£18.00
Collapse AllChristchurch Park, Ipswich Singles - Round 36 | Thursday 3 September 2020 to Wednesday 28 October 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 30 September 2020)
We were back down to 3 groups in this round of Christchurch Park Tennis League but there was plenty of friendly and competitive tennis across the board and lots of descriptive match commentaries. Well done for persevering through a mixed bag of weather conditions and getting nearly three quarters of all the matches played... great effort and hope to see you back for more in the next round!
Group Summary:
Congratulations to Charles for a successful defence of his Group 1 crown winning 5 matches and finishing a single point clear of Matthew in runner up spot. The pair met in a showdown at the end of the round with both players undefeated on 4 wins, and fittingly it went to a deciding match tiebreak with Charles victorious thanks to 2 tricky lobs and a stop volley on match point. Avery had a strong round too with 3 wins and putting up good opposition against the top 2.
Final Rankings:
| Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Fulcher | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
| 2 | Matthew Last | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | LWWW | ||||||
| 3 | Avery Jackson | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | WWLL | ||||||
| 4 | Xin Chen | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | LLWW | ||||||
| 5 | Stuart Horrex | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | LLLL | ||||||
| 6 | Joshua Crossley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | W | ||||||
| 7 | Annie Brown | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | LLLL |
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentCharles Fulcher bt Matthew Last (Oct 19) 6-3, 3-6, [10-6]
Reveal CommentAvery Jackson bt Stuart Horrex (Oct 18) 6-2, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Another enjoyable match played in Christchurch Park. Both players struggled with consistency in the first. In the second set both players served and hit well in a very close encounter which could have gone either way. " -- Avery
Reveal CommentMatthew Last bt Xin Chen (Oct 11) 6-1, 7-5
Player Comments:
- "Another long battle with Xin with our characteristically long rallies and dogged defence on both sides. Despite the scoreline the first set lasted over an hour, not helped with game lasting close to half an hour! The game was already 6deuces in when we had to make a ten min retreat to escape a heavy shower. We jumped straight back in only for the game to become even more ridiculous with both players routinely missing game points and racking up the deuce count to 20+! I finally strung together a couple of points to finally put the marathon game to bed. First set ended as it started with another long deuce that I just hung onto. Second set was a very tight affair with Xin battling hard to come back from 5v3 down to force me to serve it out." -- Matthew
Reveal CommentCharles Fulcher bt Stuart Horrex (Oct 7) 6-2, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "On a sunny but windy day in Felixstowe Stuart and I played a nice game of tennis with stuart getting better as the match went on with his 2 handed backhand hitting winner after winner every time i came to the net. The first set was 6.2 and at 4.3 in the second set the only break of serve happened and Charlie served out for a 6.3 second set" -- Charles
Reveal CommentAvery Jackson bt Annie Brown (Oct 3) 6-0, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "My final match in the league against Avery who has a game as big as his smile. I am now officially the strongest in the group! As Boris would say - ' I love the winning, I can take the losing but most of all I love to play'. The match started with a crowd of excited onlookers who I thought must have heard about our match. It turned out to be a tennis party but hey ho we nearly matched Roland Garros crowd for a while. Avery dominated despite my scampering and his varied ground stroke passes had me scuppered for a while. Using my whily ways in the second set it became more of a tactical game sprinkled with amusing moments and impressive winners. Again a lot more learnt than lost so even after 50yrs of tennis plenty to work on. Thanks Avery." -- Annie
Matthew Last bt Stuart Horrex (Sep 29) 6-2, 6-1
Reveal CommentCharles Fulcher bt Xin Chen (Sep 27) 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "On a calm christchurch park afternoon after a wet and windy weekend at Xins desire to play the match was played with Charlie in fine form racing to a 5.0 lead with Xin struggling with the bounce of the ball of the leaves, the second set was a much tighter affair with the first game lasting 10 minutes and most games going to duce but lucky for Charlie he won the majority of them, thanks Xin" -- Charles
Reveal CommentMatthew Last bt Avery Jackson (Sep 27) 6-3, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Despite the constant drizzle and gusty conditions it was yet another massively enjoyable game against Avery as ever. Avery shot off to a flier racing to a 3v1 lead, luckily my serving picked quality picked up just in time to allow me to get back into the set. Both players had to adapt their usual game and hone in the big shots with the balls getting ever heavier and wetter, lead to a few pushy rallies but majority of play was still at a great level with some ridiculous angles created by both players. Managed to serve out the first set before racing to a 4v1 lead in the second, with Avery 15v40 down he pulled out a thunderous ace before following it with some quality forehand winners to keep the match alive. Luckily I held on to win 6v3" -- Matthew
