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Collapse AllLeicester Singles - Round 11 | Thursday 14 September 2017 to Wednesday 8 November 2017 (Midpoint: Wednesday 11 October 2017)

It's a shame we only had 3 groups in Leicester Tennis League this time round but there was some great tennis action nonetheless, with strong performances from our group winners and great rivalries within the groups. In total over 85% of all possible matches were played showing your enthusiasm, and lots of matches scheduled early and generous commentaries left... so we're looking forward to more of the same next round!

Group Summary:

A strong performance from Joel saw him finish top of Group 1, four points clear of runner up Russell. Unfortunately their head to head was a walkover in Joel's favour, but he was also undefeated in his other matches and claimed the midway bonus points for scheduling too. It was very close between Ashish and Owain in third and fourth place, with just one point separating them, although Ashish bagged a bagel in their head to head.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Joel Stone 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Russell Dabb 5 4 1 0 8 WLWW
3 Ashish Arora 4 2 2 2 7 LLWW
4 Owain Ford 5 2 3 2 6 LWLW
5 Eamonn Canavan 4 0 4 2 2 LLLL
6 Meg Oliver 3 0 3 0 0 LLL

Match Results:

Russell Dabb bt Ashish Arora (Nov 6) 6-1, 6-3
Joel Stone bt Russell Dabb (Nov 2) Walkover
Reveal CommentJoel Stone bt Eamonn Canavan (Oct 23) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable game with some great points played! Eamonn had some very good defence. It's a shame the playing conditions were quite poor but still an enjoyable match!"  -- Joel
Russell Dabb bt Meg Oliver (Oct 17) Walkover
Reveal CommentRussell Dabb bt Owain Ford (Oct 15) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game with some great rallies. Thanks Owain, and good luck for the remainder of the league. "  -- Russell
Owain Ford bt Meg Oliver (Oct 11) Walkover

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentJoel Stone bt Ashish Arora (Oct 8) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match, thoroughly enjoyed it! Some fantastic slice shots and great shot placement!"  -- Joel
Reveal CommentJoel Stone bt Meg Oliver (Oct 4) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great game, really enjoyed it. Score definitely not representative of the match!"  -- Joel
Reveal CommentAshish Arora bt Owain Ford (Oct 4) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Not the best playing conditions but you can't ask for more in October. Victoria Park courts are great and it was fun to play against Owain. We had some nice rallies !!!"  -- Ashish
Russell Dabb bt Eamonn Canavan (Sep 26) 6-4, 6-0
Reveal CommentAshish Arora bt Eamonn Canavan (Sep 24) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Wonderful day to play outdoor tennis. It was bright but not sunny. Eamonn is a great player with a wonderful selection of shots. We had some interesting rallies. Thanks for coming over mate. "  -- Ashish
Reveal CommentOwain Ford bt Eamonn Canavan (Sep 22) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Phew!! My legs don't work very well after that. The first set today, on a dewy sunny morning in Desford was a very close affair. We both ran down everything and I expected nothing less from a match with Eamonn. I managed to edge it and went into the second set with lots of confidence. We then played out 5 of the following 7 games to deuce each time. Luckily they went my way and I held on for the victory. Great to play Eamonn again, good luck in your next match. "  -- Owain
Joel Stone bt Owain Ford (Sep 21) 6-0, 6-1

Group Summary:

Congratulations to Ahmar recording a near perfect round with 7 wins out of 7, the midway bonus points bagged and not dropping a set! This was on the back of promotion from Group 3 last time, so it was a great Group 2 debut. Runner up Dan had a strong round too, winning 5 matches including a tough 3 setter against Thomas, "the best game I have been a part of, since joining this league a year ago". Will was involved in two 3 setters too, losing one to George but winning another against Aaron.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Ahmar Mahmood 7 7 0 2 16 WWWW
2 Dan Warren 7 5 2 2 12 WWLW
3 Thomas Meakin 6 4 2 2 11 WWWL
4 George Buschbeck 6 3 3 2 9 WLLW
5 Shuaib Variava 7 3 4 2 8 WLLL
6 Will Salazar 7 2 5 2 7 LLWL
7 Tim Ettrick 7 2 5 2 7 LLWL
8 Aaron Darby 7 1 6 2 5 LWLL

Match Results:

