Collapse AllWest Ham Park & Newham Singles - Round 36 | Thursday 16 January 2020 to Wednesday 11 March 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 12 February 2020)
A good round in West Ham & Newham where players refused to let the wind put them off their tennis! A couple of no shows brought the stats down a bit but three quarters of all possible matches were played. Well done all and hope you would like to do it all again soon!
Group Summary:
'Lights actually went out when I served at love 15 and played a shot' says Winston of his match against Shivank! We don't think there was any connection, but it's a great pity they could not finish as this could have decided the group. As it is, Shivank edged the title by one point ahead of Winston, so very well done to both. We very much enjoyed Winston's comment about playing Mo - 'I look forward to it, just like Christmas. You never know what you are going to get' and there was close, quality and sporting tennis played throughout this group. Well done all.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shivank Sharma | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | LWWW | ||||||
2 | Winston Balfourth | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | WWWL | ||||||
3 | Jan Metcalf | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | LLLW | ||||||
4 | Steve Lloyd | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | WWW | ||||||
5 | Muhammad Noor | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | LLWW | ||||||
6 | Alan Lam | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | WLWL | ||||||
7 | Tony Lam | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | LL | ||||||
8 | Zoe O’Brien | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | LLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Thanks Zoe! We had some great rallies, especially the backhand slice vs backhand slice exchanges. I enjoyed this game thoroughly and glad to play tennis FINALLY without the wind and rain! Good luck in the rest of your games." -- Alan
Player Comments:
- "Out of time at Stratford. Engaging match. Lights actually went out when I served at love 15 and played a shot." -- Winston
Player Comments:
- "In spite of the windy weather. We had a really good match. Forget the scoreline as it doesn't reflect that there were many deuces and great rallies throughout the whole match. Best of luck with your remaining matches Zoe." -- Winston
Player Comments:
- "I look forward to playing Mo, just like Christmas. You never know what you're going to get but it's always a surprise. It's a great H2H with neither of us getting away from the other. Even Stevens now and long may our matches continue. Mo broke me in the first game of the first set and held serve to go two up. I knew I had to stick with him as once he gets away then it's nigh on impossible to catch him. Game 9 I managed to get in front and then break for the set. Today was my day but I know Mo and the next time will be just as competitive as all of our matches. Until our next eventful meeting I will just reflect on how great it is playing against Mo, win or lose. Kudos my friend." -- Winston
Player Comments:
- "Tight two sets against Tony with some fun rallies and net play. Thanks for a good hit and good luck for the rest of the matches, Tony!" -- Shivank
Player Comments:
- "Jans a great player with an excellent baseline game. On a lovely still evening match was a lot closer than scoreline suggests with many deuces/ads. I was pleased with my consistency and guile tonight" -- Muhammad
Player Comments:
- "What an enjoyable sportingly played match. It really could have gone either way. Both of us had to contend with blustery conditions and a slippery court. Alan started well and took the first set. I fought back to level the match. The final set every time there was a break there was an immediate break back. Finally in the 11th game I managed to break Alan and serve out for the match. I say serve out but there were multiple deuces until it finally finished. Thanks again Alan for a great match and we'll definitely play each other again." -- Winston
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentMuhammad Noor bt Alan Lam (Feb 1) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)Player Comments:
- "What a match could have gone either literally a couple of points here and there. Make no mistake Alan is a quality quaility player ..he is going to do very well in this league watch this space Mo" -- Muhammad
Player Comments:
- "Really close match with some entertaining rallies in spite of very windy conditions. The first two sets were decided by a single break; just managed to have a slight edge in the third. Thanks Jan for a really good game and all the best for the remaining matches!" -- Shivank
Player Comments:
- "A cold and blustery evening made conditions quite tough, but after a little bit of a slow start this warmed up into a really competitive match. Second set hinges on a few key points which luckily went my way. Thanks for a great match!" -- Jan
Player Comments:
- "Great game with big hitting from both ends and some nice rallies - much closer than the score reflects. Thanks Zoe for a good hit and good luck for the rest of the matches!" -- Shivank
Player Comments:
- "Don’t let this score line deceive you, a really tight match with some massive ground strokes. Nice crisp evening with some brand new balls, and it made for a great game. Huge winners off both flanks and some great rallies too. Thanks for a great match Winston. " -- Jan
Group Summary:
A great round for Raj who came through 5 matches successfully, thought Ynda, Ken and Sebastian in particular made it tough for him. Along the way Raj noted how much Sebastian had improved since their last encounter - and so it proved when he finished second, just one point behind the champ! This was a well contested and generous spirited group, judging by the match commentaries. Many thanks for the sportsmanship and well played all!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rajendra Khokher | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Sebastian Ambrozie | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | WWWL | ||||||
3 | Ken Jarrad | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | LLWW | ||||||
4 | Ynda Jas | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | WLLL | ||||||
5 | Giuseppe Passino | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | LLL | ||||||
6 | Mantas Lukosius | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | LLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Great match unfortunately cut short by the rain. The first set was tight with each of us taking runs of games, and we had some exciting, long all-court rallies." -- Ynda
Player Comments:
- "Good match, score doesn’t do justice to the quality of match and fighting spirit shown by Giuseppe." -- Rajendra
Player Comments:
- "Good match, Mantas has good serve with high bounce. " -- Rajendra
Player Comments:
- "After a few games, it was looking like it could've been a repeat of our match from the previous round, with Giuseppe's strong serves and groundstrokes proving too powerful. Eventually, however, I found a way to put more balls back in play, which led to a tight clash with runs of games either side. In the end, I edged a narrow victory in both of our close and highly competitive sets. " -- Ynda
Player Comments:
- "Very windy." -- Ken
Player Comments:
- "A great match was played in cold windy conditions. Sebastian came with aggressive mindset, his skiddy first serves had Raj in troubled . He won 5 continuous games of the first set and easily won it 6-1 . In the second set his first serves deserted him and gave Raj a chance to make a come back in the match. Raj won 4 games in a row to win the set 6-2. Serve troubled Sebi again in the third set but it was a well fought set with multiple deuces Raj took it with 6-2 scoreline but it was tougher than the score suggests. Sebi has come a long way since I last played with him, he is a tricky customer got good first serve and developing spin second serve which was missing last time. " -- Rajendra
Player Comments:
- "It was a great match played in tricky/slippery conditions. Ynda fought well to recover from 5-1 down in second set to win it . The scoreline in the third set doesnt do the the justice to how well Ynda played which involved multiple deuces. " -- Rajendra
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentSebastian Ambrozie bt Ynda Jas (Jan 22) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4Player Comments:
- "An epic rematch. This time, Sebastian started out strong and dominant, only dropping one game on the way to taking the first set. At the start of the second set, I made a big change-up, switching from cap to the classic headband. Perhaps the intimidation of this move precipitated a reversal of the first set: 6-1 to me. The deciding set was tight: after four games, we each had two games in the same set for the first time: 2-2. Sebastian pushed on to build a dangerous two-game lead, after which I nervously brought it back to 4-4, but Sebastian proved mentally tough in closing the final set out 6-4. Well played!" -- Ynda
Player Comments:
- "Good to get the round started and looking forward to longer rallies as we all get more practise and make less unforced errors. " -- Ken
Group Summary:
Good to have Mike back in the league after break for a couple of rounds and he returned in some style, topping the group very convincingly. Reza was runner up, one of three newcomers to the league this round (he tied on points with Mia but won the head to head). Hope you all enjoyed it and that this will be the first of many!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mike Kosco | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Reza Doobary | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | WWW | ||||||
3 | Mia Price | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | WWLL | ||||||
4 | Tamzin Ámin | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | LLWW | ||||||
5 | Paul Jackson | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | LLLL | ||||||
6 | James Goldsbury | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | WW | ||||||
7 | Ishak Ayiris | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | LLLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Fun match, with loads of deuce games. Great forehand and backhand drive shots from Tamzin. It would be great to play again sometime. Thanks for the game..." -- Mike
Player Comments:
- "A fun match despite the very windy conditions. Look forward to completing! TA to serve in the 3rd set." -- Tamzin
- "Very close games as always with some intense rallies!," -- Mia
Player Comments:
- "A very fun game with some great rallies!" -- Mia
Player Comments:
- "Great first set, went to the wire and could have gone either way. Look forward to another hit with James." -- Mike
Player Comments:
- "Very decent and enjoyable match. Mia's first serve and forehand kept me on the my toes the entire match, loads of 30 alls and deuces in the games, making it a pretty tight one!" -- Reza
Player Comments:
- "Nice match - some really decent gets by Paul." -- Reza
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentMike Kosco bt Mia Price (Mar 1) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4Player Comments:
- "Good fun playing Mia again. Super close match, with both sets taking over an hour to play. Just a few points the other way in both sets would have seen the score reversed. Good luck with the remaining games." -- Mike
Player Comments:
- "Great fun match. Loads of deuce games." -- Mike
Player Comments:
- "Very enjoyable game with Ishak in difficult windy conditions. Ishak has a good all round game, and it was a close match." -- Mike
Player Comments:
- "Some really fun rallies, even towards the end despite the slippery surface!" -- Mia
Player Comments:
- "Despite the overall scores, there were some very fun games in there! Thanks for a great match!" -- Mia
Player Comments:
- "Both of us had chances to go clear in the first set, but just as it looked as if one person was gaining an advantage, they were promptly kept back. A very close set which I nudged in the tie break. Ishak has a lovely game, hit some spectacular, powerful shots, and was a pleasure to play against. Good luck with the rest of the round!" -- Tamzin
Group Summary:
Derek wins the group in his debut round - congratulations! Vitalii, who won his group last time, continues the fine form and tied on points with the champ but as Derek won the head to head (a 'Really enjoyable match with lots of nice rallies') he takes gold this time. The wind was a big factor for this group, tossing the ball hither and yon, especially when someone was just about to hit it, so very well done to everyone for battling through!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Derek O'Brien | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | WWW | ||||||
2 | Vitalii Tiutiunnyk | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | WWLW | ||||||
3 | Mirco Valenza | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | WLLW | ||||||
4 | Henry Roe | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | LWL | ||||||
5 | Nicoleta Moise | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | LLLL | ||||||
6 | Jennefer Brown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "It felt a bit like who can beat the wind kind of game, where you need to adapt to constantly changing gusts, hitting wild directions to make the ball not being blown off the side of the court, or preparing for the ball to rapidly change its trajectory after a bounce just at the moment when you're all set and ready to hit it. But even with all that it was a very good and tense game: long rallies, plenty of winners and successful volleys from both sides. Definitely enjoyed it and am looking forward to a rematch!" -- Vitalii
Player Comments:
- "A fun match with lots of good rallies" -- Henry
Player Comments:
- "This was a very fun and close match. Henry has a very powerful forehand with lots spin! Thanks for the fun match." -- Mirco
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentVitalii Tiutiunnyk bt Mirco Valenza (Feb 8) 6-1, 7-5Player Comments:
- "It was an intense match, especially second set as can be seen from the score, with the occasional gusts of wind making some points quite unpredictable and chaotic. There were plenty of strong serves from Mirco including a couple of aces, as well as quite a few precisely sliced drop shots and good defensive play in general. Thanks for the match!" -- Vitalii
Player Comments:
- "The score doesn't reflect some excellent rallies and close games that we had. Nicoleta played her best tennis when the shots she had to return were the most difficult! Keep practising and your consistency will improve very quickly." -- Derek
Player Comments:
- "This was really just us against the wind running around on slippery courts. Wind was not even consistent, but instead very gusty. Better conditions would have been nice. Incredibly close game as reflected in the score, your first serve is very good and difficult to return. Look forward to playing with you again sometime in much nicer conditions, thank you for the match!" -- Derek
Player Comments:
- "Really enjoyable match with lots of nice rallies, thank you!" -- Derek
Player Comments:
- "The score doesn't reflect how fun and close the match was, many duces and fun rallies! Thanks for the fun match Nicoleta." -- Mirco
Group Summary:
This was a slightly small group, so it was a real shame to see Jasmine didn't get underway (hope you are ok!) but very well done to Donna who played every other match possible and was the only player to do so. The group champ is Florinj-Ionut who will be heading up the rankings next time - congratulations. It's a shame he didn't get a head to head with runner up MG, who lead the chasing pack. Maybe in a future round!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Florin-Ionut Antohi | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | WWW | ||||||
2 | MG Bouchard | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | WW | ||||||
3 | Bruce Munro | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | WL | ||||||
4 | Maria Trofimova | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | WLL | ||||||
5 | Donna Booth | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | LLLL | ||||||
6 | Jasmine Bindley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "It was extremely windy and very difficult to hit, nevertheless had a great game and feel very lucky to have this match played. Thanks Donna! " -- Maria
Player Comments:
- "Nice hit with Maria on a Friday night. A very close first set that started with neither of us being able to hold. At 2-2, Maria held, then I did before taking the crucial third break to go 4-3 up. Saved seven break points as my last two service games went to several deuces, but I just got through with an entire game of drop shots, which had been causing Maria a lot of problems. The second set was different and I raced into a 4-0 lead behind better service games and increased spin in open court. Far from a comfortable win; Maria's serve was superb when she got the timing right, and we had a lot of fun rallies all around the court -- was left wrong-footed a few times! Thanks for the hit and best of luck for your remaining games." -- MG
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentMG Bouchard bt Donna Booth (Feb 8) 6-2, 6-0Player Comments:
- "A great battle on a lovely, spring-like day at West Ham Park. A rusty start saw a 10-minute game with eight deuces to begin proceedings and no holds of serve through the first four games. We were both playing partially blind at one end because of the low sun, but there were still some well-constructed points and fun rallies throughout. Once I managed to hold serve from the good end of the court, I adapted my game to play to Donna's weaknesses and try to make her do most of the running while battling to survive a calf strain despite some of Donna's sneaky short shots requiring some net sprints. On another day, the scoreline could have been very different. Thanks for the hit, and best of luck with your remaining games." -- MG
Player Comments:
- "She's amazing, the way Maria played today. It was really tight games with plenty of deuces. In the second set she come back verry strong and that give me motivation to focus more into the game! Well played and good luck for the next game! " -- Florin-Ionut
Player Comments:
- "Well played Donna! I was struggling on the beginning but then I get into my game. Good luck with your next game! " -- Florin-Ionut
Player Comments:
- "Fantastic shots from Bruce and also we had some really intense rallys with lots of very close points and deuces. Good luck for your next games. " -- Florin-Ionut
Player Comments: