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This is how it works:
- Players are organised into groups of between 5 to 9 people of a similar standard
- It is a mixed sex, singles league, so men and women play each other
- Groups are put together by standard and there can be any combination of men and women in a group (we do not guarantee a balance of men and women and you could be the only man in a group of women or vice versa!)
- Contact details are emailed and posted to each player's account page
- Players arrange their own matches
- You can play on any court that suits both players
The league is:
- For everyone over the age of 18
- We welcome beginners as well as advanced players.
- Don't worry that you won't be good enough - playing matches is the best way to improve, and we use an online questionnaire to assess people's ability so you play only people of a roughly similar level
- Affiliated to the LTA For adults aged 18 years and above
Key points
- Matches are best of three sets; if a set reaches 6 games all it is decided by a tiebreak
- The evening before the round starts you will receive an email with all the contact details of the players in your group. Contact details are also posted to your Account Page
- Players are placed in groups according to past performance in the league and, for new players, their Player Standard Questionnaire
- Each player attempts to play each of the other player on their group once during the round
- A point is awarded for each set won
- If you complete three matches before the midpoint of a round you receive 2 bonus points and a bonus prize (either a pair of Local Tennis Leagues dampeners, or a tube of tennis balls)
- The winner of the group is the player with the most points at the end of the round
- The winner of the group wins a voucher for £20 to be spent in the Local Tennis League online shop. A winner's certificate is also posted to the winner's Account Page as a PDF file.
- Where possible, winners of groups are promoted to the group above for the next round.
See here for the complete rules and regulations
Getting started
New players will need to complete the player questionnaire before they can join a round. Once you’ve signed up, and for returning players you can join any of the upcoming rounds above.
For everything you need to know before you get started see the FAQs and review the Rules and Regulations, which all players agree to adhere to when playing in the leagues.
If there is anything else you need help with get in contact with Nigel, Sally and the team who will be happy to help!
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Battersea Park Millennium Arena
King George's Park
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Collapse AllClapham Common Singles - Round 46 | Thursday 17 January 2019 to Wednesday 13 March 2019 (Midpoint: Wednesday 13 February 2019)
Thanks to everyone who got on court in the first round of the year in Clapham Common. There was a mixed turnout throughout the groups with some getting fully into the swing of things and others only just getting going. We hope you enjoyed it nevertheless and here's to many more matches next time!
Group Summary:
Brian and Omar notched up four wins apiece to put themselves in contention for the group one crown. Crucially however, Brian recorded his "first victory against Omar" in their continued rivalry and bagged bonus points to cross the line in first. Now Freddie impressively defeated both of the top two, so what may have happened if he had played a few more?
Final Rankings:
- Brian O'neill 7.2 [W4, L1] 10 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
- Omar Cader 7.1 [W4, L2] 8 RUNNER UP
- Freddie Petch 8.1 [W3] 6
- Thomas Fraser 10.2 [W1, L1] 2
- Ignacio De Calonje 9.2 [W1, L4] 2
- Neil Jones 7.2 [L2]
- Will Lynn [L3]
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Got to play on clay for first time in a while, but was heavily reliant on serve until the second set when there were some more tradtional claycourt rallies. Had a good hit for an hour after the match, great way to start the weekend. Thanks Ignacio!" -- Omar
Player Comments:
- "Ever so slightly less slippery than our last meeting. Despite some crazy winds there was a number of good long rallies, and the match was even all the way through. Hopefully next time we play the conditions will be better!" -- Thomas
Player Comments:
- "Really enjoyable match on a beautiful Saturday morning. Thanks Will." -- Ignacio
Player Comments:
- "On a bright, sunny, warm February day I hit a tonne of volleys, a few years ago that would have spelt defeat but thankfully I have improved this shot. Will has a solid game from the back of the court and played some outstanding points but I had the edge when it got to deuce. Thanks Will" -- Omar
Player Comments:
- "Very competitive and enjoyable match! " -- Freddie
Player Comments:
- "Unfortunately yesterday was Brian's birthday so he wasn't feeling his freshest today, but we had a good battle nonetheless! " -- Freddie
Player Comments:
- "Great day for tennis at last! Low sun made for slightly tricky conditions on one side of the court...nice problem to have! Quality of tennis defo improved in second set...had some solid rallies towards the end" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "Neil has a refreshing style of tennis, big serves and in to the net to shorten the point. I was just a bit more consistent in landing my serves, once he's up and running he will be very tricky to break. Hope to play again soon" -- Omar
Player Comments:
- "Tricky conditions with a lot of swirling wind and low sun. Neil has a big serve which only fired on occasion today due to a bit of ring rust. Once it gets going I can imagine the scoreline will be much closer. Cheers for game!" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "A good battle which I thoroughly enjoyed despite the freezing weather! " -- Brian
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentBrian O'neill bt Omar Cader (Jan 19) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4Player Comments:
- "My first victory against Omar! Very pleased to get the win, especially as Omar thrashed me in Battersea league the previous week. I think the freezing conditions were defo a factor...but I'll take it! Look forward to the next installment in the rivalry..." -- Brian
Group Summary:
A close call for the title in group two with Pete and Doug finishing level on eight points each. The match between the two therefore proves decisive and although the "conditions were not ideal for tennis", Pete "pulled through" to clinch the prize. Credit to Zied for getting his matches in early too to score bonus points.
Final Rankings:
- Pete Przednowek 8.2 [W3] 8 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
- Doug Burns [W3, L1] 8 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
- Ralph Marnham [W1, L1] 3
- Ben McSharry 10.1 [W1, L2] 2
- Zied Kaffel [L3] 2 includes 2 bonus points
- Borja Justicia [L1]
- Tom Harman
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Well played Zied!" -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "Scrappy encounter at Kennington Park this afternoon. The conditions were not ideal for good tennis... both players had to try hard to get some rhythm going... and failed spectacularly. Managed to pull through somehow. Look forward to a rematch in better conditions. Cheers for stepping in at short notice Doug!" -- Pete
Match of the Group:
Doug Burns bt Ralph Marnham (Jan 30) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5Player Comments:
- "Good match on the newly tarmacced Kennington Park courts this morning. Borja is a great player just didnt quite get his game going today... apart from a couple of forehand returns which went whizzing past me! Taste of things to come im sure. I managed to find the lines more consistently today which made for a refreshing change! Look forward to another match sometime! Cheers" -- Pete
Group Summary:
Matt hardly put a foot wrong in this round as he marched to six straight wins and bonus points to deservedly become the new champ. Nigel did give Matt a run for his money in their "amazing match with lots of momentum shifts" and he showed this fine form throughout to finish as the runner up. Hats off to Andrea too for getting on court for six matches.
Final Rankings:
- Matt Hilley [W6] 14 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
- Nigel McMechan 8.2 [W4, L1] 10 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
- Andrea Gnoli [W4, L2] 8
- Francois Le Brun 9.2 [W2, L3] 7 includes 2 bonus points
- Nick King [W1, L3] 5 includes 2 bonus points
- Barney Smyth [L5] 3 includes 2 bonus points
- David Morley 9.2 [W1, L1] 2
- Pieter De Waal 10.2 [L3]
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Great evening match-well balanced and fun to play!" -- Andrea
Player Comments:
- "Sun was shining but sadly made serving challenging on one side of the court but a great match with some great rallies" -- Andrea
Player Comments:
- "Sunny and warm made for perfect conditions to play our very enjoyable match. Some great rallies and fun points. Thanks for the game Barney. All the best for the rest of your matches. " -- Francois
Player Comments:
- "Amazing match with lots of momentum shifts. It really could have gone either way. Very tired now and excited to play again!" -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "Great match, was more even than score suggested. Would be great to play again! :)" -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "Windy conditions and the sun randomly making a welcome appearance (depending on who was serving!). A fun game with some terrific lobs played by Nick. Thanks for the match and all the best with the rest of your games! " -- Francois
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentAndrea Gnoli bt Nick King (Feb 3) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4Player Comments:
- "Great game - the right guy won but I think we both enjoyed the contest " -- Nick
Player Comments:
- "Lots of deuces - fun game despite the chill factor! " -- Nick
Player Comments:
- "Good match although super windy conditions!" -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "Good match on an early morning!" -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "Great match, closer than the scoreline suggested!" -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "Good match, in wet conditions! Nice way to spend Friday morning." -- Matt
Player Comments:
- "It was a fun match with several long rallies. Both of us really struggled to hold serve" -- David
Group Summary:
James dug deep to come through some "incredibly long points and games" to secure four hard fought victories and take pole position. John made sure James didn't finish with an unbeaten record too, picking up an epic victory in his thrilling three setter with the new champ. Zander pips Harry to the silver thanks to the extra point he picked up in his "mammoth" defeat to James. Well played everyone.
Final Rankings:
- James Brighouse [W4, L1] 11 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
- Zander Galbraith [W3, L2] 9 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
- Harry Smyth [W3, L3] 8 includes 2 bonus points
- George McWhirter 10.1 [W2, L3] 7 includes 2 bonus points
- Andy Gadd [W2, L2] 4
- John Alan O'Donovan 9.1 [W1, L1] 2
- Will Lidstone 9.2 [L3]
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
John Alan O'Donovan bt James Brighouse (Mar 5) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4Player Comments:
- "Excellent game against Will in lovely spring weather, which makes a change to some previous matches! Strong play from both parties, leading to a very close game in both sets. " -- Harry
Player Comments:
- "Some strong service games on both sides of the net with very few breaks of serve. Well played! " -- James
Player Comments:
- "The score says it all - a very close game decided by two close tie breaks. The wind and the low sun played a big part in a game that felt like it when on forever. " -- James
Player Comments:
- "The low sunlight at Larkhall was a challenge for both of us but we enjoyed some great rallies - very close game!" -- Harry
Player Comments:
- "Fun game with lots of good points in the chilly conditions!" -- George
Player Comments:
- "Braving the baltic conditions with a passing shower of snow to complete the game. Zanter won a very convincing first set and it was fairly evident when Harry's energy ran out in the second set when the score flipped from 5-1 to 5-7 in the blink of an eye. Tennis can be cruel sometimes! " -- Harry
Player Comments:
- "Another great game with George. Many deuce points and long rallies. I was caught out many times by George's strong shots which are just inside the sidelines! Looking forward to a friendly soon. " -- Harry
Player Comments:
- "Mammoth game that felt like 4 hours rather than 2 with a big chunk of the game played at the net. Some great passing shots and some even better lobs from Zander which kept James running. After some incredibly long games in the second that could have gone either way, James fought back to claim it in 3 sets." -- James
Player Comments:
- "Absolutely knackering game after a long winter without tennis. Some incredibly long points and games, especially as the game went on. Plenty of momentum shifts, especially in the last set but the match was just clinched by James." -- James
Group Summary:
Jonathan narrowly lost out to Matthew in his first match of the round but he bounced back in the best possible way, storming to wins in his next four matches to pull clear in the number one spot. Ben and Matthew were involved in a close battle for second and with their head to head unfinished we need to do some number crunching to determine the runner up. Thanks to fewest sets conceded on average per match it is Matthew who just claims the honours this time. It would be great to see everyone make it onto court next time.
Final Rankings:
- Jonathan White [W4, L1] 9 WINNER
- Matthew Hinge [W1, L1, UF1] 4 RUNNER UP
- Ben Thompson 10.2 [W2, L1, UF1] 4
- Jamie Grant [W1, L2] 3
- Graeme O'Connor [L2] 1
- Michael Kaeflein [L1]
- Alexandra Eddy
- Frank Stoddart
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Great game in some beautiful conditions. A lot of deuces, and some close-fought points." -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "Great match continued from last weekend, after the wind and rain defeated us. Luckily found a patch of nice weather to play in. Thanks Graeme for a good game." -- Ben
Match of the Group:
Jamie Grant bt Matthew Hinge (Jan 30) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4Player Comments:
- "." -- Matthew
Group Summary:
Harry, Jason and Miranda all got a couple of wins on the board to give themselves a chance of taking home the prize. Crucially Harry also picked up a point from his epic unfinished encounter with Matt and this sees him steal top spot. Hats off to Miranda and Andrew for their efforts in their "fantastic match" with many "great winners".
Final Rankings:
- Harry Douglass [W2, UF1] 5 WINNER
- Jason Fletcher [W2] 4 RUNNER UP
- Miranda Kent 9.2 [W2, L1] 4
- Matt Cocquelin 10.2 [L2, UF1] 1
- Andrew Swaffer [L1] 1
- Ally Kennedy [L2]
- David Gilfedder
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentMiranda Kent bt Andrew Swaffer (Mar 4) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, [10-8]Player Comments:
- "Fantastic match. V close throughout. We had lots of good rallies and both of us played some great winners. " -- Miranda
Player Comments:
- "Score doesn't reflect how many great rallies we had in this match. Thoroughly enjoyable with quite a few deuces to be fought over. " -- Jason
Player Comments:
- "Very wintry conditions. Tough to play in the cold. " -- Jason
Player Comments:
- "An even match to start with Harry's base-line pace with Miranda's passing shots, following a strong first serve percentage Harry eventually managed to secure the first set. With a strong start to the second set, Miranda quickly found herself 3 games clear and after a period of attrition was soon 4 games to 2. A series of vollies with virtually no bounce attributable to the cold weather and the shots off the frame, allowed Harry to get equal on 4 games apiece. What followed was a number of deuce points either side reminiscent of Isner-Mahut which eventually ended with the final score." -- Harry
Group Summary:
A round of applause to Matheus who powered to a clean sweep of wins to pull clear in first place. There was a tight tussle for second between Lee and Andrew and in the end it all comes down to their head to head. On a "drizzly Friday" it was Lee who emerged victorious in straight sets to narrowly become the runner up. It would be great to see everyone make it off the start line next time!
Final Rankings:
- Matheus Lacava 9.2 [W4] 8 WINNER
- Lee Devine 10.2 [W2, L1] 6 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
- Andrew Thomas 9.2 [W2, L2] 6 includes 2 bonus points
- Olivia Kent [W1, L2] 2
- Freddie Looser [L4] 1
- Dameon Napoli
- Patricia Harriman
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Some nice rallies. Thanks for the match, Freddie. Good luck with the rest of the league. " -- Andrew
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentOlivia Kent bt Freddie Looser (Feb 24) 5-7, 6-1, 6-0Player Comments:
- "Match started on 20th February at Ferndale Courts, played for 1 hr 30 minutes until court booking was up. Match completed on the 24th Feb at Larkhall park, 3 sets played." -- Olivia
Player Comments:
- "This was a scoreline that greatly flattered me. Many games (most games) were played to deuce. And if points could be given for playing in torrential rain, Olivia deserves them! We both left the court bedraggled but all the better for such a great match. Thanks for playing on, and good luck with the rest of your matches. " -- Andrew
Player Comments:
- "Great way to start a drizzly Friday. Thanks Lee" -- Andrew
Group Summary:
There was less action in group eight than we would have liked, but we still have a champion to crown. Mike played more matches than anyone else and these efforts paid off as he secured three convincing victories and a couple of points from his other two matches to leave us in no doubt as to who's the new champ. Kudos to runner up Dunstan for beating Mike in a "long battle in on off rain".
Final Rankings:
- Mike Pope 10.1 [W3, L1, UF1] 8 WINNER
- Dunstan Barrett [W1] 2 RUNNER UP
- Agata Bryszewska [UF1]
- Georgina Snell [L1]
- Laura Burt [L1]
- Rosie Phillips [L1]
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentDunstan Barrett bt Mike Pope (Mar 7) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4Player Comments:
- "Long battle in on off rain! Once Dunstan found his form he was hard to beat!!!" -- Mike
Results
Looking for previous matches? Visit the Clapham Common archive.
The results listed here include the current and previous round of Singles matches for Clapham Common.
Scoring Information:
You earn one point for every set you win. Players who complete three or more matches by the mid-point of the round receive 2 bonus points, and a bonus prize (typically a free can of HEAD tennis balls). Bonus prizes must be claimed within 28 days using the link posted to the player's Account page. The link is also emailed to players.
Please note, while matches tied at one set all may be completed with a matchtiebreak, singles matches completed to this shortened format, do not count toward bonus points.
Understanding the current rankings display:
Player name, [LTA rating - if known], W - tally of wins, L - tally of losses, UF - tally of unfinished matches] 'n' - points won (if bonus points have been won a note to this effect is added)
Comments:
Reporters of results are encouraged to leave a comment on the "Report Your Score" form. Additional commentaries may be added by submitting a result revision (see the pencil icon next to your results)
Player Comments: