Herne Bay Lawn Tennis Club

The winter season is reaching its climax for Herne Bay tennis Club with most teams having faced crucial matches in the Kent League over the last few weeks. Matches have also come thick and fast due to the bad weather before Christmas so players have been kept very busy. In the mixed leagues the mixed 1st team had 2 matches remaining in division 1. The first was at home to Blackheath 1 which they managed to win by the narrow margin of 6 games. Both pairs beat the Blackheath 2nd pair in straight sets and lost to their 1st pair, also in straight sets. But both Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs and Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker took enough games from their strong 1st pair to ensure the win. The team then had one remaining fixture away to Knoll 1and if they won this they would qualify for their 5th successive division 1 winter final. Knoll were also unbeaten and in a very tough match Knoll came out winners by 3 rubbers to 1. Elsden/Gibbs lost narrowly to their 1st pair, 6-4, 6-4 and then beat their 2nd pair 7-5, 6-2 having recovered from being 5-2 down. Beckley, playing with Sarah Pout, lost both their rubbers. The mixed 2nd team also had 2 matches left to play in division 4 and they won one and lost one. At home to Meopham 1 they won by 4 games with both pairs beating the opposition’s 2nd pair. Sue Toye/Graham Miles won 6-2, 6-0 and then lost to the 1st pair 5-7, 3-6. Sarah Pout/Keith Clark won 7-5, 6-1 and then lost 2-6, 2-6. The teams were tied on rubbers and sets and Herne Bay won by 37 games to 33. In their 2nd game away to Kemsing 1 they lost 4-0 but with 2 wins and 2 defeats they will remain in division 4 for next winter. In the mens divisions the 1st team finished their season with a defeat away to Parklangley and a win/loss record of 2-2. The mens 2nd team had 2 games left to play in division 9 and they lost both. The 1st was a heavy defeat at home to David Lloyd Kings Hill 3 but the other was by the narrow margin of 1 set. In this match at home to Tonbridge 2 Jerry Loader/Eddie Fisher and Dave Lawrence/John Lengthorn both beat the 2nd pair but unfortunately Lawrence and Lengthorn dropped a set which proved critical. The team finished the season with 2 wins and 2 defeats. The mens 3rd team were also in action twice in division 10. They travelled to Chipstead Place to play their 2nd team and lost 3-1. Ron Withers/Toby Brown won the rubber for Herne Bay. In their last match of the season they were at home to Bearsted 4 and they were victorious by 3 rubbers to 1. Bob Toye/Gary Smith had their best results ever beating the Bearsted 2nd pair 6-2, 6-0 and then their 1st pair 1 & 1. Ron Withers/Dave Lawrence lost in a championship tie-break against the 1st pair and then beat the 2nds 6-2, 7-5. The team finished the season with a “full-set” of results, a win, a draw, a loss and a match conceded to them. They will remain in division 10 next season.
In the veteran’s leagues there was another good win for the ladies veterans 2 team in division 3. The beat Bromley CC 2 away by 3 rubbers to 1. Debbie Holden/Sue Toye won both their rubbers to continue their unbeaten run for the season and Christine Hanson/Diana High beat the Bromley 2nd pair in a deciding tie-break. The mens over 60’s team played away to both Bearsted and Canterbury in division 1. In the match against Bearsted they won 4-0 with Gary Sims/Keith Clark winning both in straight sets and Brian Cooper/John Lengthorn winning both in a championship tie-break. In their 2nd away match at Canterbury Sims and Clark again won both their rubbers but this time Cooper/Lengthorn were unable to pick up many games on the faster Canterbury courts and the team lost by 4 games. The same result as last year and the team will be hoping for home advantage in the same fixture next winter. Finally, the ladies over 60’s team played United, Hawkhurst at home and won 4-0. The United team had a player with a very unusual serve which only just cleared the net and then bounced sideways and the Bay ladies struggled to cope with this all day. Sarah Pout/Diana High managed to win 6-0, 6-1 and then in a championship tie-break in their 2nd rubber. Mary Haldin/Mary Gibbon also won one rubber in a championship tie-break and the other by 6-4, 6-1. The lady with the unusual serve did not lose her service all match but did cause our team a lot of hilarity as they vainly tried to reach it before it bounced twice.

