£18.00
Collapse AllNorthampton Parks Singles - Round 28 | Thursday 27 August 2020 to Wednesday 21 October 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 23 September 2020)
We welcomed 3 new players to the fold and witnessed lots of close battles on court, especially in Group 1, making this another busy and exciting group in Northampton Parks. Thanks for supporting your local league and we hope to see you back for more friendly and competitive tennis in the next round!
Group Summary:
Congratulations to Kieran for successfully defending his Group 1 crown by the narrowest of margins, his 5 wins and one defeat seeing him finish a single point clear of runner up Matthew. The bragging rights go to Matthew though for winning their head to head, a close 3 setter featuring some "over 20+ shot" rallies in the third set... however the point Kieran picked up from winning a set helped him secure top spot. In fact there were lots of close matches across the board in this well contested group.
Final Rankings:
| Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kieran Taylor | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | WWLW | ||||||
| 2 | Matthew Davis | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
| 3 | Antony Parselle | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | WWWW | ||||||
| 4 | Mark Alewood | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | WLLW | ||||||
| 5 | Wayne Savage | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | LWWL | ||||||
| 6 | Andrew Pasqualin | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 7 | LLLL | ||||||
| 7 | Joseph Morrissey | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | LLLL |
Match Results:
Reveal CommentMatthew Davis bt Wayne Savage (Oct 8) 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-1
Reveal CommentKieran Taylor bt Joseph Morrissey (Oct 1) 6-7, 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "A really good game, Joesph played some really good tennis throughout, but particularly in the first set. I managed to find my rhythm and get my 1st serve percentage up in the 2nd and 3rd set, but despite the score the games were still very close with a lot of decuces. Thanks for the game Joesph, looking forward to the next one!" -- Kieran
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentKieran Taylor bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 28) 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-4Player Comments:
- "A really close game with Andrew as you can see from the scores. Andrew got off to a great start breaking my serve twice, but I was able to break back throughout the set and take it on a tie break. The final set saw myself at 5-1 before Andrew brought it back to 5-4 and just about held my serve to close out the set. We both had multiple aces throughout and endless deuces. Thanks for the match Andrew and looking forward to playing again. " -- Kieran
Reveal CommentWayne Savage bt Joseph Morrissey (Sep 25) 6-2, 6-4
Player Comments:
- "Another very windy day! The strong, gusty winds definitely affected both players consistency and made for really quite a tricky game at times! The second set was a much closer affair and Joe made a comeback from 5-2 down but I managed to do just enough to get over the line. Another very enjoyable game and look forward to the next one." -- Wayne
Reveal CommentMatthew Davis bt Kieran Taylor (Sep 24) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3
Player Comments:
- "What a game! One of the best matches I have had in a long time. Credit to Kieran who played really well throughout. First set I think I played the better just and managed to take a tight set 6-4. We then had to change court with slightly different conditions and Kieran upped his game and took an early 3-0 lead, I managed to chip away at his lead as the set went on and managed to break back when Kieran served for the set at 5-4. We ended up in a tie break which Kieran managed to take 7-3. Into the third and there was some epic and long rallies with some over 20+ shots. I managed to get the break at 3-3 and held a tight next game to make it 5-3. I then managed to take the next game to save me trying to serve it out! Great game Kieran! " -- Matthew
Reveal CommentAntony Parselle bt Joseph Morrissey (Sep 21) 6-4, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "The first game went to deuce and lasted about 15 minutes! This set the tone for a really close fought battle with some really long rallies. We both played really well with pace and accuracy in the first set which I just about managed to get the important points. The pace dropped in the second set which probably suited me. But we were both tired. And although the pace wasn't as high there were some good rallies and points. Just about got over the line before bad light stopped play! Our best match so far. Looking forward to the next one!" -- Antony
Reveal CommentMark Alewood bt Joseph Morrissey (Sep 19) 6-3, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "It started close in 1st set but I managed to pull away at 3-3 to take set, and was lucky Joseph was rusty after his isolation to take 2nd set. Glad to win as was starting to feel my age(60 next week) after getting thrashed by Kieran last week !!!!" -- Mark
Reveal CommentWayne Savage bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 19) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "A great game on a lovely sunny day. The wind was a bit of a factor at times for both players but a great game lasting 2hours15mins. It was a match that ebbed and flowed in each players favour at different times and the vast majority of games seemed to go to deuce. Some great rallies and a close match in general. Look forward to the next one. " -- Wayne
Reveal CommentJoseph Morrissey bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 17) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Good to meet Andrew again and a very good match. I took the lead in the first set and held on despite a fight back from Andrew. We then changed court and surface (through necessity) and Andrew adapted the better to take a 3-0 lead. I fought back to get in on serve, but Andrew dug in, serving 2nd serves as first serves (and vice versa), mixing it up, and doing wanted he needed to do to get over the line. The final set remained very close until the end. Really enjoyable and looking forward to the next one." -- Joseph
Reveal CommentMatthew Davis bt Joseph Morrissey (Sep 14) 6-2, 7-6 (11-9)
Player Comments:
- "A good competitive match with Joe in his return from isolation. The first set Joe started well breaking me in the opening game but I soon found my range and got myself back on level terms, I then ran away with the first set with a further two breaks and maybe took advantage of Joes rustiness! That soon went in the second set as Joe played more consistently and made several successful attempts to the net. Joe led 4-1 then 5-3 but I dug in and managed to get the break back when Joe served for the set at 5-4. We ended up in a tie break which was both epic and tentative! I had 2 set points at 6-4 which Joe saved well and then Joe had set points at 7-6 and 9-8 before Joe eventually pushed a volley just wide for me to take the Set and match 11-9!" -- Matthew
Reveal CommentKieran Taylor bt Mark Alewood (Sep 13) 6-2, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "Another enjoyable game. Mark wasn't playing his best tennis and hence it wasn't as a close as usual, but still a lot of close points and the score doesn't reflect how close some of the games were. Thanks again for the game Mark and looking forward to playing again. " -- Kieran
Reveal CommentMatthew Davis bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 10) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
Player Comments:
- "Really competitive match with Andrew. First set Andrew served inconsistently with multiply aces and several doubles faults which in the end, I think he’ll agree, cost him the first set. The second set was a lot closer and I had to save a set point to take us to a tie break. Just the one mini break of serve was enough for me to take it 7-4. Overall really good match and look forward to the next time we play! " -- Matthew
Reveal CommentAntony Parselle bt Mark Alewood (Sep 8) 6-3, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "I may have been lucky to come up against Mark on his 4th match in 4 days. But i've never beaten him before. And nobody can beat Mark without playing well, no matter how fatigued he is. I didn't miss much in the rallies and Mark was struggling against my slice shots. So overall I was in control but still had to concentrate and keep my level high. It was a battle that Mark will be disappointed with and I am happy with. But on another day things will be different i'm sure. " -- Antony
Reveal CommentAntony Parselle bt Wayne Savage (Sep 7) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
Player Comments:
- "First time i've played Wayne and can see already that these are gonna be long close matches every time. We were both ahead at different points in the first set. I was 4-2 ahead. Then before I knew it was 6-5 down. Luckily I managed to hold serve and go to tiebreak. Similar in the second. Very close rallies with few mistakes. I was lucky enough to save set point when Wayne was 5-3 up. And sometimes those points change matches. This time in my favour as I won the next 3 to win the set. But i'm sure many will go the other way in future matches. It was as a really good match. Thanks Wayne. Looking forward to the next one." -- Antony
Reveal CommentAntony Parselle bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 6) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "One of our best games so far. We play each other a lot so every point is a battle. There was some great rallies and shots in the first set. Neither could afford a mistake without being punished for it. In the end it cam down to Andrew playing some great shots at a really fast pace and coming back from 4-2 down to win 4 games in a row!. I had to stay in the match so couldn't keep up with the intensity in the second. But by slowing it down slightly helped me get through this one. The third went the same as the second. Not reaching the high standard of set 1 but still a really good game of tennis. Look forward to the next one." -- Antony
Reveal CommentMark Alewood bt Matthew Davis (Sep 5) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3)
Player Comments:
- "Blimey, what a match, as score suggests it was a closely fought match, I was behind all the way in the first set, Matt was serving for set at 5-4, luckily for me he did 2 double faults to start and was able to scrape the tie break, 2nd set I was serving for set and ended up in a tie break, luckily was able to take that, really did not want a 3rd set !!!! Great match Matt." -- Mark
Reveal CommentKieran Taylor bt Wayne Savage (Sep 4) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
Player Comments:
- "Another enjoyable game with Wayne, both sets were very close and could have gone either way. Some really good rallies throughout, but we both held back and chose consistency over power. Thanks for the game Wayne." -- Kieran
Reveal CommentKieran Taylor bt Antony Parselle (Sep 2) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
Player Comments:
- "Our best match by far with the first two sets being complete opposites and then a tight final set played the following day due to the weather. Unfortunately the weather hadn't improved! We both had to change our playing style to accommodate the weather in the final set and I just managed take it, but could have gone either way. Really enjoyable match with some great rallies throughout. Thanks Ant!" -- Kieran
Reveal CommentMark Alewood bt Andrew Pasqualin (Sep 2) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "A hard fought match on a nice sunny day, lots of deuce games, but luckily was able to take 3rd set before I ran out of energy !!!" -- Mark
Reveal CommentMatthew Davis bt Antony Parselle (Aug 27) 6-3, 7-5
Player Comments:
- "A really good game with Ant. First set I settled the better and took an early lead before I was pulled back to 3-3. I broke again and then held my serve to take it 6-3. After racing into a 3-0 lead in the second set it looked like I was going to clinch this one without any issues however Ant made a great come back by playing some fine shots. I managed to break at 4-4 and served for the match, Ant then played his best tennis to save three match points, two of which were passing shots! Ant got the break back and then at 5-5 I managed to break again before having a 4th match point which Ant saved again! 5th time lucky for me as Ant sent a return long! Great game particularly the 2nd set. Glad it didn’t go to a third! Thanks for the match Ant! " -- Matthew
Group Summary:
Congratulations to Chris for finishing top of the table in Group 2 by a single point although kudos to runner up Yuichi for winning their head to head. Chris played one more match and picked up an extra point to secure the title, while Benn came from a set down to prevail in a "great contest" against Andy.
Final Rankings:
| Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Pucci | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | WWLW | ||||||
| 2 | Yuichi Yoshinaga | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | WWWW | ||||||
| 3 | Andy McGonigle | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | WLLL | ||||||
| 4 | Karen Slater | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | LLWL | ||||||
| 5 | Rory Gillespie | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | LWLL | ||||||
| 6 | Benn Kirkham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | W | ||||||
| 7 | David Lesnik | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | LLLL |
Match Results:
Reveal CommentChris Pucci bt Karen Slater (Oct 19) 6-2, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Always good fun and played in high spirits. Thanks for arranging the courts Karen. See you in the next round. " -- Chris
Reveal CommentAndy McGonigle bt David Lesnik (Oct 17) 6-2, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Lots of games going to deuce David returning majority of my shots and made me work the court Good to meet you David and hope to have a match with you another time" -- Andy
Reveal CommentYuichi Yoshinaga bt Rory Gillespie (Oct 13) 6-0, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "Played under floodlights. During match, it started slight rain but it was just ok to continue playing. Good games and enjoyed. Good luck for Rory for remaining matches and thanks for knocking balls another remaining hour at indoor court. It was good practice for both of us." -- Yuichi
Reveal CommentChris Pucci bt Andy McGonigle (Oct 10) 6-3, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "Another cold and windy day at Abington Park. First time I have played Andy, and what a top chap he is. Very consistent first and 2nd serve. Game was played in a really good manner. Thought Andy played really well, we had quite a few games go to Deuce. First set was much closer and we both stayed on serve for the most part before I managed to break Andy and got ahead. 2nd set I just managed to get out the blocks quicker and break Andy early on. And managed to stay ahead and close it out. Thanks for a great game Andy and hope we play again! " -- Chris
Reveal CommentRory Gillespie bt David Lesnik (Oct 10) 6-4, 7-5
Player Comments:
- "A good match made all the more difficult by the constant wind and a short spell of rain. David took an early lead in the first set but Rory battled back to secure 6-4. In the second set David's consistency helped him to race away to a 3-0 lead but with the help of a few timely aces Rory battled back into contention finally taking the set 7-5. The wind certainly hindered play at times (but also helped a few wayward shots). Would be good to rematch under better conditions. Best of luck with the rest of the round David. " -- Rory
Reveal CommentYuichi Yoshinaga bt David Lesnik (Oct 10) 6-1, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "A bit cold morning but at least no rain and wind! Enjoyed playing with David and good luck for him for the remaining matches." -- Yuichi
Reveal CommentBenn Kirkham v Chris Pucci (Sep 27) 4-6, 7-5 TBC
Player Comments:
- "Very windy and cold day. Tennis from my side wasn’t great, Ben dealt with the wind much better than me. I wasn’t hitting anything particularly well. Where as Ben was super consistent. Towards end of second set wind dropped a bit and I started to get my serve going again. Managed to nick the second set. We ran out of time. Look to rebook the decider for another day. " -- Chris
Reveal CommentYuichi Yoshinaga bt Andy McGonigle (Sep 26) 6-2, 6-2
Player Comments:
- "It was chilly morning but good condition not much wind. It took a bit time to warm up. Andy is lefty and it took a while to get used to but I managed to be consistent. Good play from Andy with some good serves and shots. Good luck for him for the remaining matches." -- Yuichi
Reveal CommentYuichi Yoshinaga bt Chris Pucci (Sep 21) 6-2, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "It was nice warm evening. It was very enjoyable tennis with Chris. Scores does not reflect much about what we played. We had a few long good rallies and long deuces. Both of us enjoyed. Good luck Chris for the remaining matches. Hope we can play again as we live not too far each other." -- Yuichi
Reveal CommentChris Pucci bt Rory Gillespie (Sep 20) 6-1, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "First time playing Rory. Very sunny day and thankfully nowhere near as much wind today, much calmer than yesterdays game. I started very consistently only dropping one double fault in the first set. Managed to get through first set without making too many mistakes and took the set 6-1. Rory 1st serve is pretty good, and 2nd set whilst same score had much more rallies and was much closer. Really enjoyed the game, and best of luck with your other matches Rory." -- Chris
Reveal CommentYuichi Yoshinaga bt Karen Slater (Sep 20) 6-0, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "It was really nice afternoon to play under sun, not much wind. It was my first time playing singles league. Karen is friendly, I enjoyed chat as well as friendly match with her. Thank you Karen organise match and good luck for the rest of matches." -- Yuichi
Reveal CommentChris Pucci bt David Lesnik (Sep 19) 6-0, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "My first match in over a year and wind was really getting up. Luckily I managed to remember how to swing the racket and got off to a good start. Taking the first set 6-0. Davids serve is consistent and he has a good backhand slice. Thankfully though I was able to get ahead and take the second set as well 6-1. Nice day apart from the wind. Thanks for the games David." -- Chris
Reveal CommentKaren Slater bt Rory Gillespie (Sep 12) 6-4, 6-1
Player Comments:
- "OK, so another score not reflecting the game. Rory is another new face to me and new to the league and what a serve, they were mostly unreturnable (not sure if this is a word!?) a shot of beauty and aces were executed many times. However yet again somehow I managed to come away as the winner. Possibly because I have played since round 1 and although have been out for a few rounds recently, have learnt to read a game and the player and of course have more match practice, which I believe gave me the advantage in the end. A thoroughly enjoyable game, evenly matched on a sunny day at our local courts in Kettering - thanks Rory - good luck with your remaining games and hope to see you next time!" -- Karen
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentBenn Kirkham bt Andy McGonigle (Sep 11) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2Player Comments:
- "Great contest with Andy. Epic first set that was physically demanding. Good luck with the remaining fixtures Andy. " -- Benn
Reveal CommentAndy McGonigle bt Karen Slater (Sep 6) 6-1, 6-3
Player Comments:
- "Good angle shots from Karen had me working hard and her quick low serves kept me on my toes, an enjoyable match and by second set a lot of well placed shots from both of us had us upping our games. Wish you all the best Karen " -- Andy
Reveal CommentKaren Slater bt David Lesnik (Sep 5) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
Player Comments:
- "Great to be back playing after being out for a couple or rounds and really nice to meet David and a very pleasant afternoon at my favourite courts Abington Park. A great first set which was very much nip and tuck, however managed to fluke the tie break, however the 2nd set does not necessarily reflect the effort that David put it, with a number of rallies and deuce games, I think he lost his concentration and I finally remembered what I was meant to be doing! Looking forward to my match tomorrow with Andy - that is if I can walk, after all the running around David made me do!" -- Karen
Reveal CommentAndy McGonigle bt Rory Gillespie (Sep 5) 6-3, 6-0
Player Comments:
- "First set was a very tight affair, Andy went 4 -0 , but Rory battled back to 4-3 and was looking good to go on to win the first set - Andy had to battle hard to get the other two games 6-3. Second set even though Andy went on to win 6-0 each game was close. Great meeting you Rory and good luck in your other matches" -- Andy
Player Comments: