£18.00

Collapse AllLeicester Singles - Round 14 | Thursday 17 May 2018 to Wednesday 11 July 2018 (Midpoint: Wednesday 13 June 2018)

Leicester really pulled it out of the bag in this round, as the fantastic dedication on show saw nearly every match played. It was evidently a lovely league to be in, as emphasised by Ian who left a great comment after his match with Thomas saying "we had some great rallies, genuine nice chap and would love to play Thomas again in the future". Here's to more of the same next time!

Group Summary:

This group went right to the wire with Kam and Belden finishing level on points at the top. Their head to head was a "high quality enjoyable match", and it was Kam who stepped it up a gear to take a convincing victory to secure the title. Well done to Belden too who also had an extremely impressive debut round. A special mention to everyone in this group for getting stuck in and playing matches early to get all bonus points on the board, which is always a pleasant but rare feat in Local Tennis Leagues!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Kam Sagu 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Belden Jr Fausto 6 5 1 2 12 WWLW
3 Ian Sammons 6 4 2 2 10 WWWL
4 Nikesh Patel 5 3 2 2 9 WLWL
5 Adam Bogus 6 2 4 2 8 WWLL
6 Thomas Meakin 6 1 5 2 5 LLLW
7 Owain Ford 6 0 6 2 5 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentAdam Bogus bt Thomas Meakin (Jul 8) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Very enjoyable match with plenty of long rallies. Tom is a very competitive player that doesn't give up easily. Hopefully we could play again in the future."  -- Adam
Adam Bogus bt Owain Ford (Jul 6) Walkover
Reveal CommentBelden Jr Fausto bt Adam Bogus (Jul 4) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Played at Victoria park courts. Good weather resulted in a good 3 set game this morning. Very very close game with a lot of long deuces with my serves getting me out of trouble a lot of times. Could have gone the other way if it wasn’t for my serves. Very nice game Adam! "  -- Belden Jr

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentIan Sammons bt Thomas Meakin (Jul 4) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Played at Kirby on a sunny warm evening. The first 2 sets were ridiculously close with the majority of the games going to deuce!! It really could’ve gone either way but in the last set I slowly came through to win. It was great playing Thomas. We had some great rallies, genuine nice chap and would love to play Thomas again in the future. "  -- Ian
Reveal CommentIan Sammons bt Owain Ford (Jul 1) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very close competitive game was had at Kirby Muxloe. I couldn’t really get into the game in the first set and Owain certainly punished me. In the second set, I was 1-4 down and still struggling to find form and at one point I had 2 match points against me but I managed to pull it back and eventually winning the second set. The third set was tight too, but I managed to come through to win the final set. "  -- Ian
Reveal CommentKam Sagu bt Thomas Meakin (Jun 26) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • " Nip and tuck match which was made even more tricky by the blinding sun. Managed to sneak through in the end. Well played Tom."  -- Kam
Reveal CommentBelden Jr Fausto bt Owain Ford (Jun 23) 6-1, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Early game with Owain at Kirby Muxloe courts. Good weather which resulted in a good game being played. Nice playing with you Owain. "  -- Belden Jr
Reveal CommentNikesh Patel bt Owain Ford (Jun 13) 2-6, 7-6, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "A lottery of a tennis match to start with due to such windy conditions.. What a second set .. See you next time buddy .. "  -- Nikesh
Reveal CommentKam Sagu bt Belden Jr Fausto (Jun 11) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Played on the clay of Anstey, we had perfect conditions which contributed to a high quality enjoyable match. There were alot of tight games but I came through mainly due to stronger finishing/serving. One of those rare days where I hardly missed a ball. Happy with my performance and it was a pleasure to play you Belden. We will play a revenge match soon."  -- Kam
Reveal CommentIan Sammons bt Nikesh Patel (Jun 5) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "This was a very tight match which could’ve gone either way. Nikesh was dominant in the first set and won quite comfortably. Second set proved to be tough but somehow I managed to scrape through. I managed to break away a bit in the third set with nikesh making a few errors but he bounced back and made it 5-4 before I won the last game. There were plenty of deuce games and Nikesh never seems to tire!! Look forward playing Nikesh again. "  -- Ian
Nikesh Patel bt Adam Bogus (Jun 4) 6-4, 6-0
Reveal CommentBelden Jr Fausto bt Ian Sammons (Jun 2) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Very nice game Ian. Enjoyed it very much! "  -- Belden Jr
Reveal CommentThomas Meakin bt Owain Ford (Jun 2) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good game was had at Kirby Muxloe public courts in very Humid conditions, Owain won the first set 6-3 with both of us breaking each other serve an number of times, I went on to win the next two sets 6-2,6-1 but the scoreline doesn't reflect the next two sets with games being fought with great intensity, good luck in your remaining games Owain"  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentBelden Jr Fausto bt Thomas Meakin (May 29) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Very windy conditions but we still produced some good and exciting rallies. It was very nice playing with Thomas. Enjoyable game! -Belden"  -- Belden Jr
Belden Jr Fausto bt Nikesh Patel (May 29) 6-4, 6-2
Reveal CommentKam Sagu bt Ian Sammons (May 29) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "enjoyable match with plenty of rallies. managed to finish strong despite the breezy conditions. "  -- Kam
Reveal CommentNikesh Patel bt Thomas Meakin (May 27) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "nice to meet you Thomas .. difficult windy conditions we both started off a little nervously took a while for both of us to get going . some long tight games. I enjoyed the match hope you did also. good luck in remaining fixtures Nik p"  -- Nikesh
Reveal CommentKam Sagu bt Owain Ford (May 26) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Blustery day in kirby muxloe, not ideal conditions but enjoyable match with lots of rallies. managed to sneak through in 2 sets. Good luck for remainder of matches Owain."  -- Kam
Reveal CommentIan Sammons bt Adam Bogus (May 24) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very good match. Close and competitive. I was always coming from behind in each set. This was my first ever competitive game. "  -- Ian
Reveal CommentKam Sagu bt Adam Bogus (May 21) 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good to get the first match on the board, was a tough encounter mainly due to the burning midday sun and was glad to come out on top in the end. Good luck in future matches Adam (bring the beers for next time :-))"  -- Kam