Reveal CommentMatthew Last bt Annie Brown (Sep 21) 6-0, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Lovely morning of tennis with great company and the last of the summer sun! First set involved a couple of dueces with plenty of running on both sides of the court. The sun finally made an appearance at the start of the second set which certainly brightened up Annie's game with Annie painting the lines with a couple of sublime winners to hold serve. With the exquisitely refurbished Kesgrave courts now in the full beams of the last of the summer sun, it allowed for very enjoyable conditions to finish the match off. " -- Matthew
Reveal CommentCharles Fulcher bt Annie Brown (Sep 20) 6-1, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "So, calling on my huge reserve of quotes, I'll turn this time to Stan the Man. ' As a tennis player you have to get used to losing every week. Unless you win the tournament you always go home a loser. But you have to take the positive out of a defeat and go back to work. Improve to fail better.' Now I dont want to scare Avery but my last match will be epic due to all the learning I've done so far ?. Charlie was broken in his first game which obviously galvanised him into Federeresque mentality ( or I failed to find that form again ?). The court was great, the sun was shining, the rallies and deuce games more frequent than the score might suggest. Nice to play someone who may also have played with a wooden racquet? (Charlie, sorry if not )" -- Annie
Reveal CommentXin Chen bt Stuart Horrex (Sep 19) 6-2, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "On a sunny morning at CCP, played in a good spirit, and many good long rallies, much closer than score suggested. Thanks for the games Stuart." -- Xin
Reveal CommentStuart Horrex bt Annie Brown (Sep 18) 6-1, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Good to get my 1st game played in the league this round. We played on the great new courts at Kesgrave in a little blustery conditions at times which made either end play very different. I took a 4 game lead before Anne got one on the board, I then took next 2 and set, Anne self confessed struggling with still having her doubles head on. 2nd set again I went into 5-1 lead before Anne came back with 2 in a row with some good aggressive and well placed shots, I then took the next and match. Good game and thank you. " -- Stuart
Reveal CommentXin Chen bt Annie Brown (Sep 13) 6-1, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "As one of my favourite players, Arther Ashe, once said, ' You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing'! I think that is exactly where I am and the Parks League is a great opportunity to meet and play against players like Xin. Playing on the fantastic newly resurfaced courts at Kesgrave on a perfect early Autumn morning the match began fairly evenly with Xin's first service game going on for many deuces, making us believe that we had better postpone lunch! I'd like to think that whilst Xin was the stronger player on the day there were games that could have gone either way. It was a very enjoyable and competitive match. Good to get a cardio work out early on a Sunday. " -- Annie
Reveal CommentCharles Fulcher bt Avery Jackson (Sep 13) 7-5, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "On a lovely sunny day in Christchurch Park its always nice to see Avery's smiling face. The first set went with serve till 4.4 when charlie got broken, but with Avery trying to serve it out Charlie found a return game to break back then hold and break again to take the first set. After a physical hard set both players were tired and with the sun causing problems to Avery the second set was a quicker affair." -- Charles
Reveal CommentAvery Jackson bt Xin Chen (Sep 6) 6-3, 6-4
Player Comments:
- "Another enjoyable match with Xin. Both players struggled with serves on the sunny side of the court in Christchurch church park. Both players showed good form and had some good serves and long rallies during each points In a match that could have gone either way..... " -- Avery
Reveal CommentJoshua Crossley bt Annie Brown (Sep 3) 6-0, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "It was great to get back on court after months without any competitive play. What a fantastic player Joshua is. Not only has he all the shots, he has a confident and assured manner along with humility and generosity of spirit. A pleasure to be on the same court and win the odd point!!!" -- Annie
Group Summary:
Congrats to Philippa who won all 6 matches to open a 2 point lead at the top of the table, although she had to work hard for her win in 3 sets against runner up Mark. Rescheduled due to rain earlier in the week, Philippa showed great fighting spirit to come back from 1-4 down in the third set to win it 7-5, while third placed David came from a set down to defeat runner up Mark in 3 sets.
