Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club

Herne Bay tennis club have had a stop-start winter season due to the appalling weather conditions we have been suffering since the autumn. Initially persistent rain caused matches to be postponed or curtailed and then the snow came and totally wiped-out any chance of outdoor tennis. Luckily since February the weather has improved enough for all the scheduled Kent League matches to have been played. The ladies 1st team have now played 2 matches and won them both by a narrow margin. In their 1st Division match away against Sundridge Park 1 they won by a set with both pairs beating the opposition’s 2nd pair and losing to their 1st The Bay pairing of Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs took a set off the Sundridge Park 1st pair to win the match. Gill Dickey/Debbie Holden were the other pair. In their other match Knoll Orpington were the opposition but they could only field one pair, who won both rubbers but couldn’t prevent Herne Bay winning by 12 games. The Ladies 2nd team have completed 3 of their division 4 matches with one win and 2 defeats. Their win was a rare triumph against any Tunbridge Wells team and they won 3-1 against their 4th team. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won 2 rubbers and Sue Toye/Diana High won one and lost one in a match tie-break. The men’s teams have also managed to play some matches with the 1st team currently holding a 100% record in division 2 for their 2 matches. They also beat a Tunbridge Wells team (their 2nd) by a set and then defeated David Lloyd, Beckenham 1 3-1 in a match that turned out to be a marathon for the Bay 1st pair of Graham Miles/Martin Beckley. They spent over 2hours beating the opposition’s 1st pair in 3 sets and then also took 3 sets to beat the 2nd pair, meanwhile Peter Elsden/Ian Cooke disposed of the 2nd pair quickly but were so cold after their long wait to play the 1st pair , they lost rapidly. The mens 2nd and 3rd teams have struggled in divisions 4 and 8 and have yet to win a match. Mens 3 did have a very close match against Sevenoaks 4 on their new clay courts. The sprightly pairing of Lionel Hoskins/Peter Grimwood, with a combined age just short of 150 years, won one rubber convincingly against much younger opposition and were unlucky not to clinch the match on games. Unfortunately our other pair dropped a set during their defeat of the 2nd pair and hence the match was lost by a set.

The matches involving Herne Bay mixed teams have also progressed slowly with mixed 1 only playing once in division 1 in 5 months. This was a 3-1 win at home against Knoll Orpington 1 with Gibbs/Elsden winning 2 rubbers and Beckley/Tucker one. The mixed 2nd team have played 2 matches in division 3 but lost them both and the 3rd team have played 2 in division 5 and won one. The match they won was at home to Bromley LTC IV and they only played one round before the rain made continuing impossible. The result at that point was that Herne Bay won by 3 games since they were tied at one rubber all. The team was Chris Hanson/Holden and Nick Wibberley/Toye who won their rubber.

In the veteran leagues the mens over 45 team have won one match and lost one in division 1. Their win came against Knoll, Orpington by a set with both pairs, Beckley/Keith Clark and Miles/Cooke both beating the 2nd pair and Beckley/Clark taking a set off the 1st pair. The ladies over 40’s team also have the same record in division 1 with 1 win and 1 defeat. They lost to Bexley by 4 games with Gibbs/Pout winning both rubbers and then followed up with a 4-0 win away to Crescent at Sidcup. The team was Gibbs/Dickey and Pout/Parrett. In the older age groups, the newly formed ladies over 60’s team beat Blackheath by 3 rubbers to one but lost to Bearsted 4-0. The team for both matches was Pout/High and Mary Gibbon/Mary Haldin. The mens over 60’s team played their toughest match 1st away to Canterbury and lost by 4 games after being level at 2 rubbers all. Gary Sims/Clark won both their rubbers but Hoskins/Brian Cooper were unable to take a set on the fast Canterbury courts. In their other 2 matches they have been successful without dropping a set. Finally Herne Bay now have an over 70’s men’s team and in the 2 matches they have played they have won 3-1. The team comprises the regular pairing of Hoskins/Grimwood and then Dave Clements with either Cyril Richards or John High. The biggest problems facing the teams in this league are injury or sometimes death and the team have already had 2 clubs concede their matches because they no longer have 4 members over 70 able to play tennis – even so it is an inspiration to other members that players can still be playing competitively in their 70’s and long may it continue.

