£18.00

Collapse AllOxford Singles - Round 44 | Thursday 11 June 2020 to Wednesday 5 August 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 8 July 2020)

It was great to see friendly, competitive tennis return to the courts of Oxford following lockdown and fantastic to have 7 groups this time round including 10 new players! The standard of tennis was high with lots of competitive matches across the groups and enthusiasm was high too with nearly three quarters of all possible matches played. Thank you for supporting your local league and we hope to welcome you back to the next round!

Group Summary:

It was tight at the top of Group 1 with Thomas and Eloise both winning 5 matches and Eloise winning their head to head, however Thomas' combination of on court and scheduling skills helped him finish 2 points clear. Thomas had to work hard for his win over Christopher in 3 sets and played in 2 parts, while Christopher did well to avoid a third set against Victor. Great to see some matches played on Oxford's grass courts too!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Thomas Hay 6 5 1 2 12 WLWW
2 Eloise Hamilton 6 5 1 0 10 WWWW
3 Tom Bonnington 5 4 1 0 8 WLWW
4 Ollie Tabor 6 3 3 0 7 LLLW
5 Mark Bagley 4 1 3 2 5 LLLW
6 Christopher Lynch 5 1 4 2 5 LLLL
7 Victor Sangiorgio 6 0 6 2 2 LLLL
8 David Lloyd 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentEloise Hamilton bt Ollie Tabor (Aug 5) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "The start of the match unfortunately coincided with a bit of rain fall which made the court rather slippery. I think Oli was slipping on basically every second point which didn't make things easy for him in the first set. But the courts dried up and Oli took the offensive at the start of the second set with a 2-0 lead thanks to some strong returns and smart net approaches. Luckily I was able to dig my way out and find my stride again to close out the second set, which was much closer than the first! "  -- Eloise
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Ollie Tabor (Aug 2) 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Still not quite sure how I won this one as I don’t remember winning any points. Oli destroyed me in the 1st set and continued to crush me in the second. But then, somehow, I got to a tiebreak and won. Third set was played on another day and it was touch and go but I managed to pull through, mainly by waiting and praying he would make a mistake. Oli tired towards the end."  -- Tom
Reveal CommentEloise Hamilton bt Christopher Lynch (Jul 22) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Both sets went exactly the same score-wise: after I took the lead early in both sets, Chris brought the score back to 4-4 and closing the set out was tough both times around. I think we played some great grass court points (Chris's smashes were particularly impressive) and I thoroughly enjoyed the match. "  -- Eloise
Reveal CommentThomas Hay bt Tom Bonnington (Jul 18) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game with Tom, which was much closer than the score suggests. We had some great rallies but Tom tired in the long points towards the end."  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentEloise Hamilton bt Thomas Hay (Jul 17) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "This was much tighter than what the scoreline suggests, including a game with close to twenty deuces. I enjoyed the variety in our rallies, from deep loopy topspin shots to quick-fire exchanges at the net. Thanks for a fun match! "  -- Eloise
Reveal CommentThomas Hay bt Ollie Tabor (Jul 16) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game with Ollie, which was much closer than the scoreline suggests. There were lots of good rallies, with Ollie tiring towards the end."  -- Thomas
Reveal CommentEloise Hamilton bt Mark Bagley (Jul 12) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "This was a tough one! A tight and exciting match which could have gone either way. Mark was as consistent as ever and I really had to dig deep to get the win. "  -- Eloise
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Eloise Hamilton (Jul 11) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)

Player Comments:

  • "Very enjoyable game, with great weather, on the grass at Balliol. First set was over quite quickly but the second was a battle which could have gone either way. Eloise was a very tough opponent with few errors, especially in the second set, and every point was tough. Great game!"  -- Tom
Reveal CommentOllie Tabor bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jul 11) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good game with Victor on a sunny Saturday morning in Florence Park, the match was tighter than the scoreline suggests, we had some decent rallies and multiple deuce games. "  -- Ollie
Reveal CommentEloise Hamilton bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jul 10) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Lots of fun playing on the grass against Victor. Victor found his stride in the second set and made it tough to finish the match off! "  -- Eloise
Reveal CommentOllie Tabor bt Mark Bagley (Jul 5) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "It's always a challenge playing Mark and it was no different today despite the result, very windy conditions probably had more an of an impact for Mark's game than mine and I was able to take the win."  -- Ollie

