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Collapse AllSt Albans and Harpenden Singles - Round 33 | Thursday 16 November 2017 to Wednesday 24 January 2018 (Midpoint: Wednesday 20 December 2017)

This was another great round in St Albans & Harpenden Tennis League, with 5 competitive groups and lots of close battles for the ranking positions. Great to see some newcomers and league returners, as well as lots of loyal players returning from the previous round, and in total over 70% of all possible matches were completed. Keep up the good work!

Group Summary:

It was deja vu at the top of Group 1 with Pavel retaining his Group 1 crown and Liam finishing runner up again but by the closest of margins... just one point separated the pair who both won 5 matches and lost one. Pavel's win in their head to head proved decisive, with the pair showing great commitment to their tennis by starting their match at 7am! Both sets were close so it was a fitting decider for the group, but there were tough matches too for James & Samantha (sadly unfinished), Liam & Andrew, and James & Pavel. Great tennis all round!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Pavel Novotny 6 5 1 2 13 WWWL
2 Liam Baldwin 6 5 1 2 12 WWLW
3 James McGaughey 5 4 1 2 12 WWWW
4 Samantha Wileman 5 3 2 2 8 WWLW
5 Andrew De Csillery 6 2 4 2 8 LWLL
6 Emma Tully 6 1 5 2 5 WLLL
7 Miles Robinson 6 0 6 2 2 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentEmma Tully bt Miles Robinson (Jan 21) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great close match that could have gone either way but fortunately I was a bit more consistent than Miles. Some entertaining rallys -thanks very much Miles."  -- Emma
Reveal CommentJames McGaughey v Samantha Wileman (Jan 18) 7-6 (7-3), 2-4 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "Great match, very evenly balanced. I'm sorry we couldn't finish, and will look forward to playing again. Thanks, Sam "  -- James
Reveal CommentSamantha Wileman bt Miles Robinson (Jan 17) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Lots of really close games with many deuces and so the score could have been much tighter. Thanks for the game Miles and good luck in your final match! "  -- Samantha
Reveal CommentSamantha Wileman bt Emma Tully (Jan 4) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the match Emma!"  -- Samantha