The Winter tennis season has been a stop-start affair for Herne Bay tennis club. After some good weather in October and early November the snow caused the postponement of a lot of matches up to Christmas, so the club members were pleased to be able to get out and play in the New Year. Although the weather has been very cold most matches have managed to go ahead. The mixed 1st team eventually started their winter season in division 1 of the Kent League with a 4-0 win at home to Sevenoaks 2. Sevenoaks teams always have junior girls playing alongside more experienced male partners and this match was no exception. They had 14 year old Anoushka Newman in the team – currently the best under 14 in the country. The Herne Bay team had a 2 thrilling rubbers against her and came out on top in both courtesy of match tie-breaks in both cases. Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker won 6-4, 0-6 and then 10 – 7 in the tie-break and Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs won 6-2, 4-6 and 10-7. Both Herne Bay pairs beat the other Sevenoaks pair easily. The mixed 2nd team have played a couple of matches this year, winning one and losing one. Their win in division 4 was at home to Bromley CC 1 by 3 rubbers to 1. Sue Toye/Graham Miles won 2 rubbers and Sarah Pout/Ian Cooke won 1. Their other match was away to Broadstairs 1 and although they lost 4-0 every rubber went to match tie-break so the result could easily have been a win for Herne Bay. In this match Keith Clark played in place of Cooke. The 3rd mixed team are having a successful season in division 5 with 2 wins and a walk-over. They have won both matches 4-0. The 1st was away to Blackheath 3 were the team was Debbie Holden/Lionel Hoskins and Christine Hanson/Bryan Packham. In the other match at home to Tunbridge Wells 4 the 2 men were Eddie Fisher and Jerry Loader.
The ladies 1st team have found the season very difficult in Kent League division 1 and have yet to win a match although they have lost 2 very close matches by a set in one case and 6 games in another. They have one match to play away to Tunbridge Wells, who also have not won a match, which will decide who gets relegated. The ladies 2nd team have played 3 matches so far in division 4 and won 2. At the weekend they beat Bromley CC 2 at home by 4 rubbers to nil. Sarah Pout played with Christine Hanson and Debbie Holden with Sue Toye. The team were unlucky to lose 4-0 to David Lloyd, Beckenham the previous week when 3 out of the 4 rubbers were decided by match tie-breaks. The mens team have played very few matches over the last 2 months due to the weather or teams conceding to them. So far, the mens 1st team have won 2 out of 3 matches in division 4, the 2nd team 2 out of 2 in division 9 and the 3rd team 2 out of 2 in division 10. In the Kent veterans leagues the mens team won against Walmer 1 at home in division 1 and then lost by 5 sets to 4 away to Tunbridge Wells 1. The team for both matches was Beckley/Clark and Miles/Cooke. The ladies veterans 1st team have 1 win and 2 defeats so far in division 1. They beat Sevenoaks 2nd team at home by 3 rubbers to 1 and then lost by 1 set away to Bexley and finally lost 3-1 to Bromley 1st team at home. The squad of Gibbs, Pout, Toye, Hanson, Denise Parrett and Gill Dickey will hope to reverse this downturn in form for their last match. The matches for the over 60’s teams have been delayed by snow and the availability of players hence both team have only played 1 match so far. The mens team played Hayes at home in division 1 and won 3-1. The team featured new member John Lengthorne playing for the club for the 1st time and in partnership with Brian Cooper he won 1 rubber. Keith Clark and Gary Sims were on their usual good form and won both their rubbers. The ladies team travelled to Bearsted and lost 3-1 with Sarah Pout/Diana High winning one rubber.

Herne Bay tennis club’s winter season is well underway despite rain intervening several times most teams have now managed to play once. Having lost half their team at the end of the summer the mens 1st team now play in the 4th division of the Kent league. They have had 2 matches in that division and won both. In the 1st match they travelled to Frindsbury to play their 2nd team and won 3-1. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles won both their rubbers and Alex Kazakeos/Nick Wibberley won 1. In their 2nd match Keith Clark played instead of Wibberley and the team recorded a 4-0 win at home to Bexleyheath. The ladies 2nd team also made a good start in division 4 when they played Gravesham away. The team won 3-1 in a close match that went to 3 deciding match tie-breaks. Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won their 1st rubber in a tie-break after recovering from the loss of the 1st set and then beat the Gravesham 2nd pair 6-4, 6-4. Sue Toye/Debbie Holden also made a slow start losing the 1st set to the opposition’s 2nd pair but came back to win the next set to 0 and then take the match tie-break. Their second round match was very close and also involved a tie-break but this time they went down 6-7, 6-3, 1-0. In their 2nd match of the winter mens 2 played Bearsted 3 away in division 9 and won by a set. Jerry Loader/Eddie Fisher were playing their 1st match this season and were on sparkling form winning both their rubbers without dropping a set and only losing 1 game in the rubber against the Bearsted 2nd pair. Lionel Hoskins/Bryan Packham lost both their rubbers but managed to pick-up a match winning set against the Bearsted’s number 2’s. The match was tied at 2 rubbers all but Herne Bay won by 5 sets to 4 giving the team their 2nd win of the season. Finally, the ladies veteran’s 2nd team also played their 2nd game of the season in division 3 away to Hildenborough. The team were indebted to Diana High who played despite a grave family illness and were able to win 3-1 as a result. Sue Toye/Debbie Holden won 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 and then 6-0, 6-1 and Diana High/Christine Hanson won their 1st rubber 7-6, 6-3 and lost a very close 2nd rubber 6-7, 5-7. The team have now won their 1st 2 matches with 2 to play. Play continues throughout the winter for seniors and juniors at Herne Bay tennis club in Beacon Road and new members are welcome. For more details consult our website at www.hernebaytennis.co.uk.

The weather has not helped the winter season at Herne Bay tennis club to get off to a good start. Several matches have already been postponed due to rain and a tournament was cancelled because the painting of courts 1 & 2 had also been delayed by it. Two matches did take place in the Kent League and both were successes for the Bay. The newly promoted ladies veterans 2 team played their 1st match in division 3 at home to Knoll (Orpington) 2 and won 3-1. Sue Toye/Debbie Holden won both rubbers: 6-2, 6-1; 6-3, 6-3 and Christine Hanson/Diana High narrowly lost against the 1st pair 1-6/6-7; and beat the 2nds 6-2, 6-3. In the other match the mens 2nd team travelled to Knoll, this time to play their 4th team in division 9, and won a very close match by 4 games. Knoll had a very strong 1st pair who dropped just 4 games against each of the Herne Bay pairs but their 2nd pair were very weak. Bay’s Lionel Hoskins/Dave Lawrence beat them 6-0, 6-0 and Bryan Packham/Ron Withers only gave away 4 games. The match was tied on rubbers and sets but Herne Bay won by 32 games to 28. Herne Bay players are enjoying playing on the newly repainted courts 1 & 2 although the work took longer than expected to complete due to rain. The new surface will be much appreciated as the weather turns more wintery and a non-slippery surface is essential.
This half term the club will be holding open sessions for juniors of all ages from 10am – 12 midday on Tuesday 26th and Thursday 28th October. All children from 5 years upwards are welcome. They don’t need to come regularly on Saturdays or have any playing experience, and there is no need to book a place. The cost is £5 for the two hours so just turn up at Kent Close, Beacon Road. For more details contact our coach Nick Wibberley on 07792067279.

The recently held Herne Bay Junior Tennis Club Finals were a triumph for the Walker family. Daniel led the way with wins in all 3 finals and sister Lauren won the mixed final and also the award for the Most Improved Girl of the Year. In the Boys Doubles final Jack Bissenden made his first appearance on club finals day alongside Daniel Walker and they matched up against reigning champion David Symons and his new partner Alex Thorne. It was another closely fought final with some great net play not often seen at junior level. In the end Daniel and Jack came out on top with a 6-4 win. In the Boy’s U18 Singles the players set a higher standard than in previous years, with every competitor giving a great performance which was really impressive to watch. Daniel Walker battled his way through to his third consecutive final, whilst in the other half of the draw Jack Bissenden fought his way through to set up a clash with his doubles partner. The two different styles of the players created a very close final which Daniel Walker eventually closed out with a 7-6 win. The Girls U18 Singles had 5 competing in it and concluded with the reigning champion from the last 2 years, Emily Bundock, taking on debutant Mollie Eyles. It was a well fought match but Mollie’s powerful ground strokes proved too much in the end for Emily and she won in straight sets. Lastly the Mixed Doubles final this year had the highest standard of mixed doubles play we have seen at the club for a long time. This was partly due to the stronger girls who are now coming regularly to coaching. The reigning champions and the family pairing of Daniel and Lauren Walker made the final again, this time competing against Mollie Eyles and David Symons. The final was a great battle, which eventually finished with the Walker’s retaining their title with a 7-5 victory and completing Daniel’s hat trick. The younger members of the club were also involved in finals which saw Rebecca Curland become the Mini Red Champion, Elliot Wraight the Mini Orange Champion and Harry Mounter the Mini Green Champion. The 2 awards for the most Improved Players of the Year went to Lauren Walker and Harry Carter.
The senior players have just started their winter Kent league season and the mens 3rd team were the 1st to play a match. They travelled to Brenchley and Matfield to play their 1st team in division 10. The match was incredibly close due to Brenchley having 2 pairs of very different standards. Both the Herne Bay pairs beat their 2nd pair easily and lost to their 1st pair. Bob Toye/Dave Clements losing in 3 sets and Ron Withers/Toby Brown in 2. The match was tied at 2 rubbers all and 5 sets all and when the games were counted each team had won the same number, 51, meaning that the match was a draw. The club is holding an Open Mixed Handicap Tournament next Sunday starting at 11am. All members and guests are welcome. Please contact Sue Toye on 07801 954043 to enter the tournament.

The club held their Finals on Sunday. The singles events both had youngsters in them challenging the older defending champions. In the men’s singles Peter Elsden took on Alex Kazakeos and although the match had some very competitive points Elsden’s experience and guile proved decisive and he won with the loss of 2 games. In the ladies singles Anne Gibbs was defending her title against Danielle Miles who was playing in her 1st Senior club final. Miles was very nervous and this showed in her lack of consistency and she succumbed 1 & 2 to the much steadier Gibbs who contented herself on getting as many balls back into play as possible and waiting for her opponent to make the mistake. Both the youngsters showed themselves capable of playing excellent points and it is only a matter of time before they will be pushing their older rivals much harder. In the ladies doubles Gibbs teamed up with Louise Tucker to play Debbie Holden and Christine Hanson in a repeat of last year’s final. Gibbs and Tucker were too strong for their opponents and won with the loss of just 1 game. The mens doubles final, which was also a repeat of last year’s, turned out to be the most competitive when it went to 3 sets. Martin Beckley and Graham Miles won a close 1st set by just one break of service, 6-4 and then Elsden and Ian Cooke hit back to lead 5-1 in the 2nd set and eventually closed that set out 6-3. In the final set Beckley’s stomach injury became more of a problem, especially when serving, and Elsden/Cooke where able to take advantage winning that set 6-1. This was reversal of last year’s final which also went to 3 sets and was the 1st title Cooke had won after playing at the club for over 25 years. Unfortunately the mixed final could not be played because Beckley’s injury made it impossible so that will be played between Elsden/Tucker and Beckley/Gibbs when he has recovered.
In the league matches no Herne Bay teams reached the Kent league finals although the mixed 1st team missed out on the division 1 play-off by just 1 rubber and the mixed 3, in division 5, by 1 match win. The last game for the ladies in division 1 was played against Sevenoaks 1 in a downpour with the courts flooded and the players splashing about in an inch of rain. In such conditions play was curtailed to just one short set and this resulted in a draw. Herne Bay’s 1st pair won 6-4 and Debbie Holden/Sue Toye lost 6-2 and Sevenoaks were the winners by 2 games. The players were glad to leave the courts to dry off. In the midweek league the mixed veterans team won their last match 4-0 at home to Broadstairs to ensure that the trophy returns to Herne Bay for the 15th year. Martin Beckley/Anne Gibbs won both their rubbers in straight sets and Bryan Packham/Sarah Pout won their 1st rubber easily and their 2nd in a championship tie-break. In the East Kent league there were wins for the ladies 1 and mixed 2 teams. Ladies 1 beat Margate 3-1 and then lost to Bearsted 4-0 which completed their season in which and they won 3 matches out of 6. The mixed 2nd team played Margate 2 at home in division 2 and won 3-1 to complete their season with 2 wins and a defeat. Dave Lawrence/Sue Toye won 2 rubbers and Diana High/Ron Withers won 1.
Several Herne Bay players have been representing Kent over the summer and the most successful was Peter Elsden who helped the mens over 45’s team to win promotion to division 1 as champions. In their final match they had to play Surrey who were also unbeaten and Kent came out on top 3-2. Keith Clark played for both the 60’s and 65’s teams and ensured both teams stayed in the the top divisions. Gary Sims was also a key member of the 65’s team. Lionel Hoskins played for the 70’s team. In the ladies 50’s Anne Gibbs played in all their matches and the team lost just once so finished second in division 1. Sarah Pout played for the 65’s team and they are currently top of division 1 with 2 matches to play.

The season is drawing to a close for most teams at Herne Bay Tennis club who have been playing their last matches in the Kent League over the last few weeks. The mixed 1st team have been the most successful team and are in a good position to win their section of division 1 for the 2nd time in 3 years. The team played Beckenham 2 2 weeks ago and won 3-1 so went into their final match of the league programme away against Sydenham 1 at the weekend knowing that if they won 3-1 or better they would qualify for the final. A 2-2 win would leave them waiting for the results from other teams in the division. In the 1st round Peter Elsden/Anne Gibbs played a pair of strong Sydenham youngsters and just lost 5-7, 4-6 while Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker beat the 2nd pair 6-2, 6-3. At the end of the 1st round Herne Bay led by 3 games and were able to hold onto this narrow lead in the 2nd round with Elsden/Gibbs winning 6-4, 6-2 and Beckley/Tucker losing 2-6, 5-7. The team now have a nail-biting wait until they receive an email from the league organiser telling them if they have done enough to reach the final which would be played at home against Blackheath 1. The other 2 mixed teams had contrasting fortunes. Mixed 2 found division 2 too difficult and were relegated but mixed 3 were in contention to win division 5 with only I defeat up to their last match when they were only able to send one pair to Knoll Orpington to play their 3rd team and lost 3-1. Nick Wibberley/Danielle Miles beat the oppositions 2nd pair. In the mens divisions the 1st team finished with 2 wins and 4 defeats in division 2 and should remain in that division for next summer. Mens 2 lost all the matches in division 6 but had some close games particularly their last away to Blackheath 4 which they lost by 9 games. Ian Cooke/Nick Wibberley won both rubbers in that match and were equally successful in the other matches they played together – they only lost 1 rubber through the season. The mens 3rd team only won one match in division 8 but it was against Canterbury! The ladies were a little more successful than the men – the 1st team has won 1 match out of 4 with one left to play but should survive in the top division for another year and the 2nd team won 3 matches and lost 2 in division 4.
The Kent midweek League has produced more consistent success for the Bay with all 3 teams undefeated. The mens veterans team recently played Bromley Cricket Club away and won 3-1. Keith Clark/Gary Sims won both their rubbers and Martin Beckley/Lionel Hoskins won one. The team have won all 4 of the matches they have played so far with 2 left to play. The ladies have finished all their matches and won division 1 and the mixed veterans team have one match left to play having won all the previous 5. They played David Lloyd, King’s Hill away during the week and after a shaky start won 4-0. The team was Keith Clark/Sarah Pout and Brian Cooper/Anne Gibbs.
In the Dover and District league the mixed A team completed all their matches without a defeat and have won division 2. In their last few matches they beat the B team by 6 sets to 2, Ash by the same score and Hythe B 7-1. The team was Sarah Pout/Eddie Fisher and Jerry Loader/Sue Toye except for the match against the B team when Bob Toye played in place of Fisher. The B team ended their season in the same division with a win against Hythe B at home by 5 sets to 3. The team won 3 matches, drew 2 and lost 3 but have done enough to remain in division 2 for next season. The mens A team started their season in division 2 very well but lost their last 3 matches by 3 sets to 5 so will have to wait until after they play their last match to see if they have done enough to win promotion to the top division. The mens B team also have 1 match remaining in division 4 but with 3 wins from the 7 matches they have played they have already achieved their best ever league position. The ladies are poised at the top of their division with 1 match to play having already had 2 wins and 3 draws.
In the East Kent league mens 2 had a welcome win against Margate 3 at home in division 2. They won 4-0 and the team was Dave Clements/Ron Withers and Greg Pearson/Jerry Loader. The ladies beat Canterbury away by 2 sets with Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett and Debbie Holden/Christine Hanson both winning a rubber and taking a set from the 1st pair. Finally mixed 2 played Canterbury away and won 3-1. Sarah Pout/Dave Lawrence won both rubbers and Diana High/ Alex Kazakeos won 1. Both men were making a welcome return to competitive tennis after long term injuries.

Over the last couple of weeks with Wimbledon on the television Herne Bay tennis club members have being trying to emulate their heroes by their performances on the tennis courts. They have had mixed success in their endeavours. In the Kent League the ladies 1st team played 2 matches in division 1 , both away, and won one of them. The 1st match was at Margate were they lost 3-1 with both pairs losing heavily to the Margate 1st pair. Louise Tucker and Anne Gibbs beat the opposition’s 2nd pair very easily and Sue Toye/Debbie Holden just lost in 2 very close sets. The same 4 ladies than travelled to Orpington to play Knoll’s 1st team and won 3-1. Tucker/Gibbs won both their rubbers and Holden/Toye beat the 2nd pair in a championship tie-break. This was the 1st win for the team who are finding the top division very tough this season. The mixed 1st team also had a 1st division away game against Knoll 1st team and unluckily lost by a set. Both Bay pairs lost to the Knoll 1st pair and Martin Beckley/Louise Tucker beat their 2nds in straight sets while Keith Clark/Anne Gibbs won in a championship tie-breaks The teams were tied at 2 rubbers all but the opposition won by 5 sets to 4. This was the team’s 1st defeat of the season. The mixed 2nd team played 2 matches in division 2 and although they lost both they had a very close match against Tunbridge Wells 2 at home even though they lost 3-1. Both the Bay pairs struggled against the Tunbridge Wells hard hitting youngsters in the 1st pair but had good games against the 2nd string. Sarah Pout/Ian Cooke won in straight sets and Sue Toye/Eddie Fisher just lost 7-5, 7-6 – 14-12 in the 2nd set tie-break. The mixed 3rd team scored an emphatic 4-0 win at home to Kemsing 1 in division 5. Ian Cooke/Christine Hanson won 6-0, 3-6, 1-0 in a championship tie-break and then 6-0, 6-4 and the 2nd pair of Sue Toye/Jerry Loader had 2 long rubbers both ending in 3rd set championship tie-breaks which they won, 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 and 6-2, 6-7, 1-0. There were also 2 matches in the Kent midweek league both resulting in wins for Herne Bay teams. The ladies played Chipstead at home in division 1 and won 4-0 and the men played Canterbury 1 away and won 3-1. In the ladies match Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey won both their rubbers very easily and Sarah Pout/Christine Hanson won both after a struggle against the Chipstead 1st pairing. The men had their usual competitive match against local rivals Canterbury with both pairs being taken to 3rd set championship tie-breaks by the Canterbury 1st pair. Keith Clark/Gary Sims came out on top in their tie-break and Martin Beckley/Brian Cooper just lost. Both pairs beat the Canterbury 2nd pair.

The Dover and District league has occupied a lot of Herne Bay pairs with matches every week for mens, mixed and ladies teams. The mens A team continued their undefeated form with a 7 sets to 1 win at home to Pfizer A in division 2. The team was Graham Miles/Ian Cooke and Martin Beckley/Jerry Loader. The mens B team had also made a good start to the season in division 4 and continued it with a 5 sets to 3 win away to River B but then suffered 2 defeats away to Sellindge and home to Sandwich. In the River match Gary Smith/Bryan Packham won 3 sets and Bob Toye/Dave Clements won 2. Both Herne Bay mixed teams are in the same division and they played each other during the week. The B team entertained the A team and despite some close sets the A team won 7-1. Dave Clements & Anja Stileman lost 4-6, 4-6 against Eddie Fisher and Sarah Pout and 6-7, 4-6 to Jerry Loader and Sue Toye while Matt Hoffmeister & Christine Hanson lost 2-6, 6-7 to Fisher/Pout and 2-6, 7-6 to Loader/Toye. The mixed A team followed up this win with 2 more against Ash and Canterbury C. In the match at Ash the team was the same except Debbie Holden played with Fisher and the team won 8-0. Then against Canterbury at home Holden and Hanson were the ladies with the men remaining unchanged and they won 7-1 this time. The team are undefeated with 5 out of 8 matches played and are currently top of the league. The mixed B team quickly recovered from the disappointment of the defeat by the A team and drew 4 sets all against Canterbury C at Canterbury. Diana High/Matt Hoffmeister and Debbie Holden/Dave Clements both won 2 sets each. Although the B team are not doing as well as the A team they are still in 3rd place in the division.

The club held its Annual Longest Day Tournament last week in which 12 mixed pairs competed. The pairs were initially divided into 3 groups of 4 and the winners of each group plus the best runners-up progressed to the semi-finals. The groups finished with several players tied on the same number of games and the semi-finalists had to be decide by the toss of a coin in some cases. The 1st semi was Martin Beckley/Liz Harvey against Graham and Dani Miles and the 2nd was between Ian Cooke/Sarah Pout and Debbie Holden/Peter Grimwood. Cooke and Pout won the most games in the 2nd semi and the 1st resulted in a tie with all 4 players winning 4 games. The finalists were decided by a tie-break to 5 points and the Miles’ pair won. In the final Cooke and Dani Miles both won 5 games and were the overall winners.

Herne Bay tennis club had mixed success over the last week with matches in 3 different leagues. The midweek Kent teams were the most successful with 2 wins. The mens veterans team won by 2 sets against Margate at Herne Bay. In a close match both Herne Bay pairs beat the Margate 2nd pair in straight sets and lost to their 1st pair in championship tie-breaks. The pairs were Keith Clark/Gary Sims (suffering their 1st defeat in 10 years) and Martin Beckley/Brian Cooper. The ladies played away at Canterbury in division 1 and won 4-0. Anne Gibbs/Gill Dickey made a slow start in the windy conditions but came back from a 3-0 deficit to subsequently lose only one more game in their 4 sets. Sue Toye/Debbie Holden had a much tougher match and eventually won both their rubbers in championship tie-breaks. In the Dover and District league there were 2 wins and a draw. Both mixed A and B had away wins in division 2, the A team won with the loss of just one set against Hythe B. The team was Sarah Pout/Eddie Fisher and Sue Toye/Jerry Loader. In the B team match they travelled to Ash and won by 5 sets to 3, with Anja Stileman/Matt Hoffmeister winning 4 sets and Diana High/Dan Walker winning one. This was only the 2nd match for Dan and his 1st mixed experience. The match that was drawn was between the mens A team and Folkestone Harbour away on Folkestone’s grass courts. Martin Beckley/Graham Miles won all 4 of their sets to give the draw and Alex Kazakeos/Matt Hoffmeister lost a very close rubber 4-6, 5-7. The team won by 6 games.

Herne Bay teams were not as successful In the Kent League. The ladies 2nd team were the only ones to secure a win. They beat Bromley LTC 3 3-1 at home in division 4 to record their 3rd win in 4 matches. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won 6-1, 6-3 & 6-1, 6-0 and Christine Hanson/Diana High won 7-6, 6-3 against the opposition 2nd pair and then lost 5-7, 2-6 to their 1sts. The mens 1st team, mens 3rd team and mixed 2nd team all suffered heavy defeats and hope to have better matches in their remaining fixtures.

Herne Bay tennis club members have been very busy playing matches over the last few weeks. In the Kent League the mens 1st team have played 3 matches in quick succession, a policy which obviously suited them as they won 2 of the 3 and narrowly lost the 3rd. Their 1st match of the 3 in division 2 was away to Bromley Wendover 1 and in a very close match they ended up losing by just one game. Peter Elsden/Keith Clark won both their rubbers, one in straight sets and one in a championship tie-break. Bay’s other pair of Graham Miles/Martin Beckley took a set off the opposition’s 2nd pair but were unable to register a win. When the scores were added up the teams were level on rubbers (2-2), and on sets (5-5) but Bromley Wendover won by one game. The team , minus Clark, who had aggravated a hamstring injury, then played Canterbury 1 at home. This time Miles and Beckley won both their rubbers and Elsden paired with reserve Alex Kazakeos, won one giving a 3-1 winning margin. The last match in their trio was at home to Tunbridge Wells 2 and after a titanic struggle they won by 6 sets to 4. In the 1st round the reunited pair of Elsden/Clark played for over 2 hours on the hottest day of the season, against the Tunbridge Wells 1st pair only to lose out 6-7, 6-2, 6-7. Beckley/Miles meanwhile had a much quicker win in straight sets against the opposition’s 2nd pair. In the 2nd round Miles/Beckley also went to 3 sets against the Tunbridge Wells 1st pair and also lost but Elsden/Clark had saved enough energy to close out a straight sets win against the 2nd pair and the match was won by 2 sets. These 2 wins have ensured that the team will remain in division 2 next season even though they have 2 matches still to play. The ladies 2nd team suffered their 1st defeat of the season in division 4 when they lost by a set away to Bromley CC 2. Sarah Pout/Denise Parrett won both their rubbers but this was not enough to prevent the defeat. In their previous match away to Headcorn the same team had managed to secure a win by 1 game. Mixed 3 also suffered a very close defeat when they played Sevenoaks 3 at home in division 5. The match was curtailed by rain and at the end of the 1st round the teams were tied on rubbers and sets but lost by 27-28 Nick Wibberley/Christine Hanson won 6-1,4-6,6-4 and Jerry Loader/Denis Parrett lost 6-4, 2-6,2-6.

In the Dover and District league the mens A team had 2 games in division 2. The 1st was a win against Hythe B at home without dropping a sets and the 2nd a 4-4 draw away to Canterbury B. The team was Graham Miles/Martin Beckley and Alex Kazakeos/Mark Kennard for both matches. Miles/Beckley have not dropped a set in 4 matches in this excellent start to the season. The mens B team are also unbeaten in their 1st 2 matches in division 4 and in their latest match they beat Sellindge away by 5 sets to 3. Gary Smith/Bryan Packham won 3 of their 4 sets and Bob Toye/Ron Withers won 2 sets. This is the best ever start for the B team since they entered the league 3 years ago. The ladies team also played 2 matches winning one and drawing the other. In their home match against Canterbury they won 6-2 with Christine Hanson/Denise Parrett winning all 4 of their sets and Mary Haldin/Pauline Pierce winning 2. Then in their 2nd match , away to Hythe, Debbie Holden/Parrett won 4 sets but the Bay 2nd pair found the alien grass courts too tricky and were unable to win a set. Mixed A finally played their 1st match in division 2 and started with a 5 sets to 3 win away to Canterbury C. Sarah Pout/Eddie Fisher won 4 sets and Sue Toye/Jerry Loader won 1.

There were just 2 matches in the East Kent league. The mens 1st team beat Margate 2 at home in division 2 4-0. Lionel Hoskins/Nick Wibberley won both their rubbers very easily and Gary Smith/Eddie Fisher won but were taken to championship tie-breaks in both rubbers. The team have now won 3 matches and only dropped one rubber doing so. The mens 2nd team also played a Margate team in division 2 but this time they were defeated by Margate’s 1st team by 4 rubbers to 0. Youngster Dan Walker was making his debut for a Herne Bay senior team in this match and although he was unable to win a set the opposition were very impressed by his performance. Finally there were 2 matches in the Kent midweek league for Herne Bay teams. The ladies travelled to Bearsted to play their 1st team in division 1 and won by 9 games. Anne Gibbs/Sarah Pout won both their rubbers with the loss of just 5 games and despite losing both their rubbers Sue Toye/Christine Hanson won enough games to secure a 2nd win of the season for the team. The mixed veterans team had a home game against Margate and won 3-0. Martin Beckley/Sarah Pout completed both their rubbers winning them in straight sets and Anne Gibbs/Brian Cooper won their 1st rubber very easily but stopped after they won the 1st set against the opposition’s 1st pair on a tie-break because it was raining heavily. The team have now won 3 matches without dropping a rubber.