Herne Bay members have had a lull in matches during the school holidays and also while the club closed tournament in being played. Only 2 teams played over the last few weeks. Firstly the mens veterans team played Walmer at home in the Kent League and won 4-0. The team was Keith Clark/Gary Sims and Martin Beckley/Brian Cooper. They won all 4 rubbers without dropping a set and are one match away from retaining their title. In the other match the ladies 1st team beat Broadstairs 1 3-1 at home in the East Kent division 1. Sarah Pout/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers, one in 3 sets and Christine Hanson/Debbie Holden beat the 2nd pair. The ladies have now played all of their matches and won 2 and lost 2 so will remain in the top division for next summer.
Lionel Hoskins has had a successful time over the last few weeks in two 75 and over Open competitions. He reached the mens doubles final of the British Grass court Championships at Wimbledon with regular partner Jack Baxter where they lost to the number 1 seeds. He then travelled to Eastbourne to compete in the South of England Championships and this time reached both the 75 and over singles and men’s doubles finals. Unfortunately he lost both finals to the number one seeds. This was the 1st defeat in 4 years at this event for him and his partner Jack Baxter. This completed an excellent season for Hoskins who won the LTA’s Frinton 75 & over doubles and the Kent 70 & over doubles titles earlier in the year. His partner for the Kent doubles was Peter Grimwood.

Matches in the Dover & District league have occupied many of the Herne Bay players over the last 2 weeks as their season has drawn to a finish. The mens A team completed their league programme in division 2 with 2 wins and are poised for promotion to the top division. They played Hythe A at home and won by 5 sets to 3, overturning an 8-0 defeat away to the same team the previous week. Then they travelled to Folkestone Harbour were they recorded a 7-1 win. The team against Hythe was Martin Beckley/Alex Kazakeos, who won 2 sets, and Graham Miles/Ian Cooke who won 3 sets. Against Folkestone Beckley partnered Miles winning all 4 sets and Kazakeos played with Bryan Packham and won 3 sets. The team won 7 matches, drew 2 and lost just 1 over the season and now await the results from other teams in the division to see if they will be promoted. Some of the A team’s success must have rubbed off on the B team because they had their 1st win of the season last week when they beat Pfizer C 7-1 at home in division 4. The ecstatic team was Gary Smith/Ron Withers and Bob Toye/Bryan Packham. The team had previously lost 4 matches and drawn 2 and have one left to play.
In the Kent League the mixed veterans team played their penultimate fixture away to LA Fitness and won 4-0. Keith Clark/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers in straight sets and were well supported by Lionel Hoskins/Sarah Pout who also won both their rubbers to give an excellent 4-0 win. The unbeaten team have one match left to play. Other teams were not so successful in this league. The mixed 3rd team had a tremendous match away to Bromley 4 in division 4 and although they lost 4-0, 3 of the 4 rubbers were decided by match tie-breaks. In the East Kent league the ladies 1st team lost out by 1 set away to Walmer in division 1. Louise Tucker/Debbie Holden won both their rubbers, one in straight sets and one in a match tie-break. Bay’s 2nd pair, Sarah Pout/Caroline Mitchell, just failed to take a set from the 2nd pair losing 6-4,7-5 and unfortunately the match was lost by 5 sets to 4. The ladies 2nd team suffered the same fate away to Canterbury in division 2 when both pairs beat the Canterbury 2nd string and lost to their 1sts. In their other match played on Sunday the team beat Broadstairs 3 by a set when the match was stopped after the 1st round by heavy rain. The team was Danielle Miles/Mary Gibbon and Mary Haldin/Pauline Pierce.
Herne Bay players were well represented in the Walmer Open Finals held on Saturday. Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey won the ladies 45 doubles for the 3rd successive year, Keith Clark partnering Bob Whitehead (Margate) won the mens 45 doubles and Clark is in the final of the mixed handicap with Sally Holmes which has yet to be played.
Junior coaching is taking place every Monday and Thursday from 10am till 12 noon at Kent Close, Beacon Road until the end of August. The 2hr sessions cost £5 per child and everyone aged 5 years upwards is welcome. For more details contact Danielle Miles on 07852 176262.

The tennis matches played by Herne Bay last week were dominated by draws. In the Dover & District league 3 of the 5 matches played ended in a draw. The mens A team travelled to Canterbury on a wet evening to play their B team in division 2 and drew 4 sets all. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles had a close 1st round against the Canterbury no.1’ s just winning 7-6, 6-3 and then followed up with a 6-2, 6-3 win against their 2nd pair. Although the Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to win a set the result stands as a draw with both sides awarded 2 points. The mens B team had the same result away to Sandwich B in division 4. Bryan Packham/Ron Withers won all their sets but the Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to take a set. Finally the mixed B team played St Margarets away in division 2 again with the same outcome. This time both Bay pairs, Sue Toye/Dave Clements and Mary Gibbon/Matt Hoffmeister, beat the oppositions 2nd pair and lost to their 1st giving both sides 4 sets all.
In the Kent League, were draws are much less common, the mens 3rd team completed a dismal season in division 7 with another close defeat, this time by just 4 games. This was the 3rd time the team had lost by a few games. Lionel Hoskins partnered club coach Nick Wibberley and they won both their rubbers, one in straight sets and the other in 3 sets. The 3rd teams 2nd pair, Dave Clements/Bryan Packham, lost one rubber in straight sets and then having led 4-1 in the final set against the opposition’s 1st pair finally succumbed 7-5. The match was tied 2-2 on rubbers, 5-5 on sets but lost by 4 games. The ladies 2nd team fared much better with a 4-0 win away to Brenchley and Matfield 1 in division 4 to complete their season with 4 wins and just one defeat by 4 games. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both rubbers in straight sets and Debbie Holden/Diana High won both with one in a championship tie-break.. Mixed 3 also had a good win in division 4 away to LA Fitness by 3 rubbers to 1. Chris Hanson/Debbie Holden won both their rubbers 6-2, 6-1 & 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 in championship tie break and Ian Cooke/Christine Hanson won the other rubber 6-0,6-2. This was the team’s 1st win of the season and they have 2 matches left to play. In the midweek league the mixed veterans team beat Broadstairs 3-1 at Herne Bay. Martin Beckley/Anne Gibbs won 2 rubbers and Keith Clark/Sarah Pout won one. The team have 2 fixtures remaining and look on course to retain their title for the 11th successive year.
Finally, club veteran, Lionel Hoskins, spent the week by the sea in Frinton playing in the 75 and over mens doubles with his regular partner, Jack Baxter and came away with the trophy. They beat Reynolds and Foster 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

Herne Bay players have strived to emulate their heroes playing at Wimbledon over the last 2 weeks with varying degrees of success. In the Kent league matches none of the teams were able to record wins although some came desperately close. In division 1 the ladies 1st team lost by just 1 game away to Bromley 2. Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers dropping just 10 games but the Bay’s 2nd pair just failed to win enough games to clinch the win and the team lost by 2 rubbers all, 4 sets all and 34 games to 33. It was the team’s last match of a season in which they won 2 matches and lost 3 and should maintain their place in the top division for next summer. The mens 1st team also lost by a narrow margin, 1 set, in division 2 against Tunbridge Wells 2 at home. Peter Elsden/Graham Miles won both their rubbers but dropped a set to the opposition’s 1st pair. The Bay’s 2nd pair were unable to contribute a set to the score and the team lost by 5 sets to 4. The team have one more fixture but with 3 wins they are assured of their place in division 2 for next summer. The mens 2nd team continued their dismal form in division 5 with another 4-0 defeat at home to Bexley 2. All 3 mixed teams suffered 3-1 defeats to Bexley 1, Margate 2 and Canterbury 3 last weekend and will hope to return to winning ways soon.
In the midweek Kent League the ladies team played Bearsted at home and won 3-1 in division 1. Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey won both rubbers and Sarah Pout/Sue Toye won one. Also the mixed team beat Canterbury away by 4 rubbers to nil. The start of the match was delayed due to Canterbury requiring a last minute replacement for one of their players who was ill on the morning of the match. The late start did not disturb the Herne Bay team’s concentration and Martin Beckley/Gill Dickey and Anne Gibbs/Keith Clark won all their rubbers in straight sets to continue the team’s long term unbeaten record. There was only one match in the East Kent league due to 2 matches being conceded and in this the ladies 2nd team lost at home to Sellindge by 3 rubbers to 1 in division 2. Anya Stileman/Denise Parrett won the only rubber but Sue Toye/Pauline Pierce played for 5 hours losing out in both rubbers in a 3rd set by 6-7/6-3/5-7 and 6-2/5-7/5-7. An exhausting afternoon’s tennis on a very hot day.
In the Dover & District league mens A beat Hythe B by 6 sets to 2 at home in division 2, Graham Miles/Martin Beckley won all their sets and Ben Clacy with an injured Alex Kazakeos won 2 sets. The team have won 5 out of 6 matches with 3 left to play and look on course for promotion to the top division. Mens B played Walmer D in division 4 and lost 2-6, Ron Withers/Bryan Packham won the 2 sets. The ladies team beat Hythe by 7 sets to 1 at home. Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won 4 sets and Diana High/Liz Harvey won 3. The team have now won 2 matches and lost 2 with 2 left to play. Finally the mixed A team played Bridge A away in division 1 and had an excellent 2nd win of the season

At last we have had some good weather at the weekend which has allowed Herne Bay tennis teams to play all their scheduled matches. In the Kent league mens 1 had an excellent, if surprising, win away to Sevenoaks 1 in division 2. The Bay team was missing 2 key players but still managed a win by the narrow margin of 3 games. Martin Beckley/Peter Elsden beat both Sevenoaks pairs without dropping a set and Stephen & Christopher Hanson managed to win enough games by taking the 1st pair to a tie-break, to secure the win. This was the team’s 3rd win of the season and means that they will definitely stay in division 2 for next season. The mens 3rd team travelled to David Lloyd tennis centre at King’s Hill to play their 1st team in division 7 and lost 3-1. The team are finding this division very difficult and have yet to win a match. The ladies 2nd team had an excellent 3-1 win away to Blackheath 3 in division 4. They played on grass courts for the 1st time this season but adapted much quicker to the unfamiliar surface than their opponents. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both rubbers and Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson won 1. Mixed 1 played their 1st match of the season in division 1 also away to Blackheath 1 but due to problems finding a 2nd lady they could only field 1 pair. Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs made the long journey to Blackheath knowing that as soon as they dropped a game the match was lost but undeterred they enjoyed playing on grass and won both rubbers dropping just 8 games. This was of course the margin by which they lost the match. Hopefully in their remaining 4 matches they will be able to field a full team. In the East Kent League the ladies 1st team played Hythe at home in division 1 and won 3-1. The match was extremely long with 2 rubbers going to championship tie-breaks. In the 1st round Sarah Pout/Caroline Mitchell lost to the Hythe 1st pair 6-7, 6-4, 14-12 and then beat their 2nd pair 7-6, 6-1, while Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson won their 1st round in a championship tie-break and took advantage of their opposition being totally exhausted to win their 2nd rubber very easily. Mens 1 travelled to Hythe to play their 2nd team and lost by one set. Both Bay pairs lost their 1st round rubbers as they tried to adjust to the unfamiliar grass courts and then won their 2nd round rubbers. Alex Kazakeos/Nick Wibberley played 2 championship tie-breaks winning 1 and Lionel Hoskins/Dave Lawrence lost in straight sets and then won in a championship tie-break. Overall they lost by 5 sets to 6. Finally in the Dover & District there were wins for mens A and mixed A and a draw for Mens B. The Mens A match was at home to Pfizer B in division 2 and Martin Beckley/Ben Clacy won all their sets and Graham Miles/Dave Lawrence won 2 to give an overall win by 6 sets to 2. Mixed A recorded their 1st win of the season with a 5-3 defeat of Hythe 1 at home in division 1. Graham Miles and Christina Bell drew 1-1 against their 1st pair and beat their 2nd pair 2-0. Anne Gibbs/Greg Pearson won 6-2, 6-3 against the 2nd pair. The mens B team recorded their best result of the season when they drew 4-4 on sets away to Pfizer C in division 3. Both pairs, Gary Smith/Bob Toye and Matt Hoffmeister/Dave Clemence, won 2 sets each.

In the Kent League Herne Bay ladies 1st team secured their place in division 1 for another year with their 2nd win of the season. They beat a depleted Knoll, Orpington 3-1 at home. Knoll were only able to send one pair for the match and Louise Tucker/Anne Gibbs beat them in a championship tie-break while Sarah Pout/Debbie lost to them in 2 close sets. Mens 1 also celebrated their 2nd win of the season against the same club in division 2. They had to travel to Knoll to play their 1st team. Both pairs, Martin Beckley/Graham Miles and Peter Elsden/Chris Hanson, beat the opposition’s 2nd pair in straight sets and lost to their 1st pair but because Beckley and Miles lost in a championship tie-break they clinched the match by one set. Two other team were also involved in close matches – ladies 2 and mens 4. Ladies 2 lost at home to Gravesham 1 in division 4 by 4 games and mens 3 lost at home to Bexley 3 in division 7 by 6 games. In the midweek league the mens veterans team had another win, this time 3-1 away to Bearsted. Gary Sims/Keith Clark won both their rubbers very easily and Brian Cooper/Lionel Hoskins won 1 rubber in a championship tie-break. In the East Kent league the mens 2nd team had a very easy win against Gore Court at home in division 3. The team was Bryan Packham/Gary Smith and Andy Cannon/Charlie Jacklin and they were far too strong for the inexperienced Gore Court youngsters. Several matches were also played in the Dover & District league with 2 wins and 2 defeats. The mens A team beat Canterbury B by 6 sets to 2 at home in division 2 with Beckley/Miles winning all their sets and Alex Kazakeos/Ben Clacy winning 2 sets. The ladies also beat a Canterbury team at home by the same score. Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won 4 sets and Anya Stileman/Diana High won 2 sets. This was the ladies 1st win of the season. In the other 2 matches both mixed teams lost, the A team to Canterbury B in division 1 and the B team to St Margaret’s in division 2

Herne Bay tennis club had mixed success in their matches recently. In the Kent league the ladies 1st team finally managed a win on their 3rd attempt. They played Bexley 1 at home in division 1 and won by 1 set. Both Bay pairs beat the opposition’s 2nd pair in straight sets and lost to their 1st but fortunately Louise Tucker and Anne Gibbs took a set off their 1st pair to clinch the match by 5 sets to 4. Sarah Pout/Caroline Mitchell were the other pair. The mens 2nd team lost at home to a strong Crescent 2nd team in division 5. In the midweek league there were wins for both the ladies and the mixed veterans. Both teams won without dropping a set, the ladies away to Sevenoaks and the mixed at home to Margate. In the East Kent league division 2 the mens 1st team beat Walmer 2 at home by 3 rubbers to 1. The team was Martin Beckley/Keith Clark and Alex Kazakeos/Dave Lawrence and it was their 2nd win of the season.Finally the Dover & District league is now fully underway after a slow start due to bad weather and teams are now playing every week. The mens A team played Folkestone Harbour at home in division 2 and won by 6 sets to 2 and then travelled to Hythe to play their B tam and lost by 1 game. The teams were level on sets and lost by 34 games to 33. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles won 6-2, 6-2 and drew 6-2, 4-6 and Alex Kazakeos/Dave Lawrence drew 6-4, 3-6 and lost 2-6, 0-6 – a very close match! In division 3 the mens B team played some good sets but still lost 3-5 to River B and 2-6 to Walmer D. The mixed B team also lost at home to Ash by 3 sets to 5.

Herne Bay tennis club’s summer season is now underway with matches being played in all 3 leagues. In the Kent league the ladies 2nd team have made a very impressive start to their 1st season in division 4 with 2 good wins. Their 1st was a 3-1 win against Broadstairs 1 and then they beat Bearsted 2 4-0 at home. The successful team was Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett and Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson. The ladies 1st team have struggled in both their matches in the top division and have only won one rubber so far, they are obviously missing 2 key members who have left the club. The mens 1st team played their 1st match in division 2 at home to Blackheath 1 and in a close contest lost by a set. Both the Bay pairs lost to the strong Blackheath 1st pair and had close games against their second pair. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles won in straight sets and Peter Elsden/Ian Cooke won 11-9 in a 3rd set match tie-break. The mens 2nd team are also finding the games in division 5 very difficult and have lost both their matches so far. The news was no better for the mens 3rd team in division 7 and mens 4th in division 9, both teams are without a win currently. In the midweek league Herne Bay returned to winning ways when the mens veteran’s team beat Canterbury 3-1. Keith Clark/Gary Sims continued their unbeatable form winning both rubbers and Martin Beckley/Brian Cooper won one. In the East Kent league the mens 1st team played Broadstairs 3 at home in division 2 and won 4-0. They only dropped one set in their excellent win. Alex Kazakeos/Ben Clacy had a magnificent day when they won both their rubbers without dropping a single game. Bay’s other pairing of Lionel Hoskins/Bryan Packham also won both rubbers but were pushed all the way by the Broadstairs 1st pair finally winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Finally matches were also scheduled to start in the Dover & District league but rain caused postponement of 2 and the mixed B and the ladies teams both lost their opening games. The ladies lost by 5 sets to 3 with Diana High and Christine Hanson winning the sets.

Members of Herne Bay tennis club started their summer season with matches in the Kent League this weekend. The ladies 1st team travelled to Sevenoaks to play their 1st team in division 1 and lost 3-1. The combination of fast courts and the loss of 2 key players from the 1st team to another local club meant that the team would inevitably struggle against a strong Sevenoaks side. Bay’s Louise Tucker and Anne Gibbs won one rubber but only after they had spent the 1st round getting used to the conditions. The team will hope for better results in their other matches this season. The ladies 2nd team had a more successful 1st match in division 4 when they beat Broadstairs 1 at home by 3 rubbers to 1. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both their rubbers 6-2, 7-5 and 2-6 7-5 1-0 in a championship tie-break and Christine Hanson/Debbie Holden beat the opposition’s second pair 6-0 6-4. The newly promoted mens 3rd team also started their league season in division 7 at home to New Ash Green. The match was very close with both pairs beating the opposition’s 2nd pair and losing to their 1st. Dave Lawrence/Bryan Packham won one rubber in straight sets and lost the other in 3 sets while Lionel Hoskins/Charlie Jacklin beat the 2nd pair in 3 sets and then lost in straight sets. The match was decided on games when the teams were level on rubbers (2-2) and sets (5-5) and unfortunately Herne Bay lost by just 1 game, 55 –54.

The last ever KM finals were held at Bearsted on Sunday and Herne Bay tennis club was well represented having players in 5 finals. Anne Gibbs and Sally Holmes successfully defended their Ladies doubles title with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Rebecca Cooper and Harri Norfolk from Canterbury. Gibbs then teamed up with Gill Dickey to win the ladies 40 doubles title with a 7-6, 4-3 defeat of Jane Gentle and Jane Humphrey of Maidstone. Gibbs and Holmes then paired up with Keith Clark and Dominic Wood respectively to compete against each other in an all Herne Bay veteran mixed final. Holmes and Wood won 6-0, 6-3. Holmes and Wood also contested the mixed doubles final for the second year running but lost in 3 sets to Giles Davey and Faye Tagg of Tunbridge Wells. This was a reversal of the previous year’s result. Finally Graham Miles and Martin Beckley were involved in the last final of the day, the mens 45 doubles, against Terry Clare and Dave Craddock of Frindsbury. Miles and Beckley recovered after dropping the 1st set 7-5, to win 6-1, 6-1. Overall it was a very successful day for the club.