Thomas Meakin bt Aaron Darby (Oct 28) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
Reveal CommentShuaib Variava bt Will Salazar (Oct 28) 6-3, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "It was good to meet and play Will for the first time. Will is a good player and has great technique but unfortunately gave away too many free points. Enjoyable game, however, the windy conditions made it difficult it to serve and get any rallies going. Hope to play again soon."  -- Shuaib
Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Tim Ettrick (Oct 28) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Very good match against Tim. The first set was decided on one break of serve which went my way. The second set there were a few more breaks on both sides and Tim kept putting pressure on in points. There were a number of good rallies we both had to do a lot of running. I was pleased to get over the line in two sets! Look forward to our next encounter :) "  -- George
Reveal CommentAaron Darby bt George Buschbeck (Oct 21) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great match played today and the first leftie I have played. I started strong and broke George a couple of times to take the first set. Second set was a replica of the first but just vice versa. There was a 12 deuce game in the second set which I held but then lost my next two service games to concede the second set. Third set I was on fire and went 5-1 up only to be pulled back to 5-4 but then kept my nerve to serve it out. Great match looking forward to play you again in the future"  -- Aaron
Reveal CommentDan Warren bt George Buschbeck (Oct 15) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Always a pleasure to play George. We had some good rallies and some great winners, although George did not hit his usual standards today it was still a challenge. Good luck for the remainder George. From my own point of view I really happy with this round despite two losses that could and should of been different, met some great new people and look forward to the challenging winter round ☃️☃️"  -- Dan
Reveal CommentDan Warren bt Shuaib Variava (Oct 10) 7-5, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great match against a top player in Shuaib, it’s really hard to believe he’s not winning this league as his play at times is top draw. At 5-4 to Shuaib in the first he had a lob shot to smash in the corner to win the set however I somehow managed to get my racket on it and win the point and the set from there. At the start of the second Shuaib went of like a pro firing winners from everywhere and it took some more accurate serving from me to slow him down and thankfully see the match out. Very close encounter that could of gone to anyone. Look foreword to seeing you soon Shuaib and good luck for remainder "  -- Dan
Ahmar Mahmood bt Shuaib Variava (Oct 8) 6-2, 6-4
Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Will Salazar (Oct 8) 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thoroughly enjoyable game in nice weather at Victoria Park. Will came at me right from the start and took a 3-0 lead in the first set. I managed to claw my way back in and force a tie break which fortunately I won. He had an equally good start to the second set and managed to power through and I was unable to get back into it. The third set felt a lot closer than the score and it really didn't deserve to be 6-0. Will ran me close in a lot of games, but I think energy became a factor and I was able to take a firm hold and see it out. Wish you the best for the rest of the league and hope to play again soon :)"  -- George
Reveal CommentWill Salazar bt Tim Ettrick (Oct 7) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "It was a very good and hard match in Victoria park with several long rallies and consistent points! I enjoyed today with a good weather for play, I hope you have a good rest of league"  -- Will
Reveal CommentThomas Meakin bt Shuaib Variava (Oct 7) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "On a breezy evening and drying court under the front lights of Manor road me and Shuaib had a tight match with plenty of long rallies with me only just edging the first set 6-4 then getting an early break in the second to go on and win 6-2. Good luck in your remaining games Shuaib"  -- Thomas
Ahmar Mahmood bt Dan Warren (Oct 7) 6-1, 6-3
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt Aaron Darby (Oct 4) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "This was a tight match that was inevitably affected by the third player- the strong wind ! The first set started with us both utilising the wind when it was behind us, but then I got a crucial break and Aaron's serve faultered a bit, giving me some less tense winning points. The second set was even closer as Aaron got his serve together. At 4-4 Aaron had three break points which , much to my relief, he missed. So I pulled ahead 5-4 and then had the advantage of the wind behind me to break Aaron's serve and win a really competitive match. Well played Aaron !!. Next time we'll go for a day with calmer weather !"  -- Tim
Thomas Meakin bt Tim Ettrick (Sep 30) 6-1, 7-5
Ahmar Mahmood bt George Buschbeck (Sep 27) 7-5, 6-2
Reveal CommentShuaib Variava bt Aaron Darby (Sep 26) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great match against Shuaib again which should have gone the distance but I think the score like e distracted my performance. The first set we were neck and neck but then I practically gifted the set to Shuaib. Then the second set I was up 4-2 and then lost 4 games in a row. Well done Shuaib and hopefully we'll meet again In The future"  -- Aaron

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentDan Warren bt Thomas Meakin (Sep 26) 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "To quote the legendary Gorilla Monsson “The unstoppable force has met the immovable object” and tonight it was just that. The best game I have been part of, since joining this league a year ago. The game had it all, winners, rallies, a terrific neck and neck tie break, it was a shame in the end to have a loser and I’m very grateful to have come out on top in the end. Tom is a top guy and I look forward to a rematch very soon but only once my old legs have recovered!!!"  -- Dan
Ahmar Mahmood bt Thomas Meakin (Sep 24) 6-3, 6-1
Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Shuaib Variava (Sep 24) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A really enjoyable game against Shuaib - It was much closer than the score suggests. We had some good rallies and he put me under pressure throughout. In the end, I think it's fair to say that I'll probably never have more successful first serve percentage than today! I wish you all the best for the rest of the league and hope to play you again soon!"  -- George
Reveal CommentDan Warren bt Will Salazar (Sep 24) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Great to meet Will for the first time today, he has a good array of shots and was a good opponent. Some close games could of gone either way and one game at 3-0 to me in the second went on for a while which if Will had won, would’ve given him momentum. Good luck Will, hope to see you soon. "  -- Dan
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt Dan Warren (Sep 23) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "To coin a phrase from one of my favourite films 'he's dug in like an Alabama tic!' .... this sums up playing Tim, he never gives up on any ball and today played some great winners from defensive positions. So many close games but Tim played brilliantly at key times. Well done my friend and good luck for the round "  -- Dan
Reveal CommentWill Salazar bt Aaron Darby (Sep 23) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "It was a very long match with Aaron who has a very good forehand and nice play on the net! Too many rallies and the weather was perfect too play!! Have a good rest of the league mate... will "  -- Will
Ahmar Mahmood bt Will Salazar (Sep 19) 6-4, 6-4
Reveal CommentShuaib Variava bt Tim Ettrick (Sep 19) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Another good match against Tim. Game was tighter than the score suggests. Best of luck for the rest of the round. "  -- Shuaib
Reveal CommentDan Warren bt Aaron Darby (Sep 17) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great first match against a guy I know well and who has come on leaps and bounds with his game, particularly those devasting del potro forehands! The whole game was a tight affair and I had to play my best to overcome the reigning group 4 king. Well played Mr Darby and good luck for the round. "  -- Dan
Ahmar Mahmood bt Tim Ettrick (Sep 16) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
Reveal CommentThomas Meakin bt Will Salazar (Sep 16) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Very tight match with Will with many long rallies, only just edge it! Good luck in the league Will "  -- Thomas
Ahmar Mahmood bt Aaron Darby (Sep 14) 6-2, 6-3

Group Summary:

It was close at the top of Group 3 with just two points separating winner Liam from runner up Kunal. Their head to head went to a close second set tiebreak which Liam held on to win, although Kunal recorded a fine win against Adam in a tough 3 setter lasting two and a half hours. It was a great effort from everyone to play 5 matches each and claim the midway bonus points for scheduling, so well done all!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Liam Mullis 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Kunal Badami 5 4 1 2 10 WWWW
3 Adam Bogus 5 2 3 2 8 LLLW
4 Philip Sutton 5 2 3 2 6 LWWL
5 Thomas Baines 5 2 3 2 6 WWLL
6 Chris Dines 5 0 5 2 3 LLLL
7 Greg Moore 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Philip Sutton (Oct 26) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Good to see and play Phil again, complete opposite game to the one I played on Sunday, don’t think we had any rallies more than about 8 shots, the first set was quite straight forward but Phil came back at me quite well in the second set and I did panic slightly at one point, glad to have played all my games and quite a successful round for me, thanks to everybody for playing me and I hope everybody enjoyed the round. Until next time ..."  -- Liam
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Adam Bogus (Oct 22) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Definitely the hardest two set game I’ve ever played, the returns from both of us were absolutely relentless, 20, 30, and even 40 shot rallies were happening in pretty much every game, the first game was about 15 minutes long, but I managed to take it, but was broken back immediately, at 4-2 there was another long game with 10-15 deuces which I saw out and took the set 6-3, second set was 4-1 up and cruising, suddenly Adam turned it on and got back to 4-3, at 4-3 we he a game that was at least 20 minutes long with at least 20 deuces, I saw that out too but I think if I lost it my spirit would have been broken and Adam would have won the set, glad for the win, the most defensive game I’ve ever played in but the wind caused it to be that way

