Friendly, competitive tennis on Waltham Forest's public courts

You are just a step away from joining our mixed-sex, singles league for men and women (aged 18+) of all standards.

If you have been meaning to get back into tennis or would like to meet new people to play, why not give it a go!

Close matches, close by.

Ridgeway Park - serving up an ace!
Ridgeway Park - serving up an ace!

Want to Get Playing?

From the dates above, choose your round and click on the Join By link.

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Every player who completes three matches by the midway point of any round is sent a FREE can of tennis balls! Plus there are great offers all the time in our shop.

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This is how it works:

  • Players are organised into groups of between 5 to 9 people of a similar standard
  • It is a mixed sex, singles league, so men and women play each other
  • Groups are put together by standard and there can be any combination of men and women in a group (we do not guarantee a balance of men and women and you could be the only man in a group of women or vice versa!)
  • Contact details are emailed and posted to each player's account page
  • Players arrange their own matches
  • You can play on any court that suits both players

The league is:

  • For everyone over the age of 18
  • We welcome beginners as well as advanced players.
  • Don't worry that you won't be good enough - playing matches is the best way to improve, and we use an online questionnaire to assess people's ability so you play only people of a roughly similar level
  • Affiliated to the LTA For adults aged 18 years and above 

Key points

  • Matches are best of three sets; if a set reaches 6 games all it is decided by a tiebreak
  • The evening before the round starts you will receive an email with all the contact details of the players in your group. Contact details are also posted to your Account Page
  • Players are placed in groups according to past performance in the league and, for new players, their Player Standard Questionnaire
  • Each player attempts to play each of the other player on their group once during the round
  • A point is awarded for each set won
  • If you complete three matches before the midpoint of a round you receive 2 bonus points and a bonus prize (either a pair of Local Tennis Leagues dampeners, or a tube of tennis balls)
  • The winner of the group is the player with the most points at the end of the round
  • The winner of the group wins a voucher for £20 to be spent in the Local Tennis League online shop. A winner's certificate is also posted to the winner's Account Page as a PDF file.
  • Where possible, winners of groups are promoted to the group above for the next round.

See here for the complete rules and regulations

Getting started

New players will need to complete the player questionnaire before they can join a round. Once you’ve signed up, and for returning players you can join any of the upcoming rounds above.

For everything you need to know before you get started see the FAQs and review the Rules and Regulations, which all players agree to adhere to when playing in the leagues.

If there is anything else you need help with get in contact with Nigel, Sally and the team who will be happy to help!


Missing Something?

If you notice any of our venue information is out of date, missing court costs or opening hours please let us know.

UPDATE OUR VENUES

Primary Venues

Lloyd Park

Walthamstow, London, E17 5EH Tel: full venue details »

Abbotts Park

London, E10 5AJ Tel: full venue details »

Chingford School of Tennis

Rolls Park, Hickman Avenue, off Larkshall Road, Highams Park, London, E4 9JG Tel: 020 8523 0900 full venue details »

Ridgeway Park

Chingford, London, E4 6XU Tel: 0203-794-0109 full venue details »

Other Venues

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre

Eton Manor, Leadmill Lane, London, E20 3AD Tel: 08456 770 604 full venue details »

Jubilee Park

Galliard Road, Edmonton, London, N9 7RH Tel: full venue details »

My home borough's league (Waltham Forest) has been a pleasure to play in. Great people and close matches with one particular person setting the standard for everyone else to aspire to. Please keep this league going you have my wholehearted support.

Winston Balfourth

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Collapse AllWaltham Forest Singles - Round 18 | Thursday 1 October 2020 to Wednesday 4 November 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 28 October 2020)

Such a shame we had to end the round two weeks early due to lockdown but at least quite a few matches had already been played across the groups! A great effort from everyone and we look forward to getting going again soon!

Group Summary:

Congratulations to Winston for winning 5 matches en route to finishing as group champ, although he wasn't sure how he "managed to get out of the woods" in his match against runner up Ilya. Ilya had him "reeling on the ropes" in the first 2 sets before Winston launched a comeback and won in 3 sets. There was a great win for James against Gilbert too.

Final Rankings:

  1. Winston Balfourth [W5] 12 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
  2. Ilya Tkachiov 7.2 [W3, L1] 9 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
  3. Gilbert Ward [W2, L3] 6
  4. James Clarke 10.2 [W2, L1] 4
  5. David Smith [L3] 2 includes 2 bonus points
  6. Oleg Petryk [L2] 1
  7. Tomasz Jaxa-Chamiec [L2] 1
  8. Ari Krepostman
  9. Graeme Rawlings

Match Results:

Reveal CommentWinston Balfourth bt Gilbert Ward (Nov 3) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A really good match just before lockdown 2.0. I started fairly quickly and had the first set before Gilles could get into a rhythm. Cue second set. I won the first game. Gilles then started firing winners left, right and centre and moved 5-1 up. I managed to pull it back to 5-4 but Gilles deservedly held out for the second set. The final set I managed to dig deep with plenty of games going to deuce. A great sportingly played match. Pity about lockdown but we will meet up again for a knock outside of the league once the lockdown cloud has lifted. Thanks again Gilles and look forward to knocking again."  -- Winston
Ilya Tkachiov bt Gilbert Ward (Nov 2) 6-1, 6-1

Match of the Group:

James Clarke bt Gilbert Ward (Oct 31) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
Gilbert Ward bt David Smith (Oct 28) 6-3, 6-1
Reveal CommentIlya Tkachiov bt Tomasz Jaxa-Chamiec (Oct 26) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Very glad to have the opportunity to play Tomasz again. The game was close, but I was more consistent in the second half of the 3rd set, which got me the W. Considering it was just the second match Tomasz played since the lockdown, his level was impressive, and sure is about to improve as he gets more matches in. I look forward to our future encounters!"  -- Ilya
Reveal CommentWinston Balfourth bt Ilya Tkachiov (Oct 24) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Not sure how I managed to get out of the woods in this match. Ilya had me reeling on the ropes for the best part of two sets. One particular end of the court I couldn't hold my serve on. At 5-4 down in the second set at the end I struggled at. I finally managed to hold serve. I broke Ilya to go 6-5 up and served out to even the scores. I won the third more due to making less errors as it was still quite a tussle. Great match. Until next time"  -- Winston
Reveal CommentWinston Balfourth bt Tomasz Jaxa-Chamiec (Oct 22) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Never played a match with so many devices. I think only 2 games didn't get to deuce. Game eight in the first set went on for over 20 minutes. Game three in the second set was at least 10 minutes. Always great playing Tomasz."  -- Winston
Reveal CommentIlya Tkachiov bt James Clarke (Oct 19) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "That was a really fine game full of dramatic unpredictable exchanges and deja vu moments. I was really struggling with my serve at the end of Set 2, and was sure to lose the whole thing if I didn't win the second set. I just love this game :D"  -- Ilya
Reveal CommentJames Clarke bt David Smith (Oct 18) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play David again, good game initially saw us both dropping service games in first set. Most games were close and lasted a while exchanging deuce and advantages so could have gone either way."  -- James
Reveal CommentWinston Balfourth bt Oleg Petryk (Oct 14) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Really great meeting and playing a tennis fanatic like Oleg. We had a really good match especially as the rain held off for us. Some excellent rallies and great sportsmanship. Always nice to see new additions to the league and Oleg is an excellent person to have in the league. We even had time at the end or should I say found additional time to play some more tennis after the match ended. Best of luck in your remaining matches Oleg and catch up again sometime."  -- Winston
Reveal CommentWinston Balfourth bt David Smith (Oct 10) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Always good to play against Dave. We've played a few times outside of the league already. It's much more than just a match. Some really good rallies and shots from both sides. We'll catch up again soon."  -- Winston
Reveal CommentGilbert Ward bt Oleg Petryk (Oct 7) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "We played over 2 days because of rain - evening of Wednesday 7 October and morning of Sunday 11 October"  -- Gilbert

Group Summary:

With a lot of tennis still to play it was tight at the top of Group 2 as Andy and Darren were both on 5 points when the round finished... however Andy's hard fought win in their close 3 setter meant he finished top. Meanwhile Stuart and Darren had a great match too including "a back hand down the line winner from Darren when the ball was past him and I was almost celebrating the point"!

Final Rankings:

  1. Andy McGlynn 10.2 [W1, L3] 5 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
  2. Darren Lawrence [W2, L2] 5 RUNNER UP
  3. Oliver Hein [W2] 4
  4. Stuart Mackay 8.2 [W2] 4
  5. Will Hutchinson 9.1 [W1, L1] 3
  6. Rob Lewis [L2]
  7. Bogdan Sturzu
  8. Mark Rider
  9. Sol Ali withdrawn

Match Results:

Reveal CommentDarren Lawrence bt Rob Lewis (Nov 4) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Close match is very sunny conditions! Pleasure playing Rob, thanks, and apologies for the late start mate. "  -- Darren
Reveal CommentStuart Mackay bt Andy McGlynn (Nov 3) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match on a cold night with Andy racing into an early lead and took the first set. I managed to hold on and find a way back into the match. Some great passing shots from both and some big games including another ridiculously long deuce game early in the 2nd set!"  -- Stuart
Reveal CommentDarren Lawrence bt Will Hutchinson (Nov 1) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Long match and big delay playing third and final set! Good match - thanks Will and welcome to the area. "  -- Darren
Reveal CommentStuart Mackay bt Darren Lawrence (Oct 25) 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great game to be involved in, some great rallies including a back hand down the line winner from Darren when the ball was past him and I was almost celebrating the point, and another late in the 2nd set when we both chased everything down culminating in another great winner from Darren, could have gone wither way in the end, cheers for the game mate!"  -- Stuart
Reveal CommentWill Hutchinson bt Andy McGlynn (Oct 25) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Really good game in not so great conditions."  -- Andy