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentThomas Hay bt Christopher Lynch (Jul 5) 7-5, 5-7, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable and very close game with Chris over 2 parts, lots of long rallies with plenty of games going to deuce." -- Thomas
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jul 4) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable game. Could have gone either way. I got lucky a few times with the net chord. Looking forward to playing Victor again."  -- Tom
Reveal CommentOllie Tabor bt Christopher Lynch (Jul 1) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Decent match with Chris, usually a lot closer, the first set was tight with most games going to duece, he tired a bit in the second though"  -- Ollie
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Christopher Lynch (Jun 28) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game as usual with Chris. He had an off day as he usually beats me or it’s very close."  -- Tom
Thomas Hay bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jun 27) 7-5, 6-2
Reveal CommentChristopher Lynch bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jun 21) 6-2, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game with Victor; lots of fun rallies. Thanks"  -- Christopher
Thomas Hay bt Mark Bagley (Jun 21) 6-0, 6-4
Mark Bagley bt Victor Sangiorgio (Jun 13) 6-3, 6-4

Group Summary:

This was another close group with returning player Bradley just pipping Lana to top spot by virtue of conceding fewer games on average even though the pair both recorded 5 wins and were tied on 12 points... so a great round for both. Third placed Laura joined Bradley in winning a 'double bagel' match and played well to win 4 matches in total. There were good wins for Luis too including a close 2 setter against Xavier featuring "numerous long and intense rallies".

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Bradley Hammond 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Lana Delerue 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
3 Laura Newland 5 4 1 2 10 WWLW
4 Luis Castello Sola 6 3 3 0 6 WWWL
5 Xavier Ballesta 5 1 4 2 4 LLLW
6 David Thompson 5 0 5 2 3 LLLL
7 Peter Norris 3 0 3 0 1 LLL
8 Patrick Tissot 1 0 1 0 0 L
9 Peter Watkins 1 0 1 0 0 L

Match Results:

Reveal CommentLuis Castello Sola bt Xavier Ballesta (Jul 30) 7-5, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Xavier and I have similar game styles, trying to develop opportunities from the baseline and not being scared of long exchanges. That contributed to numerous intense and long rallies throughout the match. I think it was a game of good quality and lots of fun. Many thanks Xavier for such a lovely evening of tennis. Look forward to meeting you again on the court"  -- Luis

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentLuis Castello Sola bt David Thompson (Jul 28) 6-4, 7-6 (11-9)

Player Comments:

  • "Lovely game. Both sets followed a similar pattern in which David took an early lead and I was trailing all the time. The plot of the second set was even more dramatic since I saved, I think, up to 4 or 5 set points for David. He was very unlucky he didn't win that second set. Well played David. Best of luck in the rest of your matches"  -- Luis
Reveal CommentLuis Castello Sola bt Peter Norris (Jul 24) 1-6, 6-4, [11-9]

Player Comments:

  • "This was a very enjoyable game with plenty of long rallies and close games. Needless to say that the match could have gone either way as it was decided in a close super tie break. By the end of it we were both exhausted. Well played Peter. Hope to see you on the court soon."  -- Luis
Reveal CommentLana Delerue bt David Thompson (Jul 23) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great game with many fun rallies, very enjoyable! "  -- Lana
Reveal CommentLaura Newland bt Peter Norris (Jul 20) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Peter was very gracious playing on hard court which is not a surface he enjoys. A lovely game and great rallies in spite. Thank you. "  -- Laura
Reveal CommentLana Delerue bt Luis Castello Sola (Jul 15) 3-1 Luis Castello Sola Retired

Player Comments:

  • "At 3:1 and 40:15 to me, Luis retired because he didn't like the surface of the court. "  -- Lana
Reveal CommentLaura Newland bt Xavier Ballesta (Jul 15) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A lovely match with some long rallies. "  -- Laura
Reveal CommentBradley Hammond bt Laura Newland (Jul 8) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Very good game against Laura she’s a great player, but above that she’s a lovely person, best of luck Laura for the rest of your matches "  -- Bradley
Reveal CommentBradley Hammond bt Xavier Ballesta (Jul 6) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great match in nice conditions best of luck in the rest of your matches "  -- Bradley
Reveal CommentBradley Hammond bt Luis Castello Sola (Jul 5) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Great game against Luis, really enjoyable good luck in rest of your matches "  -- Bradley
Laura Newland bt Luis Castello Sola (Jul 4) 6-0, 6-0
Laura Newland bt David Thompson (Jun 29) 6-1, 6-0
Reveal CommentLana Delerue bt Peter Norris (Jun 28) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A great game despite the unexpected rain and strong wind. "  -- Lana
Reveal CommentBradley Hammond bt Peter Watkins (Jun 28) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good match against peter in windy conditions, best of luck for rest of the matches "  -- Bradley
Reveal CommentLana Delerue bt Patrick Tissot (Jun 22) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A great game in the sunshine. We had good rallies and the score is a definitely not representative of the tough game we played. Vamos Colombia! :-) "  -- Lana
Reveal CommentXavier Ballesta bt David Thompson (Jun 22) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • ''Fun game of tennis, quite long so we had to spread it in 2 days. Many long rallies under the sun, it became a mental game testing our resilience. In the last set David came back twice, levelling at 2-2 and 4-4. I was lucky to win the last 2 games after very long and tense points, although it could have gone either way. The game ended up lasting +2.5h in total. Good luck on your next matches, David.'' -- Xavier
Reveal CommentBradley Hammond bt David Thompson (Jun 20) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good match against Dave, lovely conditions for it good luck for the rest of the round Dave "  -- Bradley
Reveal CommentLana Delerue bt Xavier Ballesta (Jun 17) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great game with lots of rallies and 20+ deuces, so the score really is not representative of the fun game we had! Really enjoyed it! Great tennis in great company! "  -- Lana

Group Summary:

Congratulations to Victor for topping Group 3 on his Leagues debut in commanding style, winning all 7 matches to finish one point clear of runner up Fabio. Their head to head went the distance although it fell short of the 3 hour mark reached by Charles and Simon! Charles was on the losing side in another 3 setter against Fabio, with the pair vowing to play a best of 5 sets match soon!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Victor Diaconu 7 7 0 2 16 WWWW
2 Fabio Assandri 7 6 1 2 15 LWWW
3 Charles Olsen 7 5 2 2 13 LLWW
4 Simon Haynes 7 3 4 2 9 WWLL
5 Michal Bastar 5 2 3 2 7 WWLL
6 Nic Aliwell 4 0 4 0 2 LLLL
7 Fernando Cortezon 5 0 5 2 2 LLLL
8 Oliver Upstone 4 0 4 2 2 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Charles Olsen (Aug 5) 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Grass at Alexandra is not great, which accounted for some interesting points, with strange bounces. Charlie had a great comeback from 1-5 in the first set, but I managed to win the last two games. Hope we will play again! "  -- Victor
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Fabio Assandri (Aug 4) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Lovely to finally play against Fabio! Safe to say we did not play our best tennis today. Nevertheless, Fabio ran away with the first set. I made less unforced errors in the next two. "  -- Victor
Simon Haynes bt Nic Aliwell (Aug 2) 6-2, 6-2
Simon Haynes bt Oliver Upstone (Jul 14) 6-0, 6-0
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Nic Aliwell (Jul 12) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "we had a considerable number of good rallies under the burning sun. We were knackered in the end. But very enjoyable match with Nic, hope to rally again soon!"  -- Victor
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Simon Haynes (Jul 11) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable, hard-fought match. We will definitely play again in the future!"  -- Victor
Fabio Assandri bt Oliver Upstone (Jul 6) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
Fabio Assandri bt Simon Haynes (Jul 2) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
Simon Haynes bt Fernando Cortezon (Jun 30) 6-0, 6-0
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Oliver Upstone (Jun 28) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Oliver's strong serve was impeded by the wind. We had quite a few funny rallies on account of the weather. We fought the wind and the wind won. Lovely playing Oliver, hope to play again soon in better conditions."  -- Victor
Reveal CommentNic Aliwell v Michal Bastar (Jun 27) 2-6, 6-4 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "3rd set to be completed hopefully when Michal is back off hols at start of August. "  -- Nic
Fabio Assandri bt Fernando Cortezon (Jun 26) 6-2, 6-4
Reveal CommentFabio Assandri bt Charles Olsen (Jun 25) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • '' Always a pleasure playing with Charles, he goes and reach every single balls which makes the game very intense. We played a lot on the lines and it turned up to be a very tactical match, with both of us taking small risks at the net. Plenty of deuces each sets with a long one of 10 in one game... 3 sets are not enough to get the best out of us, we will play a 5 set match soon...maybe on grass before the season ends :) '' -- Fabio
Michal Bastar bt Fernando Cortezon (Jun 23) 6-0, 6-2
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Oliver Upstone (Jun 22) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable afternoon's tennis. Go well with your other matches."  -- Charles
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Fernando Cortezon (Jun 21) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "very windy, which didn't help with the unforced errors, but otherwise a very enjoyable match"  -- Victor
Fabio Assandri bt Nic Aliwell (Jun 21) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Nic Aliwell (Jun 19) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Didn't realise Nic is a sometime member of Parks Tennis coaching sessions like me, so it was fun to play him. An enjoyable game and an afternoon well spent. At one point, during the first set, he rescued a young pigeon that couldn't fly out of the courts. Good luck to it, and go well with your other matches."  -- Charles
Michal Bastar bt Simon Haynes (Jun 19) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Michal Bastar (Jun 17) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Really good tennis. Michal and I have similar attacking styles. Toe to toe all the way. "  -- Charles

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Simon Haynes (Jun 16) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • '' One of those matches which needed 3 hours. Tight 1st set. 5-0 up in the second, but couldn't finish it until 5-4. On resuming a week later, my confidence in approaching the net had returned and paid dividends. Thanks for the game Simon.'' -- Charles
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Fernando Cortezon (Jun 15) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "An enjoyable game. Fernando hadn't played since the lockdown and many of his attacking and approach shots were going long which took the pressure off my game. I hope this match gets him into form, and he achieves some results that his positive play merits."  -- Charles
Reveal CommentVictor Diaconu bt Michal Bastar (Jun 14) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "gruesome, hot, lots of deuce games."  -- Victor "A pleasure to play with Michal, hope to meet up for a few rallies soon enough." -- Victor
Fabio Assandri bt Michal Bastar (Jun 12) 6-2, 6-1

Group Summary:

This was another group where a debutant took the crown, this time with Chris finishing undefeated on 6 wins, 2 points clear of runner up Tom. Great to see everyone getting off the mark early and claiming the midway bonus points, and the group was very competitive too with numerous tiebreaks and 3 setters. You all did well to contend with a mix of weather conditions typical of the Great British summer!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Chris Woo 6 6 0 2 14 WWWW
2 Tom Rogers 6 5 1 2 12 WWWW
3 Fabio Di Donato 6 3 3 2 10 LWLW
4 Matthew Longstaff 4 2 2 2 7 LLWW
5 Helen Watts 6 2 4 2 7 WLLW
6 Fiona Fanthome 5 1 4 2 5 LLWL
7 Emilio Lopez Lopez 5 0 5 2 2 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentChris Woo bt Fiona Fanthome (Jul 27) 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Super fun game with Fi! We were very evenly matched as shown by first set. I managed to steer clear of Fi's vicious forehand angles in the second a bit more. Thanks Fi, really enjoyed it. Cheers chris"  -- Chris
Chris Woo bt Fabio Di Donato (Jul 18) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Reveal CommentChris Woo bt Emilio Lopez Lopez (Jul 14) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Lots of deuce games, so overall score not representative. Enjoyable game. Thanks Emilio"  -- Chris
Tom Rogers bt Emilio Lopez Lopez (Jul 12) 6-2, 6-1
Reveal CommentTom Rogers bt Matthew Longstaff (Jul 10) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "This result was closer than the scoreline suggests, we had some long and intense games. The drizzly conditions played in my favour. Until next time!"  -- Tom
Reveal CommentTom Rogers bt Fiona Fanthome (Jul 7) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Tightly contested game against Fiona, really enjoyable!"  -- Tom
Fabio Di Donato bt Emilio Lopez Lopez (Jul 7) 6-2, 6-1
Helen Watts bt Emilio Lopez Lopez (Jul 5) 6-1, 6-2

