19 October 2019

From defence to attack

Leo Seymour

After ten years out of the game, Leo Seymour joined the Bristol Tennis League in September 2016. He loves the competitive element so much, he has missed only one round since
 

My Dad used to play tennis occasionally and my brother and I would go along and play in the tramlines while he was using the main court so I started from a very young age. We also used to have a table tennis table at home and I would play that religiously. Tennis is really good exercise but what I really love is the competitive element of it. And I love the feeling when you hit a really good shot or hit a (very rare) ace. 

I'd not played tennis for about 10 years and was looking to get back into it and then I saw a big poster for the Bristol Tennis League at Canford Park and I thought "That is definitely for me!", so I signed up a few years ago and I've hardly missed a round since. It's fantastic to be able to play singles tennis regularly with different opponents and a bargain at £18. 

I generally play defensively which involves a lot of running (a [very] poor man's Andy Murray). I've started to try to play a bit more attacking recently though which has definitely been paying its dividends.

I managed to top group 1 once (although that was during the winter when there were fewer groups). I think I then lost my next match 6-0 6-0 though, so the bubble quickly burst! I've had quite a few very competitive matches and there are normally 3 or 4 of us who always seem to be in the same group so I've had quite a few repeat matches and ongoing friendly rivalries.

I would definitely recommend the league for anyone looking to play more. It has improved my tennis and the games are pretty competitive. I'm definitely more consistent now and try to play a bit more tactically.

The next round of the Bristol Tennis League starts on 9 January 2020. Join by 6 January.