Final Rankings:
| Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippa Cowie | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | WWWW | ||||||
| 2 | Mark Scott | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | LLWW | ||||||
| 3 | David Sendall | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | WWLW | ||||||
| 4 | Jack Rich | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | WLWL | ||||||
| 5 | Elliot Bliss | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | WLL | ||||||
| 6 | Josh Francis | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | LLWL | ||||||
| 7 | Bill Garside | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | LLLL |
Match Results:
David Sendall bt Mark Scott (Oct 17) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt Mark Scott (Oct 7) 6-4, 2-6, 7-5Player Comments:
- "Sunny day for it after rain all week scuppered our original fixture. Match started in our usual fashion off-serve to 2-2. Mark held and broke again to lead 4-2. I mustered some greater consistency to pull the score back and carried on to take the first set 6-4. Set 2 saw a change of court to a slightly dryer one to support our scampering around. Mark edged ahead a game earlier to take a 3-1 lead, and I was only able to take the next game before his great form and aggression continued (and mine waned) to claim the set 6-2. Set 3 saw a similar strong start for Mark, taking it to a 1-4 lead. I clawed my way back as in the first set to 4-4. We both held our next service games: 5-5. I was able to break and hold in game 11 to win the match. Epic." -- Philippa
Reveal CommentJack Rich bt Josh Francis (Oct 7) 6-2, 6-4
Player Comments:
- "The sun was out but hadn’t dried the court from the heavy rain earlier in the week. Set 1 saw both players take a few games to get going, before I grew more consistent to take the set. Complacency set in in set 2 and together with Josh’s greater aggression saw Josh lead 2-0 and 3-1 before I clawed back to 3-3. Plenty of unforced errors from both sides and the sun causing struggles at one end, but I eventually closed out 6-4. Thanks for the game Josh. " -- Jack
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt Jack Rich (Sep 29) 6-1, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "Rain threatened play this morning, but we took to the courts in barely a drizzle. Pip came back from 0-40 in game 1 to hold serve, but managed to romp to 4-0 after that. Jack played more aggressively in game 5 and was rewarded with the break to avoid the bagel in set 1. Set 2 saw some great rallies and points where both players battled it out at the net. Fewer errors on my side and some shots making the baseline were enough to take the match. Thanks for the game, Jack!" -- Philippa
Reveal CommentDavid Sendall bt Bill Garside (Sep 28) 7-5, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Lovely afternoon for tennis in perfect conditions. I took a 2-0 lead in the first set before Bill clawed back to 2-2. We exchanged games until I broke at to lead 5-4 and serve for the set, only for Bill to show resolve and break back. 2 successive games went my way to claim the first set. We also had to fend off court invaders 3 times in the shape of squirrels! The second set saw me find more rhythm and I took a 5-0 lead. Bill pulled a game back to avoid the bagel. I then broke his serve to win 6-1, although unfortunately this was courtesy of a double fault on match point. There were a few deuces in the second set and Bill produced a couple of stunning winners that I had no chance with. Thanks for the match Bill." -- David
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt Bill Garside (Sep 24) 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "After showers both the night and the morning before, the courts had just about dried up in time for our meet in the afternoon. I started strong taking the first four games, but being held to deuce on a couple of those. Bill earned the game at 0-4 to avoid the bagel and it was a tight game at 1-5 with around 5 deuces before I managed to break again for the set with a cross-court backhand volley winner. Second set saw more long rallies and games going to deuce before being decided. A squirrel joined the fun by hopping around court during game 2 and had to be shooed away! At the same score this set Bill broke me to evade the bagel once more. I was able to take the next two games to seal the match. Good game, Bill! Thanks" -- Philippa
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt Josh Francis (Sep 22) 6-0, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "Gorgeous sunny morning with no breeze set the scene for out second meet in the leagues, having played summer 2019. I started strong and didn't let up to take the first set. Second set started similarly, but Josh pushed hard on his serve in game 2 taking it to deuce and again in game 6 taking a 40-15 lead to try to avoid the double bagel, but both times I came through with some good shots and fewer errors overall. Good match where we had some long rallies with lots of running around the court. Josh's serve had a lot more spin than I'd recalled and had certainly improved since the last time we played. Good luck with the rest of the round, Josh. Thank you." -- Philippa