Group Summary:

It was as close as it comes at the top of group 2 with Simon, Liam and Stephen all finishing tied on points with the same win/loss record. Crucially Simon recorded wins over both of his title challengers to cross the line in first place. Unfortunately we didn't see a match between Liam and Stephen so we had to do some number crunching to determine who takes the silver. Thanks to fewest sets conceded it is Liam who leapfrogs Stephen into second. Lots of bonus points were earned in this group which is a strong reflection of your great scheduling skills, well done everyone!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Simon Williamson 5 4 1 2 11 WWWW
2 Liam Mullis 5 4 1 2 11 WLWW
3 Stephen Smith 5 4 1 2 11 LWWW
4 Aaron Darby 6 2 4 2 9 LLWL
5 Lin Chen 5 2 3 2 6 WLLL
6 Nikhil Joshi 6 1 5 2 5 LWLL
7 Costa Demetriou 4 1 3 0 3 WL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentSimon Williamson bt Nikhil Joshi (Jul 4) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks Nik for a great match, had tough conditions with full on sun one end. Your playing style proved difficult to play against and l had to think and adapt to keep in the game. Good luck in future matches"  -- Simon
Reveal CommentNikhil Joshi bt Aaron Darby (Jun 30) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "It was nice to finally meet Aaron and play out our match. Aaron promised a 3 set marathon match before we started, and it was exactly that. Many long rallies, cracking winners and momentum shifts throughout the match - including a great comeback from Aaron in the second set. For myself, it was nice to end a 4 match losing streak and get some points on the board! We'll definitely have a rematch some time!"  -- Nikhil
Reveal CommentAaron Darby bt Costa Demetriou (Jun 28) 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) Costa Demetriou Retired

Player Comments:

  • "Great start by Costa going 5-0 up in the first then he came back from 4-1 down in the second only to play a poor tie break I think fatigue set in in this heat"  -- Aaron
Reveal CommentCosta Demetriou bt Nikhil Joshi (Jun 22) 6-3, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Just getting back to full fitness, good tight game and Nik fought valiently until the very end. Good luck in your next games Nik. "  -- Costa
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Aaron Darby (Jun 20) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "The second meeting on the trot between me and Aaron that better player on the day lost, the early exchanges were quite even until I got myself a 4-2 lead, before I knew it I was 5-4 down but managed to scrape a tie break, it was so close with both of us leading more than once and at 6-4 thought I had it and then at 6-5 thought I was going to lose it, but closed it out, second set Aaron stepped it up and had a 5-3 lead, both of us thought the set was over, but somehow I won the next 4 games to take it 2-0, but I was very much the worse player, I hit about 3 winners all game, and Aaron had me in every department but somehow didn’t win, doesn’t feel at all like I won the game just feels like Aaron lost it, and we both hate Tennis, haha."  -- Liam
Reveal CommentSimon Williamson bt Stephen Smith (Jun 15) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Tough match between 2 players who wouldn't give up on any point, at the end of the first set I felt that I played 3. Really great to meet you Stephen, next time definitely play at Ashby!"  -- Simon
Reveal CommentStephen Smith bt Costa Demetriou (Jun 14) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Tough 1st set, and probably crucial whoever won it. Scoreline does not reflect difficulty of match from my perspective. Costa probably best player I've encountered thus far. Good luck for rest of games."  -- Stephen
Reveal CommentLin Chen bt Nikhil Joshi (Jun 12) 6-2, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks Nikhil for the decent game, we will have a rematch soon. "  -- Lin
Reveal CommentStephen Smith bt Nikhil Joshi (Jun 7) 6-3, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Tough 1st set went with serve to 3-3, and was looking like it may have tie-break written all over it. However, I managed to get my nose in front and then convert to 6-3. Nikhil is something of a handful as his Table Tennis and Badminton experience makes him a very choppy and awkward player. That said, the 1st set was crucial. And Nikhil had to then push a little harder in the 2nd set, and I managed to close the match out by playing within my means. Good to meet you Nikhil, and thanks for agreeing to play at relatively short notice."  -- Stephen
Reveal CommentSimon Williamson bt Lin Chen (Jun 6) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the match Chen, really good to meet you... Good luck in the rest of your matches!"  -- Simon
Reveal CommentSimon Williamson bt Liam Mullis (Jun 4) 6-2, 5-7, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match...quite a few games which were tight and what felt like a never ending cycle of going through deuce, advan back to deuce. Great to meet you Liam, hope you get back to a long winning streak again - simon"  -- Simon
Liam Mullis bt Costa Demetriou (Jun 4) 2-1 Costa Demetriou Retired
Reveal CommentStephen Smith bt Lin Chen (Jun 3) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Two contrasting styles....and I guess the older guy with the old fashioned style prevailed. I'm a boring 'getter' and Chen is a 'go for it shot maker'. Also Chen was trialing something new & different with his forehand that unfortunately never seemed to get going. That said, a beautiful Sunday morning to be outside playing tennis at a rather busy ACLTC. Thanks again for coming over Chen - I appreciate it. Next time at your place indoor or out."  -- Stephen
Reveal CommentAaron Darby bt Simon Williamson (May 31) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A hard fought match with a guy from the same tennis club. It was simons debut and he burst out the tracks going 5-0 up in the first set. I went 4-1 in the second for Simon to pull it back to 4-4 but it remained in my favour to go to a final set I took the first game then we played the longest game of the match which Simon won. Then it was a set of who holds serve first and luckily it was me to clinch victory great match mate and good luck in your remaining matches ."  -- Aaron
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Nikhil Joshi (May 29) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Good game and felt pretty comfortable, a few signs of rust from Nikhil but I would certainly pay good money to have his drop shot skills, they alone are going to be a test for everybody else in this group."  -- Liam
Reveal CommentLiam Mullis bt Lin Chen (May 27) 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Two completely polar opposite sets for me, first set was so nervy (from both of us) my legs felt like lead for the first 7 or 8 games and made so many uncharacteristic errors that drove me mad, but I dragged Chen down with me I think and luckily scraped the first set 7-5, second set I completely relaxed and the nerves went away and winners followed and forced a lot of mistakes and was very comfortable in the end, happy to get the win and Chen paid me a compliment during the second set that completely made my day so thanks so much for that :D legend! It could have been such a different game if the first set went the other way, Chen is a top bloke and a good player and hopefully meet again soon and good luck in the rest of your matches."  -- Liam
Reveal CommentLin Chen bt Aaron Darby (May 23) 6-2, 6-7, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A cracking marathon match that lasted almost 2.15 hours. I took advantage of Aaron's slow start and quickly secured the first set. Fired up by the loss Aaron went all out attack in the second set and he had a lot success with the cross court forehand shots, some of which I couldn't even get my racket to. I managed to fight back from 3-1 down and was 2 points away from winning but Aaron forced it to the dreaded tie break and promptly crushed me 7-1. The third set was just brutal, both of us were desperate to win and we went for safe shots rather than winners, this resulted in plenty of exhaustingly long rallies and mad dashes, luckily I was just a bit more consistent. Top game! Good luck in your remaining games mate! "  -- Lin