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentAndy McGlynn bt Darren Lawrence (Oct 19) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), [10-4]

Player Comments:

  • "Fun close game with some good rallies."  -- Andy
Oliver Hein bt Rob Lewis (Oct 17) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
Oliver Hein bt Andy McGlynn (Oct 10) 6-1, 6-4

Group Summary:

There was a new face at the top of Group 3 as Mark's run of 4 wins without defeat saw him finish as champ, a single point clear of runner up Wenlery. Nihar did well to come back from losing a tight opening set against Wenlery to win in 3, while Mark pulled off 3 set comebacks against Jan and Wenlery.

Final Rankings:

  1. Mark Slade [W4] 10 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
  2. Wenlery Manuel [W2, L2, UF1] 9 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
  3. Jan Podaril [W1, L2] 3
  4. Jonas Niessen 9.1 [W1, L1] 2
  5. Nihar Baldev 10.1 [W1] 2
  6. Andy Constantinou 10.1 [W1] 2
  7. Oscar Wood 10.2 [L3] 1
  8. Toby Spearpoint 10.1 [UF1]
  9. Oliver Lowrie [L2]

Match Results:

Mark Slade bt Oscar Wood (Oct 31) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Reveal CommentWenlery Manuel bt Oscar Wood (Oct 31) 7-6 (7-0), 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Luckily not too much rain to worry about and fairly dry conditions. It was a good match to play and some really good rally's in the first set. Good luck! "  -- Wenlery
Reveal CommentNihar Baldev bt Wenlery Manuel (Oct 25) 6-7 (9-11), 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks Wenny for a great match. It was hard work for both of us. Wenny has some amazing shots and the score line doesn’t do justice to the match we played. Almost every game went to a deuce or was close. Hard luck this time Wenny and good luck with the rest of your matches. "  -- Nihar
Jonas Niessen bt Oscar Wood (Oct 24) 6-1, 6-3
Mark Slade bt Jonas Niessen (Oct 18) 7-5, 6-3
Andy Constantinou bt Jan Podaril (Oct 18) Walkover
Mark Slade bt Jan Podaril (Oct 17) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5
Reveal CommentWenlery Manuel bt Oliver Lowrie (Oct 17) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Until we meet again for that re-match ! Well played ! "  -- Wenlery

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentMark Slade bt Wenlery Manuel (Oct 11) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Good match and some nice rally’s!! "  -- Wenlery
Jan Podaril bt Oliver Lowrie (Oct 11) 6-1, 6-0
Reveal CommentWenlery Manuel v Toby Spearpoint (Oct 7) 6-4, 4-2 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "To be continued.."  -- Wenlery

Group Summary:

There was still a lot of tennis left to play but 5 players each won 3 matches meaning the top spots were well contested... but Graham and Warren led the way on 9 points apiece from 5 matches played. As they hadn't yet played their head to head Graham pipped Warren to top spot by conceding fewer sets on average although one of Warren's defeats was a retirement against Rafa. So all in all a close group and it's a real shame that the exciting match between Graham and Rafa couldn't be completed.

Final Rankings:

  1. Graham Bowles 9.2 [W3, L1, UF1] 9 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
  2. Warren Darking 10.1 [W3, L2] 9 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
  3. Eric Huang 10.2 [W3] 8 includes 2 bonus points
  4. Michael Kenny 10.1 [W3, L1] 8 includes 2 bonus points
  5. Rafa Alonso 10.1 [W3, UF1] 7
  6. HT Teklai [L4] 3 includes 2 bonus points
  7. Tiziano Pilustri [L4] 2 includes 2 bonus points
  8. Greg Simkins [L3] 2 includes 2 bonus points
  9. Craig White

Match Results:

Reveal CommentRafa Alonso bt Warren Darking (Nov 4) 5-1 Warren Darking Retired

Player Comments:

  • "Sadly, Warren got injured at the end of the first set, but the game was fantastic, we both played at a very similar level which caused very good rallies and close games."  -- Rafa
Reveal CommentWarren Darking bt Greg Simkins (Oct 28) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Very competitive first set with some long rallies and a variety of shots. Greg had an almost perfect overhead record and a very strong ability to get the ball back in play. Very enjoyable match, thanks Greg!"  -- Warren
Warren Darking bt HT Teklai (Oct 26) 6-4, 6-2
Graham Bowles bt Tiziano Pilustri (Oct 25) 6-1, 6-2