Reveal CommentJack Rich bt Bill Garside (Sep 18) 6-4, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Sunny and breezy day in Christchurch Park. Both players struggled to find consistency in the first set, with a few great rallies. Second set I found some form and was able to close out the game. Thanks for an enjoyable game, Bill." -- Jack
Reveal CommentMark Scott bt Jack Rich (Sep 16) 6-1, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "First time we've met, in these leagues. Perfect conditions at ccp. Jack broke my serve in the opening game, but from there on in, I managed to win every game. Alot of deuce points in the 2nd set, but at the crucial moments , I was able to get the point. Thanks for the game. " -- Mark
Reveal CommentJosh Francis bt Bill Garside (Sep 15) 6-2, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Thanks for the match Bill." -- Josh
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt David Sendall (Sep 14) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
Player Comments:
- "A very hot afternoon for our second meet, but thankfully the shade kept creeping over. The match started in good form with a long rally of running around to decide the first point. I took the lead early on making it to 3-1 before David fought back with a well-earned run of 4 games to serve for the set at 5-4. I was able to break his serve and follow this momentum through to the tie break. Second set was much more back and forth in games with the first 9 games going against serve (yes, 9...despite our best efforts). At the change of ends at 5-4, David made the comment that someone should win their serve soon, and unlucky for him I managed too! Cracking winners and running and balls on the line for both of us. Most enjoyable! Thanks, David." -- Philippa
Reveal CommentElliot Bliss bt Bill Garside (Sep 12) 6-3, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Played on a nice sunny afternoon. First set was dictated by unforced errors on both sides as both players struggled to find a rhythm. Most games went against serve but I managed to clinch the last few games to gain the first set. The second set had some great rallies. The match was much closer than the score lines suggests, with many long deuce games. Bill also had a mean slice drop shot he pulled out a few times. Great game and good luck in the tournament. " -- Elliot
Reveal CommentPhilippa Cowie bt Elliot Bliss (Sep 11) 6-4, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "Pip took an early lead in the first set claiming the first 2 games. Elliot warmed up and took the next three to even the playing field. Games stayed on serve until Pip managed to squeak a break at 4-5 to take the set. Second set was another strong start for Pip, and games 2 and 3 both went to a multitude of deuces with Pip making slightly fewer errors throughout to keep the momentum. Many hard fought baseline rallies with more points won through error than by merit. Elliot loves to go for the big shots and they're very tough when they land. Very enjoyable match on a muggy day. Thanks, Elliot!" -- Philippa
Reveal CommentDavid Sendall bt Josh Francis (Sep 11) 6-2, 6-4
Player Comments:
- "The first set was fairly one sided as I went into a 5-0 lead. Credit to Josh for then finding some rhythm to take 2 games in a row before I could close out the set. In the second set, I had a 4-1 lead and the match looked to be heading for a conclusion. Josh fought back as he began to relax and hit his shots with more confidence. He levelled at 4-4 before I held serve and then broke him to claim the win. Well played Josh. Especially in the second set." -- David
Reveal CommentMark Scott bt Josh Francis (Sep 8) 6-2, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "Muggy afternoon at ccp. Josh making his debut in group 2, and I got off to a good start. Josh admitted that he was not sure about being promoted from group4 to group2, but he gave a decent account of himself. A good match played by both sides. Thanks for the game Josh. " -- Mark
Reveal CommentDavid Sendall bt Jack Rich (Sep 8) 6-0, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Having had to pull out of the last round through injury, Jack was pleased to get back on court and try again. I made s fast start and Jack wasn't able to recover, so I was able to deliver a doughnut in the opening set. The second was more competitive. The games were longer and closer with a few deuces. Jack was able to get himself on the scoreboard in the second game, levelling the set at 1-1. In the end though, I was more consistent and in decent form, closing the match out 6-1 in the second. Thanks for the match Jack." -- David