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentLiam Baldwin bt Andrew De Csillery (Dec 21) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very enjoyable match as always with Andrew! I made the better start getting off to a 3-0 lead before Andrew pegging me back to 3-3 lots of service game breaks and at 5-5 Andrew raised his game with some excellent angled winners to take the set 7-5 in the 2nd set I definitely had to raise my game to keep up with Andrews high level, I got my consistency back and was hitting my serve with more pace, I took the set 6-3. in the all important decider Andrew made the better start with a 2-0 lead, I managed to defend well chipping balls back Into play and luckily for me Andrew missed a few chances, I took a 4-2 lead, before Andrew struck back finding his winners again to make it 4-4 i dug in and managed to Win the next 2 games (6-4) an EPIC match"  -- Liam
Reveal CommentPavel Novotny bt Samantha Wileman (Dec 16) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Tight match, a lot closer than score suggests. Sam has an amazing serve, even her second serve is hard to return. I honestly don't know how I pulled it off today. She is definitely the one to watch in group one. Best of luck for remaininging matches Sam."  -- Pavel
Reveal CommentAndrew De Csillery bt Emma Tully (Dec 14) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Emma got off to a great start and raced into a 5-1 lead. I pegged her back but she deservedly closed it out. The second set was a welcome breather for me, but set 3 was nip and tuck until 3-3 when I managed to break twice to finally win the match. Lots of nice rallies - Emma defended really well. Thanks for the game Emma. "  -- Andrew
Reveal CommentJames McGaughey bt Andrew De Csillery (Dec 12) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Andrew got off to a great start, hitting winners on both sides. I wasn't making any shots, so started playing defensively which got me going. Eventually I abandoned all pretence of playing proper tennis and even started chipping forehands. Andrew kept playing his shots and I spent an hour and a half desperately scrambling in defence. Apologies to Andrew for the tactics and well played in a long, tiring match."  -- James
Reveal CommentLiam Baldwin bt Emma Tully (Dec 11) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Match played on indoor clay, (it was still very cold) very close games but I managed to win most of the close ones coming out on top, thanks for the game Emma :)"  -- Liam
Reveal CommentSamantha Wileman bt Andrew De Csillery (Dec 9) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "I really enjoyed this match with Andrew. There were loads of really close and long rallies which could have thrown the match in the other direction. Andrew has some great cross court winners and was using these really effectively in the second set. Thanks for a great match Andrew!"  -- Samantha
Reveal CommentJames McGaughey bt Emma Tully (Dec 7) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "After a warm-up that included the longest rally I think I've ever played, there were surprisingly many errors in the first set. The second was harder fought, Emma hitting some good passes and volleys, but I played pretty steadily to stay in front. "  -- James
Reveal CommentPavel Novotny bt Liam Baldwin (Dec 6) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great tennis as always with Liam, although it took us both some time to wake up as we started at 07:00. Liam clearly dominated most of the first set, taking a 4:2 lead and was serving to close it at 5:4. I somehow recovered to 6:5 and had 2 set points which Liam eliminated with easy and so we went into a tie-break, which I luckily won. Second set a lot closer than score suggests with Liam hitting some beautiful forehand winners. At times, I felt like Liam's ball boy. Many thanks Liam, great match, until next round."  -- Pavel
Reveal CommentLiam Baldwin bt Samantha Wileman (Dec 3) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A closer match then the score suggests, Sam has a very strong serve, we had lots of long rallies and tight games but I managed to win most of them with my defending and aggressive shots with my forehand, enjoyable match it was nice chatting and good luck for you other matches to come Sam"  -- Liam
Reveal CommentJames McGaughey bt Miles Robinson (Nov 30) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks Miles, for a tough and enjoyable match. Lots of long rallies, service breaks, lobs, net cords (all mine, embarrassingly). Closer than the score suggests, but I probably played better on the game points."  -- James
Reveal CommentPavel Novotny bt Andrew De Csillery (Nov 29) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Beautiful honest and powerful tennis played with amazing pace that often left me breathless. Could have gone either way as is always the case with Andrew. The only thing that made difference this time was that I could my serve a bit better than Andrew. Many thanks Andrew, quality as always. Looking forward to our next match."  -- Pavel
Reveal CommentLiam Baldwin bt Miles Robinson (Nov 28) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Tough conditions with it being a little bit slippery and very cold! A good match, in both sets I managed to take control of points with my forehand as we both struggled to move to get to shorter balls, played in good spirit, thanks for the game Miles :) "  -- Liam
Reveal CommentJames McGaughey bt Pavel Novotny (Nov 26) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "An 8am start, clear but cold and a bit of frost on the court. I started better, Pavel not getting into his stride until the first set was all but over, but Pavel was in control in the second, playing best when his serve was threatened. We had an injury time out at the start of the third, Pavel falling on the slippery court, and resumed on a different court. The third set was close. Pavel broke first, but let me back in straight away, then it was on serve at 4-4 and 5-4. I had three points to win on Pavel's serve at 0-40 and was saved from having to hold my nerve by hitting a dodgy mistimed shot into the wind which Pavel just couldn't reach. A good battle, which just went my way on the day. Looking forward to a rematch. Thanks, Pavel"  -- James
Reveal CommentPavel Novotny bt Miles Robinson (Nov 25) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A very early morning match, too early for both of our liking...not as close a match as is usually the case with Miles as he struggled with his serve and unforced errors. We played a third friendly set and a lot closer (6:4). Thanks Miles and until next round"  -- Pavel
Reveal CommentPavel Novotny bt Emma Tully (Nov 23) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Nice match as always with Emma - could have been a bit closer but Emma's serve was letting her down. Thank you Emma, until next round"  -- Pavel
Reveal CommentAndrew De Csillery bt Miles Robinson (Nov 22) 6-2, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "A match that ended up being a lot closer than possibly expected, and certainly with a score line that more accurately reflected the play. At 5-2 down in the second set, Miles staged a great recovery to 5-5 and I had to dig really deep to close out the set. Some very nice rallies and great spirit. Thanks Miles and well played."  -- Andrew
Reveal CommentLiam Baldwin bt James McGaughey (Nov 21) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "We started the match playing on Tiger turf for 2 points before we realised it was too slippy! As I slipped over, we moved to clay where I took a storming lead and won the set 6-1, the second set was very different as I was outplayed By James and I was making lots of errors , in the decided I found my forehand winners again and took a 5-2 lead about to serve the match out I was 0-40 down but managed to claw it back and had one match point but failed to convert, James broke and held to make it 5-4 I was once again 0-40 down serving it out but managed to get it back again to my AD before finally taking my 2nd match point! this was a very close match and if James got it back too 5-5 he was the favourite to win it! Well played good game James"  -- Liam

Group Summary:

It was a great performance by Nick to finish top of Group 2 following promotion from Group 3 last time, claiming all possible points by winning all 5 matches and claiming the midway bonus points too. Phil had break point opportunities in their head to head but wasn't able to take them, although he held his nerve in two close matches against Antony and Christopher, winning tiebreaks in the course of both wins. Phil described his match against Antony as "a really punishing encounter that I’ll need Xmas to recover from!".... so we hope this did the trick!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Nick Bunstead 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Phil Chin 5 4 1 2 10 LWWW
3 Richard Washbrook 4 2 2 0 5 WLWL
4 Christopher Perry 5 1 4 2 4 LLWL
5 David Mincer 3 1 2 0 2 WLL
6 Antony Parselle 4 0 4 0 1 LLLL

Match Results:

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentRichard Washbrook bt Antony Parselle (Jan 18) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Ant came out the blocks a lot quicker in this match, completely controlling the first set and the most of the second. He was more consistent winning the longer rallies so I tried to bring him to net and he was producing volleys Federer would have been proud of! I really couldn't get into the match with Ant playing a great first set. The second set started much the same with Ant taking a 4-1 lead. I got it back to 4-4 where I threw my serve away to love, Ant had a chance to serve out for the match where I broke back. I took a 6-2 lead in the tie-breaker, with a mini come-back I held on. Having the momentum helped in the third as the temperature dipped near freezing! A really hard fought match. Well played Ant!"  -- Richard
Reveal CommentNick Bunstead bt Richard Washbrook (Jan 15) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "We had some good rallies, with some nice winners being hit from both of us. Rich has a really solid forehand, anything left short gets punished. His serve let him down a little bit, with a few too many double faults by his standards. Pleasure as always playing with Rich and look forward to playing again soon. Cheers mate!"  -- Nick
Reveal CommentNick Bunstead bt Phil Chin (Jan 14) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good, competitive match that would have been a lot closer in the score line had Phil taken some of the break points that he had on my serve in both the first and second set. I managed to hold on in those games and turn it around and that was the big difference. Phil is a quality player and it could have been a very different score line. Hopefully we get a chance to play again soon."  -- Nick
Reveal CommentDavid Mincer bt Christopher Perry (Dec 31) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really competitive match played in good spirits. 1st set was nip and tuck all the way, I managed to steal it on a tie break. This looked to be the pivotal moment as I raced into a 3-0 lead in the 2nd. But true to form, Chris came roaring back at me. It looked for all the world as if we'd be heading to another TB but I managed to break Chris' serve at 5-4 to win the match. In all honesty could have gone either way, really enjoyable, look forward to the rematch Chris! Cheers"  -- David
Reveal CommentPhil Chin bt Antony Parselle (Dec 22) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A truly brutal and hard fought match that I somehow managed to come through. The first set took well over an hour and was full of punishing rallies and long deuce games, several breaks were swapped and eventually and predictably after more breaks, the tie break was needed. A little momentum swing my way helped me to take the set but it could have easily gone either way, only a few key points in it. Further breaks were traded at the start of the second set with more long rallies and excellent defence on both sides before I managed to take the initiative at 3-1 and then a double break for 5-2 before serving out the match. A really punishing encounter that I’ll need Xmas to recover from! "  -- Phil
Reveal CommentPhil Chin bt Christopher Perry (Dec 18) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable match played in a Harpenden LTC bubble. A tight start to the match before I got a break and hold to serve for the set at 5-2 but didn’t take the chance to serve out before managing it for 6-4. Breaks were traded back and forth at the start of the second and I missed the opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4 and saved set points at 6-5 down before forcing the tie break. Some quick points my way quickly put the tie break under my control and I was able to close out. A close match, till next time Chris!"  -- Phil
Christopher Perry bt Antony Parselle (Dec 6) Walkover
Reveal CommentRichard Washbrook bt Christopher Perry (Dec 4) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "I settled a bit quicker than Chris and took a 2-0 lead, Chris soon found his touch and the set turned into a tight one with some really hard fought points by both players. I got a break at 5-4 and held serve to take the first. The second it was Chris who started faster taking a 3-1 lead, dominating ponts with his out swinging forehand and some nice touches. I got it back to 3-3 followed by a couple of good holds, I broke again at 5-4 and serving for the match, Chris then broke back with solid agressive play. I took a 5-2 lead in the tie break, again Chris upped the aggression to get it back to 5-5. I somehow won the next 2 nervy point. A really close match with a hell of a lot of running by both players. Well played Chris nice to meet you."  -- Richard
Reveal CommentPhil Chin bt David Mincer (Dec 3) 6-3, 7-6

Player Comments:

  • "A close match indoors at Gosling, it took till the 6 game of the 1st set for a hold of serve as breaks were traded back and forth. I finally managed to get a foothold and take the first set 6-3. The second set was extremely close with the momentum swinging backwards and forwards and David stepping up the consistency on his ground strokes to move me around the court. The initiative looked to be with David at a break and 4-3 up but I managed to fight back and then serve all holds took us a to a tie break. At 3-3 a lucky net cord and 2 quick serves gave me match points which I took at the second attempt. A hard fought and enjoyable match! "  -- Phil
Reveal CommentNick Bunstead bt David Mincer (Nov 29) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "This was a tighter match than the score line suggests. First set most games went to deuce and a lot of games could have easily gone the other way. The second set was a bit more straightforward as Dave tired a bit - this was his first match back after a long injury layoff. Some great rallies and points throughout the match. Good luck in the rest of your games Dave, and thanks for the match!"  -- Nick
Reveal CommentNick Bunstead bt Christopher Perry (Nov 27) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good game with Chris at Harpenden, with some good rallies. A bit more consistency on my side. Chris got better as the match went on, with the third set practise set a lot closer. Thanks for the game Chris!"  -- Nick
Reveal CommentNick Bunstead bt Antony Parselle (Nov 26) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Very early start, but we both got going well from the beginning. Good, fun match with Anthony. Plenty of good rallies and some long deuce games. My serve helped me a lot today, not normally so reliable, but I managed to hit more aces than I´ve ever done before. Thanks a lot for the game Ant!"  -- Nick
Reveal CommentPhil Chin bt Richard Washbrook (Nov 17) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "A titanic battle under the floodlights, the first set was relatively quick as I took a 5-0 lead before serving out at the second attempt for 6-2. The second set quickly went Richie’s way as he took a 3-0 lead before I clawed it back and had the chance to serve for the match, dropping serve and the subsequent 2 games to lose the set as Richie was hitting big winners and swinging for the lines. The legs began to go and the temperature dropped as the 3rd set turned into a battle of staying in the rallies with few service holds to go around. Again I had the chance to serve out at 5-4 before eventually doing so at the second attempt for 7-5. A really tough match that could have gone either way at the end, always a pleasure to play Richie."  -- Phil

Group Summary:

This was a quieter group with a few matches left unscheduled, and the winner Stuart completing just 3 matches, however these were all wins so he narrowly edged the group title ahead of runner up Michael. Their head to head was a 2 setter in which "the 2nd set was very close and could have gone either way", while Michael did well to win a close first set and then the match against Ben in tricky conditions. Congratulations to Abid too for winning both of the group's 3 set matches.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Stuart Mackay 3 3 0 2 8 WWW
2 Michael Andrews 4 3 1 2 8 WWLW
3 Abid Shabir 4 2 2 2 6 WLLW
4 Ben Thornhill 3 0 3 0 1 LLL
5 Chris Bryson 1 0 1 0 1 L
6 Yan Gao 1 0 1 0 0 L
7 Ashfia Tough 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentMichael Andrews bt Ben Thornhill (Jan 7) 7-5, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Interesting conditions with the court a little slippery from ice overnight and the low sun being a factor from one end but they were just about playable. The first set was very close, only ever being one game in it until, at 5-5, I managed to break and then hold to take the set. The second set Ben played a little worse and it was slightly more comfortable for me. A good match and I look forward to more games with Ben in better conditions!"  -- Michael
Abid Shabir bt Ben Thornhill (Dec 20) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Reveal CommentStuart Mackay bt Ben Thornhill (Dec 19) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A fun game, I got off to a good start, racing into a lead, and won the first Set. The 2nd was closer as Ben's serve clicked into gear but I was just a bit more consistent over the course of the match. Good luck for the rest of your games Ben!"  -- Stuart
Reveal CommentStuart Mackay bt Abid Shabir (Dec 16) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A good match that with a bit more consistency from Abid would have been a lot closer. Quite a few matches went to deuce but I managed to win the important points. Good luck in your remaining matches Abid!"  -- Stuart
Reveal CommentMichael Andrews bt Abid Shabir (Dec 3) 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Really competitive match especially in the first set with the momentum switching between us multiple times. Abid started well going 2-0 up but I responded with some close games to go 4-2 ahead. Abid then won some crucial points to make it 5-5 before I managed to close out the set 7-5. In the second set the momentum stayed with me as Abid dropped his level slightly. Overall a great match and I look forward to playing Abid again soon - good luck for the rest of your games!"  -- Michael
Reveal CommentStuart Mackay bt Michael Andrews (Dec 2) 6-1, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Neither of us were at our best but i managed to make fewer mistakes to take the 1st set. The 2nd set was very close and could have gone either way but i managed to close it out. Always fun, competitive matches against Michael - looking forward to playing again soon!"  -- Stuart
Reveal CommentMichael Andrews bt Yan Gao (Nov 25) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A cold winter's morning and low sun made it very difficult conditions for one side of the court and as Yan's first time on an outdoor court, she didn't play as well as she might have. A lot of games went close but I mainly had the edge on this occasion. Good luck with the rest of your games Yan!"  -- Michael

Match of the Group:

Abid Shabir bt Chris Bryson (Nov 21) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

Group Summary:

Well done to Simon for winning Group 4 at the first attempt on promotion from Group 3, and in impressive style too winning all 5 matches and also claiming the midway bonus points for early match scheduling. Usman was 2 points behind on 3 match wins, and had a strong round too, claiming a hard fought 3 set win against Ashley in 2 instalments (due to icy conditions the first time). Ashley and Lucy weren't far behind, so it was a competitive group across the board.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Simon Phillips 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Usman Khan 4 3 1 2 8 WWLW
3 Ashley Guinn 5 2 3 2 8 WWLL
4 Lucy Webster 6 2 4 2 7 LLWW
5 Dave Martell 3 2 1 2 6 WWL
6 Sophie Stack 5 1 4 2 4 LLWL
7 Matt Ralph 2 0 2 0 0 LL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentSimon Phillips bt Sophie Stack (Jan 14) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the game Sophie, an enjoyable match. Good luck in the next round"  -- Simon
Reveal CommentAshley Guinn bt Sophie Stack (Jan 7) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Sophie was recovering from cold unfortunately so made some uncharacteristic errors. But there were also some good rallies! Many thanks for the match Sophie!"  -- Ashley
Reveal CommentAshley Guinn bt Lucy Webster (Dec 20) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "This was a big battle.. Lucy is a very tough opponent. She got off to a good start and was leading 4-1 in the first set. But I managed to improve my consistency and make a comeback. We are both quite consistent though, so there were a lot of long rallies. In the second set, Lucy again started well and we both managed to hold serve. The third game was a turning point and was back and forth on deuce for ages. But I managed to break Lucy and from there the match turned in my favour. But overall we both really enjoyed the match and look forward to playing again."  -- Ashley