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentStephen Smith bt Aaron Darby (May 18) 6-1, 1-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "The early exchanges suggested this may well go the distance....as the first 3 games took an eternity. Both players gave a knowing grin at the change at 2-1 in the 1st. Neither were going to roll over without an almighty scrap. That said, the 1st set went Steve's way although 6-1 was not reflective of the battle that ensued. The 2nd set, the tables turned as Aaron's levels were raised significantly. The final set ebbed and flowed until at 5-4 Steve had 3 match points, but Aaron fought valiantly to take it to 5-5 and an inevitable tie-break. However, with Steve at 6-5 up it was Aaron who blinked and the final set ended 7-5. An almighty battle, and I look forward to the re-match at LFE on Clay. Thanks again Aaron for coming over to Ashby. "  -- Stephen

Group Summary:

Darryl and Tim both won 4 matches and lost 2, but it was Darryl who managed to pick up a set in each of the matches he lost to give him the extra points he needed to take the lead. Well done to George too who also got on court against every opponent. Hats off to Arpan who finished as the only undefeated player in the group, winning all five of the matches he played, and had he earned his bonus points he would have won the title!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Darryl Clarke 6 4 2 2 12 WWLL
2 Tim Ettrick 6 4 2 2 11 WLWW
3 Arpan Singla 5 5 0 0 10 WWWW
4 George Buschbeck 6 3 3 0 7 LWWW
5 Mukesh Chawla 5 2 3 2 7 LWLL
6 Kunal Badami 5 1 4 0 3 LLLL
7 Ruvarashe Masara 5 0 5 0 0 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentArpan Singla bt George Buschbeck (Jul 11) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play George again. He plays well and unfortunately hit a few more hndorxed errors than e.g. woild havr liked. Had his first serve gone in a bit more he certainly would have given me a closer match. Set 2 was a much tighter affair with George playing some nice shots and volleying well. Just wasn't his day but I'm sure the next time he'll give me a run for my money! Thanks again George and look forward to our next encounter "  -- Arpan
Reveal CommentArpan Singla bt Kunal Badami (Jul 10) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "An enjoyable game with some nice rallies in the usual windy and blinding (low sun) conditions of Viccy Park! I played pretty defensively unfortunately for Kunal he probably hit a few more unforced errors than he would have liked. Thanks for the game and look forward to playing again soon!"  -- Arpan
Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Mukesh Chawla (Jun 27) 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A really good match against Mukesh in tough heat - the sun caused big problems on one side as well. Mukesh started really well, breaking serve early, but I managed to pull it back and hold on to win. The second set was well contested, but at 2-1, I took the next two games and that changed the complexion of the game somewhat. Great encounter and hope to play again! Best of luck with your final games"  -- George
Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Ruvarashe Masara (Jun 24) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A good match with Ruva and a good few games went to deuce. I enjoyed the encounter and wish her all the best for her final match "  -- George
Reveal CommentMukesh Chawla bt Ruvarashe Masara (Jun 23) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "A very nice day to play tennis, as score suggests...very close match..some good rallies..Thanks Ruva, you're a fighter, was fun to play, all the best for the remaining matches..x"  -- Mukesh

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentGeorge Buschbeck bt Kunal Badami (Jun 22) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A highly enjoyable match against Kunal in tough conditions. It was still very warm and the sun setting made it highly difficult for one side of the court. At 4-1 down in the third set, I was really on the back foot, but I managed to win the next two games which gave me the momentum for the final two games. Always a hard match against Kunal and I look forward to the next battle! Good luck with the rest of your matches!"  -- George
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt Ruvarashe Masara (Jun 22) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A closer match than the score suggests with some very tight games early on in both sets. A pivotal game was probably the second game of the second set when I was up against several break of serve points, as the game went through about seven or eight deuces. Finally I held serve to make it 1-1. After that I got a crucial break in the third game to make it 2-1 to me and then went on to win the set. Thanks for a good game - Ruvarashe- on a hot day in June !"  -- Tim
Arpan Singla bt Ruvarashe Masara (Jun 21) 6-1, 6-1
Reveal CommentArpan Singla bt Tim Ettrick (Jun 20) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "The key point was the first 3 games in set 2 which seemed to go on forever. It took a lot out of both of us - Tim is a real challenger and never gives up the fight. Glad to win despite my serve not really working! Good luck Tim for the rest of your matches :)"  -- Arpan
Reveal CommentDarryl Clarke bt Kunal Badami (Jun 15) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "First time I have played Kunal. It was a very enjoyable match with some very long and tiring rallies. Could of gone either way but I broke him at the right times and had to be very patient through long rallies. Kunal is a great guy. Good luck in your future matches mate."  -- Darryl
Reveal CommentDarryl Clarke bt George Buschbeck (Jun 10) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "First time I have played George and the score does not reflect his tennis skills or shots. he hits the ball well and is a good player but he just struggled with his serve today. I got my first serve flowing and found a good rythum. It was nice to meet you George good luck in your upcoming matches"  -- Darryl
Reveal CommentArpan Singla bt Darryl Clarke (Jun 9) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A real roller coaster of a match. The first 3 games in set 1 felt like 3 sets as they went on for ages! Darryl was 4-1 and I managed to find some momentum and take the first set 7-5 and quickly go 1-0 up in the second set only for Darryl to then step up his game and win the next 6 games to take the second set 6-1! 3rd set I flew to a 4-0 lead and at 5-1 Darryl saved numerous match points and fought back to 5-4 but I held my nerve to clinch the set and match at 6-4! Some fantastic rallies Darryl is very strong with his forehand and volleys and always a pleasure playing him."  -- Arpan
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt George Buschbeck (Jun 7) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Each set in this match involved multiple twists and turns, which made the match very fun but also tense. I was 5-4 up in the first set, but wasn’t able to close it out and Tim played well to take the advantage. At 3-0 down in the second set, it was looking like I would lose in straight sets, but I managed to win the next 4 games to get back into the match and eventually took the second set. At 4-3 up in the final set, I desperately tried to close out the game, knowing that at 5-3 I’d have a big advantage. Some great play from Tim gave him the game and at 4-4, the momentum was with him and he closed out the match. A fantastic, nearly 3 hour match with some great rallies! Good Lucy with the rest of the tournament, Tim! "  -- George
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt Kunal Badami (Jun 2) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "This was a match that always promised to be close and each game was hard fought often ending with multiple dueces. We both broke each others serves early on in the match until I eventually held a serve to get a nose in front. Always felt that there were some crucial games that if they had gone the other way would have tipped the match in Kunal's favour. Second set was as equally close in terms of points as the first, yet I think a couple of double faults in that set tipped the set in my favour. Great Game Kunal. Look forward to the next oneI !"  -- Tim
Reveal CommentTim Ettrick bt Mukesh Chawla (May 28) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Much closer than the score suggests. Thankfully in good weather conditions. Wishing you all the best with future matches - Mukesh"  -- Tim
Reveal CommentKunal Badami bt Mukesh Chawla (May 27) 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "Lovely sunny day at Victoria Park against a really good player. Lots of rally’s and long points, thanks for a great game Mukesh and best of the luck with the rest of your matches, Kunal "  -- Kunal
Reveal CommentMukesh Chawla bt Darryl Clarke (May 23) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great to have first match on board with both sun and wind playing their parts. As scoreboard shows Darryl clearly owned the first set, from there on I was able to find my foot with two tight sets to follow, 3rd set was rolling down quickly into finish line with score at one point 5-1 before Darryl turned things around saving a few match-points to reduce the lead to 5-4, but I was fortunate enough to close the match. Darryl is a real fighter and a nice guy, all the very best for next matches mate!" -- Mukesh
Reveal CommentDarryl Clarke bt Tim Ettrick (May 21) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Second time I’ve played Tim. Was some good rallies and some nice shots but as I got into a rythum I managed to get Tim making some errors. Good run out in yet again more heat. Good luck for your future matches Tim"  -- Darryl
Reveal CommentDarryl Clarke bt Ruvarashe Masara (May 20) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyed the match was some nice rallies good luck in your future games"  -- Darryl

