Terry McGranaghan 6-2 6-2; Mixed Doubles: Andrea Thompson & David Murray lost to Annemarie O’Hara & Asim Farooq 7-5 6-2.