Match of the Group:

Michael Kenny bt HT Teklai (Oct 22) 6-3, 4-6, [12-10]
Reveal CommentEric Huang bt Greg Simkins (Oct 17) 6-4, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the game Greg"  -- Eric
Reveal CommentRafa Alonso bt Michael Kenny (Oct 17) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great game! It was good to see each other again on the courts! "  -- Rafa
Reveal CommentRafa Alonso bt HT Teklai (Oct 16) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Fantastic game! shame the court was a bit slippery, there were a few very good rallies. "  -- Rafa
Reveal CommentMichael Kenny bt Tiziano Pilustri (Oct 15) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Good game Tiz. Keep it going"  -- Michael
Reveal CommentMichael Kenny bt Warren Darking (Oct 13) 6-3, 3-6, [10-7]

Player Comments:

  • "As usual close game. Pity didnt get to play full 3rd set"  -- Michael
Reveal CommentGraham Bowles v Rafa Alonso (Oct 13) 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5) TBC

Player Comments:

  • "This was the second installment of our close and enjoyable contest, still couldn't complete due to rain again . Hopefully we will get a chance to play the 3rd set."  -- Graham
Reveal CommentEric Huang bt Graham Bowles (Oct 12) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Surpringly good conditions early in the morning. Really good game with lots of interesting points and was great to see some serving and volleying"  -- Eric
Graham Bowles bt Greg Simkins (Oct 11) 6-2, 6-2
Reveal CommentWarren Darking bt Tiziano Pilustri (Oct 9) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with lots of slicing from both sides. The scoreline doesn't do the lengths r quality of the games justice."  -- Warren
Reveal CommentEric Huang bt Tiziano Pilustri (Oct 7) 6-0, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for setting up the match Tiz, was great weather and just managed to finish before the rain started. "  -- Eric
Graham Bowles bt HT Teklai (Oct 7) 6-2, 6-0

Group Summary:

Another group with lots of matches left to play however Lucy played well to win 3 matches and secure top spot, 2 points clear of runner up Sanpaul. Their head to head featured "lots of great long rallies" but Lucy wrapped up the win in straight sets, while the group's closest match was between Anton and Victoria.

Final Rankings:

  1. Lucy Carter [W3] 8 includes 2 bonus points WINNER
  2. Sanpaul Singh [W2, L1] 6 includes 2 bonus points RUNNER UP
  3. Michael Chiswell [W1] 2
  4. Anton Short [W1, L1] 2
  5. Victoria Marshall [L4] 2 includes 2 bonus points
  6. Byron Mardas [L1]
  7. Ismail Sik 10.1
  8. Tarryn Leeferink

Match Results:

Reveal CommentMichael Chiswell bt Victoria Marshall (Oct 23) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Nice match played in friendly spirit"  -- Michael
Reveal CommentLucy Carter bt Sanpaul Singh (Oct 22) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Lots of great long rallies and thanks for the match."  -- Lucy
Lucy Carter bt Victoria Marshall (Oct 20) 6-0, 6-0
Reveal CommentSanpaul Singh bt Anton Short (Oct 18) 6-0, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable game with a great player. An epic second set that could have gone either way."  -- Sanpaul
Lucy Carter bt Byron Mardas (Oct 14) 6-0, 6-1

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentAnton Short bt Victoria Marshall (Oct 10) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Good game with some great rallies, tightly contested."  -- Victoria
Reveal CommentSanpaul Singh bt Victoria Marshall (Oct 8) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great game with a large amount of long rallies. The match was much closer than the score line suggests."  -- Sanpaul

Results

Looking for previous matches? Visit the Waltham Forest archive.
The results listed here include the current and previous round of Singles matches for Waltham Forest.

Scoring Information:
You earn one point for every set you win. Players who complete three or more matches by the mid-point of the round receive 2 bonus points, and a bonus prize (typically a free can of HEAD tennis balls). Bonus prizes must be claimed within 28 days using the link posted to the player's Account page. The link is also emailed to players.

Please note, while matches tied at one set all may be completed with a matchtiebreak, singles matches completed to this shortened format, do not count toward bonus points.

Understanding the current rankings display: 
Player name, [LTA rating - if known], W - tally of wins, L - tally of  losses, UF - tally of unfinished matches] 'n' - points won (if bonus points have been won a  note to this effect is added) 

Comments:
Reporters of results are encouraged to leave a comment on the "Report Your Score" form. Additional commentaries may be added by submitting a result revision (see the pencil icon next to your results)