Group Summary:

Greg had a fantastic round on his comeback, prevailing from all five of his matches in three sets to deservedly take the group crown. Gary kept the pressure on throughout, finishing only one point further back in second place. Kudos to everyone in the group who not only managed to earn their bonus points (and free tennis balls!) but also played every available match.. Welcome back to Shyam who "plays the game in the right way: fair and determined. Add to that a combative forehand and you know the match will be fun" according to Gary - it's lovely to see such a kind welcome!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Greg Moore 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Gary Phillpott 5 4 1 2 11 WWLW
3 Thomas Baines 5 2 3 2 9 LLWL
4 Philip Sutton 5 2 3 2 8 WLWL
5 Shyam Parmar 5 1 4 2 8 LWLL
6 Chris Dines 5 1 4 2 5 LWLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentGreg Moore bt Chris Dines (Jul 8) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6

Player Comments:

  • "An incredible final match in sweltering 30 degree heat today with Chris! It was super close and could have gone either way, but today I was the lucky one. Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable match Chris and thank you to everyone I've played this league for being so friendly and a lot of fun! I hope to play you all again soon!"  -- Greg

Match of the Group:

Philip Sutton bt Thomas Baines (Jul 8) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5
Reveal CommentGreg Moore bt Shyam Parmar (Jul 3) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "This was the first time Shyam and I had played each other and it was a bit of a strange match due to the strong sideways (and sometimes seemingly upward-rising) rising wind which caused us both issues throughout! Shyam took the first set easily and I thought I'd got no chance of pulling it back, but I thought carefully and changed my gameplan which seemed to work. This was a much closer match than the scoreline suggests, with many games going to deuce and it was a good battle from start to finish. It was great to meet you Shyam, thank you for a super enjoyable match and see you next time!"  -- Greg
Reveal CommentChris Dines bt Philip Sutton (Jun 27) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A tight match of fluctuating fortunes. It most certainly could have gone either way. Well played Phil, I look forward to playing you again soon. PS You are still comfortably in the lead in our head-to-head!"  -- Chris
Reveal CommentShyam Parmar bt Chris Dines (Jun 11) 6-3, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Chris, It was a pleasure to meet and play you. A closely contested match in hot conditions where both of us learnt further about our respective game. "  -- Shyam
Reveal CommentGreg Moore bt Thomas Baines (Jun 10) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)

Player Comments:

  • "I'm sat in the last of the sunlight, typing this report contemplating the match I just played with Tom that felt like we'd been playing all day (actually only 3 hours and 50 minutes!) which was one of the most stressful/enjoyable matches I've ever played. There was literally nothing between us the whole time! It was a nervy affair and neither of us wanted to make the mistakes and neither of us could finish when we were in front! I was the lucky one in the end but it so easily could have gone either way. Thank you for a great game Tom and good luck in the remainder of your matches!"  -- Greg
Philip Sutton bt Shyam Parmar (Jun 9) 0-6, 6-0, 6-0
Reveal CommentGary Phillpott bt Shyam Parmar (Jun 7) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "You would think that watching Rafa Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, Serena Williams et al on television at Roland Garros would guarantee the standard of our tennis improved. Sadly, on my side of the net this wasn’t the case and Shyam can consider himself unlucky not to win our tie. He took the first set deservedly 6 - 3 and it was only through a bit of bad luck that he lost the second. For those players that have yet to play Shyam you should look forward to it. He plays the game in the right way: fair and determined. Add to that a combative forehand and you know the match will be fun. Good luck in your remaining matches, Shyam."  -- Gary
Reveal CommentThomas Baines bt Chris Dines (Jun 3) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "very nice to meet up with Chris again.the score lines certainly do not reflect the nature of the games,as many games went to deuce.Chris has worked on his game since our last meeting and played some great shots.Many thanks for the match Chris,all the best with the rest of your matches.Tom"  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentGary Phillpott bt Thomas Baines (Jun 1) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "The weather mirrored the tennis: hot and close. It was two hours thirty five minutes of action and drama. Shirts were changed, sweat bands wrung out, water bottles refilled and in between all this action there was time for three sets of tennis. If the scoreline suggests a close game, I can confirm it tells the truth. All sets were decided on the odd point and the match could easily have been won by Tom. It is this type of match that epitomises why tennis fans should play in the Local Tennis League: hard fought, competitive, played in a friendly spirit but no quarter either asked or given. Tom and I met with triumph and disaster and I am delighted to say we treated the two impostors just the same. Thank you Tom for a great match."  -- Gary
Reveal CommentGreg Moore bt Gary Phillpott (May 30) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A fantastic match (as always) played again with Gary on the clay, which was like 3 different matches! The first set went my way and I was in the zone, but then Gary changed his tactics in the second and gave me a right thrashing! At the end of the second I could see no way back, my match fitness isn't back to where it should be yet, my hip was giving me some issues and Gary had found his rhythm. I knew it'd be a huge battle, but I managed to edge it in the last set. The scoreline in the third is really not representative of what a close set it was and it could have gone either way at any time! It's always a pleasure to play Gary who is a great, fair, sportsman and a thoroughly nice bloke. Good luck in the rest of your games buddy!"  -- Greg
Reveal CommentThomas Baines bt Shyam Parmar (May 29) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Another tough match against Shyam ,a fellow member at Carisbroke.A nervy first set where neither of us could hold serve was eventually settled by a hold and a break.Shyam raced away with the second set and then I took a 4-0 lead in third before Shyam clawed a few games back to make closing out really tough.overall a tough,nervy match.Thanks for the game Shyam."  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentGary Phillpott bt Philip Sutton (May 25) 6-1, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Torrential rain delayed the start by 2 hours. The match eventually getting underway at 12.30pm. The delayed start and slow, low clay court worked against Phillip and he was 2 breaks down before getting finding his fluent rhythm. The 2nd set was more fight than finesse with Phillip taking a 3-0 lead and maintaining this to 5-2 with serve. Unfortunately, Phiilip didn’t get the rub on the green (can this cliche be applied to clay court tennis?) and 3 net cords went against him on important points and consequently he was unlucky to lose the 2nd set. Without doubt he would’ve taken a 3rd set if this had been necessary. Phillip is a pleasure to play tennis against and his control of the court at important points makes him a very tricky player."  -- Gary
Reveal CommentGary Phillpott bt Chris Dines (May 22) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Chris Dines is a sportsman and a very competitive tennis player; he combines hard play and fairness. In short he is a joy to play and each point and game is played as if it is the most important. He was without doubt unlucky in today’s game and had the worse of the rather tricky wind and this contributed to the outcome. His court coverage is very fast and he is expert at running down drop shots and hitting crosscourt winners. I am very much looking forward to playing Chris in the future."  -- Gary
Reveal CommentGreg Moore bt Philip Sutton (May 20) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "What a scorching match on a scorching day! The first set really couldn't have been closer, with it taking a tiebreak to settle it. I was really feeling the heat today but Philip remained fresh as a daisy throughout, winning the second set convincingly. I found my second wind in the third set and changed my gameplan a bit, which seemed to do the trick. This match felt it would never end, taking 3 hours on what was definitely one of the hottest days of the year so far, but was a thoroughly enjoyable affair. Philip is a really nice guy and a great opponent and I wish him all the best for his remaining games, thanks mate! On a personal note, this was my first league match in 8 months after a car crash injury and it's great to be back!"  -- Greg