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentTom Rogers bt Fabio Di Donato (Jul 5) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Tight match with a lot of long rallies. Look forward to playing again, thanks Fabio!"  -- Tom
Reveal CommentFiona Fanthome bt Emilio Lopez Lopez (Jul 4) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "It was a pleasure to play Emilio for the first time. Good luck in your remaining matches. Best wishes." -- Fiona
Reveal CommentTom Rogers bt Helen Watts (Jun 30) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Helen has a fantastically powerful forehand but luckily for me hit a few errors. We had some good rallies. Judging by our informal third set I know it will be a lot closer next time - thanks for the game!"  -- Tom
Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt Helen Watts (Jun 29) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "It was lovely playing Helen but it would have been nicer if the wind had not been there as a third player! Rough weather conditions which made playing quite difficult but I managed to get away with the match by playing quite consistently. Good luck Helen and see you soon!"  -- Fabio
Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt Fiona Fanthome (Jun 25) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "It is always a pleasure to play Fiona. Today I got lucky especially on the first set and finally I managed to be consistent enough in the second set too. I hope to play Fiona again soon but hopefully in a less hot weather. Good luck and see you soon!"  -- Fabio
Reveal CommentHelen Watts bt Fiona Fanthome (Jun 22) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Fun game with Fiona before the day got too hot. I was let off lightly as it was Fiona's first match back after lockdown!"  -- Helen
Reveal CommentChris Woo bt Matthew Longstaff (Jun 22) 6-4, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the game matt!"  -- Chris
Reveal CommentChris Woo bt Helen Watts (Jun 20) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable game on a warm saturday morning. Managed to find a bit of form and stay away, mostly, from Helen's killer forehand! Thanks helen and good luck for the rest of the league."  -- Chris
Reveal CommentChris Woo bt Tom Rogers (Jun 16) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable game. Tom is super quick and runs everything down. It was nip and tuck with lots of deuce games. Look forward to playing again! "  -- Chris
Matthew Longstaff bt Helen Watts (Jun 14) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Matthew Longstaff bt Fabio Di Donato (Jun 13) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

Group Summary:

Debutant Bruno made a winning start to his Leagues career by pipping Andrew to the group crown by one point having won 5 matches compared to Andrew's 4. Bruno was made to work hard for the title being taken to 3 sets by Jon and Paul and holding his nerve to win a match tiebreak against Andrew. There was "nothing really to choose" between Andrew and Malcolm in their exciting 3 setter while it was Malcolm who tasted victory in an equally close contest against Sam.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Bruno Atkinson 6 5 1 2 12 LWWW
2 Andrew Tacon 6 4 2 2 11 WLWL
3 Sam Brind 6 3 3 2 10 WLWW
4 Jon Bennett 6 2 4 2 9 LLWL
5 Paul Wharton 6 2 4 2 9 LWLL
6 Malcolm Sheehan 6 3 3 0 8 WWLW
7 Fiona Macdonald 6 2 4 2 6 LLWL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentPaul Wharton bt Malcolm Sheehan (Aug 5) 5-7, 6-1 Malcolm Sheehan Retired

Player Comments:

  • "This began in Cutteslowe over a month ago, and we resumed last-minute on grass at Alexandra Park. I wrapped up the 2nd set, and then Malcolm did something to his leg and sadly had to withdraw. Shame, as it was shaping up to be a fun and lively final set. :("  -- Paul
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Paul Wharton (Jul 31) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A gruelling, closely fought match in hot conditions, fortunately I just managed to pull through in the final set."  -- Sam
Reveal CommentMalcolm Sheehan bt Fiona Macdonald (Jul 24) 6-4, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "A see-saw first set and constant pressure from Fiona’s strong return of serve and ground strokes made this a very enjoyable match"  -- Malcolm
Reveal CommentMalcolm Sheehan bt Bruno Atkinson (Jul 22) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Rare but very enjoyable grass court outing on a lovely summer's evening. Several games ran to countless deuces and it could easily have gone either way."  -- Malcolm

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentAndrew Tacon bt Malcolm Sheehan (Jul 17) 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Extremely close match with an adjournment after 2 sets that took over 2 hours and the final set played a couple of weeks later. Nothing really to choose between us and the score in the final set could easily have gone the other way."  -- Andrew
Reveal CommentMalcolm Sheehan bt Sam Brind (Jul 15) 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, [10-6]

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable match with some excellent, lung-busting rallies and a memorable over the shoulder no look winner from Sam."  -- Malcolm
Reveal CommentPaul Wharton bt Fiona Macdonald (Jul 15) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A to-and-fro match with some good shots from both sides. Ultimately Fiona seemed to lose some focus in the second set, and Paul took advantage to claim a much-needed victory. "  -- Paul
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Jon Bennett (Jul 11) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "As usual another close match against Jon. Unfortunately, he pulled up with an injury at 4-4 in the 3rd set and hence my end to the game was easier than it should have been."  -- Sam
Reveal CommentFiona Macdonald bt Andrew Tacon (Jul 8) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very grey, drizzly and humid afternoon - and a hard fought match! "  -- Fiona
Reveal CommentAndrew Tacon bt Jon Bennett (Jul 6) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Another tightly fought affair with plenty of long rallies interspersed with a few soft points. Match could have gone either way and just a few points at crucial moments decided it."  -- Andrew
Reveal CommentJon Bennett bt Malcolm Sheehan (Jul 5) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "The wind took the ball to places you wouldn't believe, but we prevailed!"  -- Jon
Reveal CommentBruno Atkinson bt Fiona Macdonald (Jun 30) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Excellent match - often contested and had some cracking points. "  -- Bruno
Bruno Atkinson bt Jon Bennett (Jun 29) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
Reveal CommentBruno Atkinson bt Paul Wharton (Jun 27) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great match! "  -- Bruno
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Fiona Macdonald (Jun 25) 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "On a very hot day, thankfully we managed to play this game in the shade. Fiona was really good at making returns and forcing me to hit one more shot."  -- Sam
Reveal CommentBruno Atkinson bt Andrew Tacon (Jun 24) 5-7, 6-3, [10-2]

Player Comments:

  • "Great game! Was a baking hot day, so we were definitely getting tired by the end, but hotly contested - especially the first set!"  -- Bruno
Reveal CommentFiona Macdonald bt Jon Bennett (Jun 22) 6-0, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "A hot afternoon and some long games in the second set! "  -- Fiona
Reveal CommentBruno Atkinson bt Sam Brind (Jun 20) 7-5, 0-6, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great match!"  -- Bruno
Andrew Tacon bt Paul Wharton (Jun 17) 6-1, 6-3
Reveal CommentJon Bennett bt Paul Wharton (Jun 15) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A hot day, and a tightly fought contest. Our post-lockdown bones were creaking, and it's a miracle wed were still standing after 2 hours. "  -- Jon
Reveal CommentAndrew Tacon bt Sam Brind (Jun 13) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "First set was closely fought but the very variable bounce on the grass seemed to be going in my favour towards the end of the set and for most of the second set."  -- Andrew

Group Summary:

This was a keenly contested group with Joshua, Nick and Alejandro each recording 5 wins but it was Joshua who pulled clear by one point to take the group title. All credit to Alejandro though for showing great fighting spirit to win "an epic match" against Joshua which was finally settled by a third set tiebreak. Crescenzo had a strong round too winning 3 tough matches to finish in a commendable fourth place.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Joshua Brewer 6 5 1 2 13 LWWW
2 Nick Fahy 6 5 1 2 12 WWWL
3 Alejandro Rubio Diaz 6 5 1 2 12 WWWW
4 Crescenzo Ianniello 6 3 3 2 8 LWLW
5 Harry James 6 2 4 2 6 LWLW
6 Annabel Lloyd 5 1 4 2 6 LLLW
7 Sergio Segovia Rodriguez 7 0 7 2 4 LLLL
8 Simon Stanford 2 1 1 0 2 WL

Match Results:

Alejandro Rubio Diaz bt Harry James (Aug 2) Walkover

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentAlejandro Rubio Diaz bt Joshua Brewer (Jul 28) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4)

Player Comments:

  • "An epic match, full of long rallies, well fought games and lots of fun. It could have gone literally either way in the end. It was hard to overcome Josh´s accurate hits and unpredictable forehands! Hope we can play again soon"  -- Alejandro
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Crescenzo Ianniello (Jul 11) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Glorious day for tennis, and the game lived up to the potential, with pretty much every game having long and hard-fought rallies. Good luck to Enzo for his future games. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Annabel Lloyd (Jul 11) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "This was a tough match with each set taking nearly an hour. The first set was particularly attritional with both myself and Annabel struggling to hold our serves, lots of deuces and some long rallies. In the second set I was able to hold my serve a couple of times and that made all the difference. Well played Annabel, I'm sure we will come up against each other again in the league!"  -- Joshua
Harry James bt Annabel Lloyd (Jul 8) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Harry James (Jul 5) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Apparently the wind this afternoon was gusting to near gale force, and I can believe it after this match! Really challenging conditions, which made serving especially difficult and playing in general quite frustrating. I was fortunate to come through it; best of luck to Harry for the rest of his matches. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentSimon Stanford bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jul 3) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "No Wimbledon? No problem! The real action this morning was at Florence Park where a hard fought three-setter eventually went my way. Thanks to Sergio for providing challenging ooposition and making me run (too much!) and work hard to secure victory."  -- Simon
Reveal CommentCrescenzo Ianniello bt Annabel Lloyd (Jun 28) 5-7, 6-4, [10-8]

Player Comments:

  • "What a match! Annabel is a great player, great rallies were performed! The games were never easy to win, almost every game had a deuce. I believe none of us really deserved to lose the match, the chances of winning the match were 50% each player. I wish Annabel good luck with the rest of the matches!"  -- Crescenzo
Reveal CommentHarry James bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 28) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "A tightly contested match played in difficult conditions; all seasons present. Good luck sergio"  -- Harry
Reveal CommentAlejandro Rubio Diaz bt Crescenzo Ianniello (Jun 27) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with lots of good rallies. Good luck in the rest of your matches!"  -- Alejandro
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 26) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A very hot day with a capricious court surface and gusty wind making the conditions a bit of a lottery. I got the luck of the bounce, and Sergio was unlucky not to win more games. Best of luck to Sergio for the rest of his matches."  -- Nick
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Nick Fahy (Jun 25) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "This match was in no way represented by the score, there were lots of deuces and some excellent long rallies. The standard of tennis was really good with some really decent quality baseline trading taking place. In the end I was able to take the crucial points so managed to come out top, the first time I have beaten Nick in three attempts. Well played to Nick and I wish him well in the rest of his matches."  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentCrescenzo Ianniello bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 24) 6-1, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "The second set was incredibly balanced. Sergio is a very good player, and the game was absolutely fun! The weather was really hot and did not really help, but long rallies were played and the pace was really fast. Sergio also has a great serve technique."  -- Crescenzo
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 22) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "This was a really good match and just goes to show why tennis is such a great sport. In the first set I was getting in my first serves and then putting away volleys which meant I was able to take the set 6-2. In the second set it was a complete reverse, with Sergio getting his first serves in and then causing me a lot of problems with his dropshot and passing shot combinations so that he took the set 6-2. The final set was neck and neck all the way with me managing to just scrape through at 6-4 at the end after being 3-4 down. An excellent match and I look forward to a rematch sometimes (but not looking forward to having to sprint to the net repeatedly to try and retrieve yet another heart breaking drop shot)!"  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Simon Stanford (Jun 21) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Though the courts started off damp, they dried rapidly and it turned into a lovely morning for tennis. The scoreline does not some very nice rallies - we're all a bit erratic after lockdown! Best of luck to Simon for his future matches. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentAnnabel Lloyd bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 21) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "It was a pleasure to meet and play against Sergio, heroic key worker that he is. It was only his second time ever on grass - the bounce takes getting used to - and I had the benefit of playing Alejandro on the same surface the previous Sunday. Enjoy the rest of your matches."  -- Annabel
Reveal CommentAlejandro Rubio Diaz bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Jun 20) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with Sergio. He has not played in a long time, but he managed to find his way in the end. Good luck in the rest of the matches!!"  -- Alejandro
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Alejandro Rubio Diaz (Jun 19) 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable and hard-fought game on what turned out to be a lovely evening for tennis. Best of luck to Alejandro for his matches. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentCrescenzo Ianniello bt Harry James (Jun 17) 7-6 (10-8), 6-3

Player Comments:

  • ''Great match with long rallies and great shots from both sides. It was a great pleasure to play Harry, that is why we decided to suspend the match on the 17th of June when Harry got injured (after the first set) and play again once he was fully recovered. The first set was one of the best set I ever played and I really hope to play Harry again in the future. I wish him good luck for the nest matches!'' - Crescenzo
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Crescenzo Ianniello (Jun 15) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "This was a really good match with some excellent baseline rallies. Enzo has really strong groundstrokes and I had to hang in there with the rallying because every time I tried to go to the net the ball sailed over my head for a soul-crushing lob."  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentAlejandro Rubio Diaz bt Annabel Lloyd (Jun 14) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "It was the 3rd match Annabel and I have played. We played at the bumpy grass courts in Alexandra Park. Annabel has improved her game very much, and put up a good fight in most of the games (final score doesnt reflect it, as we had lost of deuces). Hope we can play again soon!"  -- Alejandro
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Harry James (Jun 13) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "An enjoyable match played in really nice conditions. It was closer than the score suggests, good luck to Harry in the rest of his matches."  -- Joshua

Group Summary:

This was a fairly quiet group with a number of matches left unplayed, however it was close at the top with group winner Diego tied with runner up Nil on 8 points. Diego's win in their "very competitive" head to head sealed victory and he had to work hard in his match against Joel too, where he considered himself lucky to win the second set tiebreak and avoid a third set as there was "very little" between them at that point.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Diego Vargas 4 4 0 0 8 WWWW
2 Nil Angli 4 3 1 2 8 LWWW
3 Jamal Ali 4 2 2 2 7 LWWL
4 Joel May 3 1 2 0 2 WLL
5 Lauren Hamilton 4 0 4 0 0 LLLL
6 Mohamed Salem Safa 1 0 1 0 0 L
7 Noah Mesfin 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentJoel May bt Lauren Hamilton (Jul 31) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Lauren and I played a very enjoyable match on a sultry Friday evening at Florence Park. We had some entertaining rallies and Lauren definitely had the better of me more times than not when I came to the net! It was a straight-sets victory but I don't think that tells the whole story and I was relieved to come through in the end after facing those breakpoints in my final service game! Thanks for a fun match, Lauren, and hopefully we'll play again soon!"  -- Joel
Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Lauren Hamilton (Jul 24) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A very entertaining match with Lauren. It felt just the right time on an early Friday evening to be out there playing tennis. There was no wind, no blinding sunshine, no rain, it was not too hot, not too cold, we had court No 1 and we both felt really glad to be playing! Lauren's game improved considerably on the second set and we had several long rallies and long running deuces on several games. Thank you very much."  -- Diego
Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Nil Angli (Jul 15) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Very competitive match with Nil. There was little between us during the first set and I was very lucky to have taken the tiebreak to win it. The second set only started to go my way after being all level at 2 games all. Gracias!"  -- Diego

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Jamal Ali (Jul 8) 6-1, 5-7, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable and challenging match with Jamal (despite what the score shows for the 1st and 3rd sets). Jamal played incredibly well specially on the second set with his killer slice shot working for him almost every single time he attempted it. On top of that, his flat and fast serve was really getting on my nerves during that set. We had persistent rain throughout the match, which made it even more difficult for me to get any of his 'tricky' shots back on his side! The third set could have gone either way but I suppose I had a bit more luck on my side. Many thanks."  -- Diego
Reveal CommentJamal Ali bt Mohamed Salem Safa (Jun 22) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Totally false result. Salem hasn't played for a year & contributed too many double faults today whilst shaking off the considerable rust. My backhand worked very well today (just as well as my forehand didn't!) & I persisted with playing offensively and coming to net as much as possible as Salem likes long, protracted rallies. Thanks for the match, Salem, and great to see you again. "  -- Jamal
Reveal CommentJamal Ali bt Lauren Hamilton (Jun 22) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Fun-in-the-sun match with Lauren this afternoon! We both served quite a few aces due to the dead grass bounces!! Some great rallies and Lauren will possibly rue not having converted many of the several break point opportunities she had. I do have to say that the grass courts at Alexandra Park are really not up to standard. Badly faded line markings and poor court maintenance made play farcical at times!! We've agreed to play again for fun on hard courts next time. Pleasure to meet and play you, Lauren. All the best with your remaining matches. "  -- Jamal
Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Joel May (Jun 19) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with Joel. Early on in the match we had challenging windy conditions with rather overcast and cloudy skies, however it turned into a lovely sunny Friday evening during the later stages of the second set. Looking back I think Joel was just warming up during the first set since the second became a much more even challenge. We fought long and heavily contested rallies. I was very lucky to have won the tiebreak to avoid the third set since it was very little between us a that point. Very enjoyable, thank you."  -- Diego
Reveal CommentNil Angli bt Lauren Hamilton (Jun 17) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Amazed at how Florence Park courts drained the downpour from an hour earlier, Lauren and I met for a fun tennis sesh. As usual, there’s much more to the story than the score, including deuces, fine rallies, and good chat. Looking forward to hitting balls again, Lauren. Good luck!"  -- Nil
Reveal CommentNil Angli bt Jamal Ali (Jun 16) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Lovely tennis this afternoon with Jamal at Bury Knowles. Returning his fast, flat serves was no easy feat, but fortunately for me the net shielded a fair few. Today the percentage of my first serves going in helped to tilt the balance in my favour, but our rallies were testing and well fought. Best of luck in your next matches, Jamal! "  -- Nil
Reveal CommentNil Angli bt Joel May (Jun 13) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Eager to start the first covid-era league, Joel and I met during a sunny Saturday in Florence park, perhaps too sunny (if serving from west end). We both had a slightly rusty start, but got into the game progressively. Joel displayed brilliant net game, and fast flat serves coming from “the other hand”. To my frustration (and satisfaction) Joel was reluctant to give up and fought the last game till to the 9th deuce. Looking forwards to playing again. Good luck!"  -- Nil