Tennis Week
The unkindly summer had relented on our opening Saturday, as a warm sunny morning greeted the players for our traditional Over 90’s (combined age) mixed doubles, with 12 pairs competing and the bonus of Sam Major on bacon roll duty, adding to the social scene.
The competition was good with many closely fought sets, and by 1pm we
had our finalists. Veteran Robert Moorby, with the talented teenager Nikki Sanders as his partner, proved too good for Simon Longman and Annie Dennig. Robert was completing a recent treble for our competitive Veterans, with Ken Buckhurst winning with young Ailsa Green in 2013, and Mike Dimmer won with Nikki in 2015. Sometimes it’s not so bad being old!
The temperature had risen to 27 degrees by afternoon when the annual rounders tournament took centre stage, with Philippa Sanders reporting as follows. The five teams taking part were Team Barratt, Team Graffham Massive (suspiciously strong on the teenage boy front), Team Gyles, and Team Cheesy Nibbles, with each team playing two first round matches. Highlights included some extraordinary catches by Charlie Gyles, one worthy of ‘going viral’. Phenomenal batting and fielding from Team Barrett saw them into the Final against a similarly undefeated Graffham Massive, but the latter’s strength in depth and the inspirational captaincy of Charlie Anderson resulted in a fairly comfortable victory for the teenage boys, helped by some talented others. Besides Charlie they were represented by George Pettifer, George Limpus, Joe Amin, Ollie Sanders, Beanie Bradley, Emma, Olive, and Miles Amin.
The Tennis Club provided an evening barbecue for the village to merge with the ending of the Graffham Arts Festival. A Steel Band from Worthing provided the music.
On Sunday morning Chris Major arranged an ad hoc Mixed doubles for our teenagers with something of a Sanders’ dominance – really! Then in the afternoon the Cricket Club somehow defeated the Tennis Club in the battle of willow on leather, and I will leave Bill Barratt to cover that one in his excellent Cricket column.
Monday commenced as usual with a 5 days of daytime coaching with the popular Richard Hopp. In the late afternoon following the coaching we welcomed a team of Rogate Juniors for our second annual match. Graffham were represented by Joe Amin, Tom Creed, Kofi Atkinson, George Limpus, Charlie Gyles, Holly Gyles, and Olive Amin. There was some excellent Tennis and Rogate improved on last year and gained a well deserved 3-3 draw.
As the juniors disappeared for their pizza meal Rogate’s senior players arrived for an evening friendly. Graffham were represented by Mike Dimmer and Emma Amin, David Sanders and Wendy Longman, and Ian Thornley and Jo Wotton. It was Rogate’s day as they gained their first victory in a long series of friendly encounters. Rogate Chairman Richard Hatfield produced something of a secret weapon in Debs Burles and they won all 3 of their sets. Mike and Emma did best for the hosts winning 2 out of 3, as the visitors claimed a 5-3 victory. The upside of this for Graffham is that the strong playing Debs wishes to join us so she can compete in the East Hants League. An excellent evening ended with a Hilary Major supper, what more could we ask for, many thanks to her.
Thanks also to Emma who worked hard on the social side for both matches.
Chris Major’s ‘Junior Fun Evening’ for 6-16 year olds took place on the Tuesday with large numbers once again taking part. 15 couples participated in this event with the youngest children being partnered by their older counterparts, who showed exemplary patience in nurturing the youngsters and introducing them to the game of tennis. The Group Winners from the four courts participated in a Table Tennis Knock-out in the marquee, with Otis Delion and Charlie Gyles emerging as the eventual winners. Thanks go to Kathie Gyles, Louise Creed, Denise Clay, Hilary Major, and Philippa Sanders, for supervising the on-court play, and to Emma, Philippa and helpers for producing the pizzas and coke that followed.
The main action on Wednesday came in Division 2 of the East Hants League, when our brilliant Ladies A Team gained a resounding victory over Medstead B. (see EHL update).
The intended american tournament on Thursday’s Club Night, was washed out as normal summer resumed, although plenty were on court ignoring the elements.
The weather was dry for Friday as the coaching was completed, and our traditional final event the Parent and Child doubles was soon in full flow.
The 15 pairs were split into two groups, with the 2 pairs winning the most games reaching the finals. It was so close in Group A that there were two one game play offs before we had our finalists. Richard and Charlie Gyles defeated Emma and Joe Amin to take the spoils!
A little mystery surrounded the finals of the B Group. We were all aware that Chairman Beetle had adopted Maisie Amin as his partner for the evening, but their opponents were down as Olive Amin and Auntie Mary. Mary was very young for an Aunt, and despite some very promising tennis from young Maisie, elder sister Olive was determined that her and the mystery Aunt would succeed, which they did! I held a brief enquiry into the result, which left me totally confused – not difficult, so Olive and Mary were declared the winners! Thanks to Miles and Annie for helping me to keep things moving.
An excellent barbecue, the third in a week for Beetle, Richard and Miles, completed our 10th Tennis Week. Another one for the memory as the Chris Major innovation heads for 2017.
Annual Tournament
After our memorable Tennis Week closed for another year attention was turned to a Sunday of Tournament Finals. There were but three, but this was nevertheless a good effort by David the Organiser, and as our Club becomes busier and more ambitious by the day, earlier finals are the way forward.
The day commenced with the Men’s A Singles Final between top seed and holder Andy Major, seeking a hat-trick of wins in this event and his fifth overall, and third seed Ollie Sanders who is by far our top youngster in this sphere.
Andy is a great advert for players who think they cannot improve past their early years. From his mid thirties he has gone up a few levels and his varied unorthodox game is often difficult to read, as Ollie was to discover.
The first set was 6-0 for the top seed although never that one-sided. There were deuce games and Ollie was always trying his best, but Andy will upset the rhythm of opponents with his clever drop shots and variation in pace. In the second set Ollie was much more involved and introduced some variation into his own game, and the rallies were more even, though inevitably Andy took the set 6-3 to equal Andy Craig’s leading tally of five singles titles!
Although most of Andy’s tennis is now played at Haslemere, his local Club, he will return to defend his Graffham title, which is good news! This means that our Club improvers will have something to aim at, not least of all Ollie, who I am sure would have learnt a lot from this match, and has time on his side for reaching those extra levels.
The Ladies Singles Final was a great match which developed into an on-court war of attrition! Top seed Ailsa Green was opposed by second seed Emma Amin in a repeat of last years final. Emma is another example of a player showing great improvement beyond the early years of playing, and her only hope in this match was a tactical approach against Ailsa, our number one Lady, who has an impressive all round game.
Trailing 1-4, Emma really dug in, and by taking the pace off her shots in many punishing rallies, she made it difficult for Ailsa to hit winners. Emma’s efforts earned her a tiebreak, which narrowly went Ailsa’s way and the first set was hers 7-6.
Emma continued to play excellent tactical tennis and looked to have a definite edge leading 4-2 in the second set, but she understandably tired as Ailsa showed her undoubted talent when storming back to land the set 6-4, after 2 ½ hours of great entertainment for those watching. Wow!
The Men’s B Doubles Final was also high on entertainment value as second seeds Harry and Archie Challen took on 4th seeds, father and son duo, Richard and Charlie Gyles.
The Challens’ were in command early doors taking the first set 6-1. A nip and tuck second was not lacking in excitement or unpredictability, although Richard was handicapped by a hip problem which meant Charlie had to rise to the occasion, and duly did, with some great retrieving. With Richard playing well under his handicap the 4th seeds scrambled the set 6-4 to level the match
All four played their part in an exciting decider, Harry was hitting his big serves and some were actually on target, and unplayable! Archie was the more consistent overall, whilst Charlie continued to excel for the opposition, with the gallant Richard missing little within range! When the first set point went to the Gyles’ duo it looked a case of beware the injured tennis player, but it was not to be and Harry and Archie closed out the match 8-6 and the Challen name appears once again on a Graffham trophy.
East Hants League News
The Mixed Doubles squad have completely runaway with their Division. In seven matches they recorded 6 victories, four of which were 8-0, and although they only drew their last match at Midhurst they were already eleven points clear of our tennis neighbours and nearest pursuers.
During Tennis Week our powerful Ladies A Team defeated Medstead B 8-0 (their 4th win by this score), and the only defeat from seven games came at Headley in the first match of the season. Although 16 points clear with three to play, Headley are in pursuit with two games in hand, and it’s a case of whatever we do they also do! Our rearranged match with them is on 18th September and it could be the decider for promotion to the Top Division!
The Ladies B Team are still in with a chance of taking Division 4, and are four points behind Steep B and The Avenue with a game in hand. We have to meet both of these teams so it is all to play for, and very much in our own hands!
The Men’s squad in their first season are only half way through their twelve matches and sitting mid-division, with 2 wins and a draw from six matches. Those taking part are enjoying the competition, but twelve matches are surely excessive for this division.
All for now, glad to say, hope it wasn’t too boring! More Tournament Finals and crucial League news next month.
Mike Dimmer