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentUsman Khan bt Ashley Guinn (Dec 19) 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "To be continued..on a less icey surface."  -- Ashley
Usman Khan bt Lucy Webster (Dec 18) 6-2, 6-4
Reveal CommentSophie Stack bt Matt Ralph (Dec 17) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really close game with some great rallies, very enjoyable match which could have gone either way"  -- Sophie
Reveal CommentSimon Phillips bt Ashley Guinn (Dec 7) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A really enjoyable match, lots of really good rallies. The match ebbed and flowed. We traded break of serves in our first services games, then we held serve to take it 5-4, I was then able to break Ashley to take the 1st set. At the start of the second, I raced into a 3-0 lead only to be pegged back by Ashley to get back into the set at 3-3. I then managed to break Ashley and take a 5-3 lead. And we both held our serves to for me to take the second set 6-4. We'll played Ashley, good luck for for the rest of the league."  -- Simon
Reveal CommentDave Martell bt Ashley Guinn (Dec 4) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Another 2 hour+ epic with Ashley and a narrow win: thanks for the match! "  -- Dave
Lucy Webster bt Matt Ralph (Dec 4) 6-0, 6-1
Reveal CommentLucy Webster bt Sophie Stack (Nov 29) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A very enjoyable match as we have a similar game. "  -- Lucy
Reveal CommentDave Martell bt Lucy Webster (Nov 27) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable match, very unpredictable! The second set was heading for 0:6 until I managed to grab some games and then, trailing 2:5 in the 3rd, I hit a streak that saw out the match. Fast surface and some good stuff on both sides: thanks Lucy!"  -- Dave
Reveal CommentSimon Phillips bt Lucy Webster (Nov 26) 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A tough and enjoyable match played in very cold conditions. I managed to break Lucy in her first service game, and served for the first set at 5-4 only for Lucy to break my serve. I managed to win the next two games to win the first set. Just as we started the 2nd set I took a pretty bad tumble on the icing court and we decided to switch to one of the less slippery clay courts. I struggled initially to adapt to the new court surface and fell 0-3 down. I then won the next 6 games to take the set and the match. lucy pushed me all the way with some solids play in very difficult conditions. Well Played Lucy and good luck for the rest of the league."  -- Simon
Simon Phillips bt Usman Khan (Nov 21) 6-4, 6-3
Reveal CommentSimon Phillips bt Dave Martell (Nov 19) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very enjoyable match. When either of us we're not double faulting, the points were evenly contested, it just came down to me serving fewer double faults. I look forward to playing Dave again."  -- Simon
Usman Khan bt Sophie Stack (Nov 19) 6-4, 6-2

Group Summary:

It was very close at the top of Group 5 with very little to separate Tim K and Ed, however Tim K edged the title by virtue of losing one fewer match and winning their head to head! This was Tim K's first win against Ed in 3 attempts and was a 2.5 hour battle... so well played both! There were close matches too between Tim S & Avril, Ed & Avril and the two Tim's amongst others, so it was a competitive group played in good spirits.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Tim Kidd 5 4 1 2 11 WLWW
2 Ed Blake 6 4 2 2 11 LWWW
3 Tim Smith 6 3 3 0 7 WLLW
4 Mark McConochie 3 3 0 0 6 WWW
5 Modestas Brazdeikis 3 1 2 0 3 LWL
6 Avril Brownell 4 0 4 0 1 LLLL
7 Christopher Lowe 3 0 3 0 0 LLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentTim Smith bt Avril Brownell (Jan 24) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great game, some long rallies, look forward to playing again."  -- Tim
Reveal CommentMark McConochie bt Ed Blake (Jan 22) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Many thanks for the game Ed. "  -- Mark
Reveal CommentEd Blake bt Avril Brownell (Jan 18) 7-6, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Another tough match against Avril. We were both struggling with our serve today which meant quite a few breaks on both sides, but we had some great rallies once the points got going. Avril is very good at finding the corners of the court which makes for a lot of running! The tiebreak could easily have gone either way. I managed to find a bit more consistency towards the end of the second set and managed to break and then hold from 4-3. Great match, thanks Avril."  -- Ed
Reveal CommentEd Blake bt Modestas Brazdeikis (Jan 18) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A very close match. Modestas started well in both sets, taking an early break, so it was a gradual fight back from there. Modestas has a powerful first serve and has quite an attacking game, which was fun to play against and I was often just trying to get the ball back and stay consistent. Great to meet you Modestas, hope to see you in the next round."  -- Ed
Reveal CommentTim Kidd bt Christopher Lowe (Jan 8) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Good equal match with a number good fun rallies. On a very very cold evening.thanks Chris"  -- Tim
Reveal CommentModestas Brazdeikis bt Tim Smith (Jan 3) 6-1, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Well that was a good expierence for me, as Tim was playing really good down the base line and at the net as well. I think i just get lucky to pull this over in 2 set. Thanks a lot Tim! respect"  -- Modestas
Reveal CommentMark McConochie bt Tim Smith (Dec 27) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with Tim. We had some very close games and Tim has all the shots but I was just lucky enough to be a bit more consistent on the day. Thanks Tim. "  -- Mark
Reveal CommentTim Smith bt Tim Kidd (Dec 23) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Another good game, final score didn't really reflect how close the game was, thanks Tim. "  -- Tim
Reveal CommentMark McConochie bt Avril Brownell (Dec 23) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Many thanks for the game Avril"  -- Mark
Reveal CommentEd Blake bt Christopher Lowe (Dec 19) 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A fun match. I started well and got a couple of breaks early in the first set, but Chris then dominated the next few games to bring the score back to 5-5. After a short break while we waited for the floodlights to come back on I managed to serve out the first set, and kept the momentum going in the second set. Thanks Chris, hope we play again soon."  -- Ed
Reveal CommentEd Blake bt Tim Smith (Dec 13) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "We started off playing indoors at Batchwood. Tim dominated the first set and it was starting to look like it would be a very short match, but I managed to relax in the second set and find some consistency. We didn't have enough time to play a third set, so met up again a week later to complete the match indoors at Gosling. That was a much closer set as we were both playing more consistently, and I was lucky to be able to break at 5-4. We had some great points, particularly in the third set, thanks Tim," -- Ed
Reveal CommentTim Kidd bt Modestas Brazdeikis (Dec 13) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great to finally play Modestas and on his birthday. Tough match, he has a great first serve and we had a number of great rallies. I doubled faulted a lot a great game and look forward to playing you again soon."  -- Tim
Reveal CommentTim Kidd bt Avril Brownell (Dec 7) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great game with Avril, good rallies, I think we were both playing better than our last match."  -- Tim

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentTim Kidd bt Ed Blake (Dec 2) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Ed won our first two matches, 2.5hrs later I won this one. It was a fantastic game, Ed is great to play, bring on the fourth match. Ed has a great service game and is consistent and is making me wanting to work harder on it."  -- Tim
Reveal CommentTim Smith bt Christopher Lowe (Nov 27) 6-1, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Some good, long rallies, especially second set. Great venue too, thanks Chris."  -- Tim