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentThomas Baines bt Adam Bogus (Oct 20) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "a match that started on the 4th of October finally got finished on the 20th.with one set left to play I was left not too confident,being a notorious slow starter.i got off to a great start, to a point where I was 5-1 up.Adam made a great comeback and levelled at 5-5.i don't know how but I stopped the rot and took the next 2 games to seal the match, like I said, don't know how !!!Adam is a great competitor,a good opponent and a great sportsman,thanks very much for the game. "  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentThomas Baines bt Chris Dines (Oct 15) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "a pleasure to meet Chris for the first time.match was closer than score suggests.my first serves were working well and the low bounce of savannah court suited me rather than Chris.a very enjoyable match with some great rallies against a sporting opponent.many thanks for the game Chris."  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentKunal Badami bt Adam Bogus (Oct 6) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Really tough game against Adam, with every point being close and two and half hours of absolutely exhausting rally’s. Luckily I managed to step it up in the final set and get some momentum to get me over the finishing line. I’m absolutely exhausted after this match. Thanks a lot for a quality competitive match Adam and best of luck with the rest of your matches! "  -- Kunal
Philip Sutton bt Chris Dines (Oct 5) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
Philip Sutton bt Thomas Baines (Sep 30) 6-1, 6-3
Reveal CommentAdam Bogus bt Philip Sutton (Sep 28) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Very enjoyable game in nice and sunny weather. Phil played better then the score may suggest. Good luck with the rest of your matches Phil."  -- Adam
Reveal CommentKunal Badami bt Thomas Baines (Sep 24) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "This was my second match of the day and it was a really tough match against Thomas. We played at Carisbrooke Tennis Club on a great Savanna surface which was great for going for your shots. Really enjoyed playing against Thomas who has a great serve and some big ground stroke, in the end I was pleased to get over the finishing line. Best of luck with the rest of your matches and hope to play you again real soon! "  -- Kunal
Reveal CommentKunal Badami bt Chris Dines (Sep 24) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Nice game against Chris on a lovely warm sunny day at Victoria park.. First set was great from my perspective as I found my range quickly, second set was much closer with some nice long rallies. Thanks a lot for the game Chris and best of luck with the rest of your matches and hope to play you again soon."  -- Kunal
Reveal CommentAdam Bogus bt Chris Dines (Sep 23) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Nice day to play tennis but wet conditions. Chris was a good opponent. However, his return sometimes wasn't too accurate on some occasions. Some great rallies. Good luck Chris with the rest of your matches."  -- Adam
Reveal CommentKunal Badami bt Philip Sutton (Sep 17) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Nice game against a very friendly opponent at Victoria park. Lovely weather, we had some nice rallies. Best of luck with the rest of your matches Phil."  -- Kunal
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Thomas Baines (Sep 17) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "In my second game of the day and third in just over 24 hours again things mostly went my way, Tom is a much better player than the score suggests and I think I'm just a bogey player for him and my style doesn't suit his game at all, was good to see him again though, my legs are well and truly finished and work is going to be difficult tomorrow! "  -- Liam
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Chris Dines (Sep 17) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Was good to play Chris today, everything went my way pretty much including the luck, I was firing pretty well and consistently, enjoyed it!"  -- Liam
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Kunal Badami (Sep 16) 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)

Player Comments:

  • "After a 6-1 opening set I was expecting an easy ride, but to my memory neither of us held serve in the 2nd and Kunal upped his game massively and really came at me, it was settled by a tie break, after being 5-2 down I thought it was destined for 3 sets but managed to see it through on my 3rd match point, I rode my luck way too much and Kunal deserved to take it to a 3rd, I expect he feels hard done by with me winning 2-0 and I'd totally agree with that, it deserved a 3rd set decider which no doubt would have been tight and could have gone either way, but I'll take the win, good to be back in the league and playing again, if anybody loses the 1st set to Kunal expect him to come out firing in the 2nd."  -- Liam