Reveal CommentMark Scott bt Bill Garside (Sep 7) 6-0, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "First match v Bill, I think it's his debut in group2. Perfect conditions at ccp. I started briskly and didn't let up ,to take the first set, Bill got going in set2, and we had some good rallies.But at 3-2 I was on a roll, and managed to take the next 3 games and the match. Thanks for the game Bill. " -- Mark
Reveal CommentMark Scott bt Elliot Bliss (Sep 5) 6-1, 6-4
Player Comments:
- "Perfect conditions at ccp. Our 2nd meeting, as we first played last year,in a different world!...I started the stronger, winning the first set 6-1. But Elliot found some form and at 3-2, he broke my serve. So I had to make sure this wasnt going to be a 3 setter, as my energy levels would dip. I managed to win the next 3 games, and served for the match at 5-4. On match point, Elliot hit a volley that looked out but as he didn't see it, we played a let. My speculative lob just landed on the baseline, to win the match. A great game, especially in the 2nd set.thanks for the match." -- Mark
Group Summary:
This was a bit of a patchy group with 2 withdrawals reducing the opportunities for match play, however group champ Jorunas scheduled 4 matches and won 2 to finish top of the table. Sadly his match against Benhar was left tantalisingly poised at 6 games all in the third set, such a shame this couldn't get completed... while runner up Ashley recorded a hard fought win against Jorunas but had to withdraw before the end of the round.
Final Rankings:
| Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jorunas Barzdzius | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | WWL | ||||||
| 2 | Ashley Miller | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | WWW | ||||||
| 3 | Tiago Perdigao | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | LLW | ||||||
| 4 | Benhar Shirajam | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | LW | ||||||
| 5 | Nick Spencer | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | LLL | ||||||
| 6 | Claire Ellis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Reveal CommentBenhar Shirajam v Jorunas Barzdzius (Sep 28) 5-7, 6-4, 6-6 TBC
Player Comments:
- "To be continued. tie break score 4-3 benhar leading." -- Benhar
Ashley Miller bt Benhar Shirajam (Sep 27) Walkover
Reveal CommentBenhar Shirajam bt Tiago Perdigao (Sep 17) 6-2, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Lovely day to play ;)" -- Tiago
Reveal CommentJorunas Barzdzius bt Nick Spencer (Sep 16) 6-0, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "I did calmly and steady finished first set. The second set Nick played more uninhibited and won one of the games. We have had couple nice little rallies and deuces, one of which i managed to break down on fifth attempt. Thanks for the game Nick and enjoy all yours other matches." -- Jorunas
Reveal CommentAshley Miller bt Nick Spencer (Sep 15) 6-1, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "An early start (8am) on what was forecast to be a warm day saw Nick break serve immediately to lead 0-1, before Ashley managed to break straight back and edge ahead. Game 6 saw 4-5 juice points as Nick tried to stage a comeback, but Ashley eventually closed out the set. The 2nd set began with Nick again getting off to a flyer after holding serve, only for Ashley to edge level and ahead again at 3-1. Nick pulled it back to 3-2 and was then 15-40 up and looking to break serve, but it wasn't to be, as Ashley eventually managed to close out the 2nd set too. The quality of rallies improved throughout the match and the players played a shortened set afterwards, given the weather was so good." -- Ashley
Reveal CommentJorunas Barzdzius bt Tiago Perdigao (Sep 12) 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "A very enjoyable game. " -- Tiago
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentAshley Miller bt Jorunas Barzdzius (Sep 10) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5Player Comments:
- ''Same time, similar weather, different night of the week & all courts available! Resuming from 10-Sep, Jorunas skipped into a 2-0 lead, before Ashley levelled and then led 4-2. Jorunas then levelled himself at 4-4, before Ashley eventually won the set 6-4. The 3rd and final set saw Jorunas romp into 4-0 and 5-1 leads, before Ashley managed to get going again, hauling it back to 5-3. The momentum was starting to swing towards Ashley and after surviving 2 match points in the 9th game, he proceeded to close out a hard-fought final set 7-5. Having met several times in previous rounds, this was possibly the best match yet between these two players and really could have gone either way!'' -- Ashley
Reveal CommentTiago Perdigao bt Nick Spencer (Sep 9) 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "A very enjoyable game on a beautiful sunny day." -- Tiago
Player Comments: