The late May Bank Holiday Monday saw seven pairs of keen tennis players taking to the grass courts to compete in this annual tournament which has run since 1929, consisting of round robin matches of seven games with a sliding handicap.

For some pairs it was the first foray onto the grass this season – and for one of our Japanese pairs, their first ever time playing on the grass. The sun came out and the competition began. The sliding handicap produced close games and tense matches as players had to adapt from playing open attacking tennis in one game then needing to produce conservative safety play in the next.

Veterans of the tournament played alongside new members, with both junior and senior members taking part.

The tournament reached an exciting climax. With one pair already having secured their place in the final, their opponents would come from the very last of the round robin matches. John Krol & Svetlana Teleshun got off to a flying 3-0 lead but the sliding handicap came into play with a vengeance, John Smith & Jenny Parish taking full advantage of this to fight their way back to 3-3, finally taking the all-important seventh game to line up in the final against Lynn & Sam Oliver.

After 5 hours of tennis the fight for the trophies came down to a one set shoot out, played this time with a fixed handicap. It was the Oliver’s who were to emerge victorious (6-3) this year taking away the beautiful Whitsuntide cups.

Our thanks to all who took part and supported and once again to Janice Coulthard for expertly organising and guiding everyone through another Bank Holiday Tournament.

Lynn Oliver, May 2015