24 April 2019

Making friends and winning matches

Gilbert Alla-Mensah

Gilbert has appeared in all but 2 of the 17 rounds in the Nottingham Parks Tennis League, playing over 70 matches to date. So what are his most memorable moments and why does he keep coming coming back for more? 

I got into tennis as a result of wanting to try a new sport. Prior to that I had briefly played as a child but then never really continued until I got into my late 20's.

At one of my local public courts I saw an advertisement for the league and decided to join so I could compete against other players. 

I really enjoy playing singles and would describe my style of play as a bit of a mixture -  I consider myself to be technicaly good and generally, depending on my opponent, I also play an agressive game. 

There have been a lot of memorable matches in the league. One that sticks in my mind was against Alberto Gattonin and although I came out on the losing side with a double bagel, it was a very useful match as I came up against a strong technical player. I also played Luke Hallahan a few years ago and we've remained friends ever since together with Howard Westgate and Nathanael Parkin. 

I would definitely encourage others to join because it's a good way to meet other players who enjoy competing!

If you would like to get on court in Nottingham, the next round kicks off on 2nd May and is open for entries here