The summer air was thick with tension and rivalry as May drew to a close, when Suffolk’s Boys Under 10 travelled to Norfolk. Holding the fort at home in beautiful Woodbridge, Suffolk’s Girls Under 10 also had a challenging weekend. And with both NFA-sponsored teams bursting with enthusiasm, the stage was set for some incredible tennis…
The five young Suffolk stars were model tennis players when they travelled to Easton College in Norfolk. Although they were a little disappointed with the first day, which saw 3–1 defeats against both Middlesex and Norfolk, their team spirit never faltered. And when a fantastic set against the Norfolk number 1 ended in victory, their supporters were overjoyed.
The second day of the competition saw an exciting playoff against Bedfordshire that resulted in wins for two of the team. The doubles match that followed was also full of showmanship, but ended with a close 10–8 defeat in the third set. And in the final tiebreak shootout, the boys won 10–6 and finished in 5th place. A performance to be proud of.
The future of Suffolk tennis is in safe hands with the Suffolk Girls Under 10 team, whose performance on the final weekend of May was outstanding. They soared into the semi-finals with a 3–1 rubbers win over Norfolk, including an impressive 3-set win in the doubles. Then they kept up the good work throughout.
Up against Cambridgeshire in the semi-finals, the team smashed the singles games to be 2–1 up in rubbers. The nail-biting doubles match that followed brought it to a tie, but Suffolk won the shootout 15–13 and made it to the final.
With the top spot in sight, Middlesex and Suffolk gave it their all as they went head to head. One of Suffolk’s most impressive talents won an excellent singles game, and the doubles match went to 3 sets, but in the end they lost 3–1 in rubbers and finished in 2nd place. Well done Suffolk Under 10 Girls for your fantastic result.
Both the boys and the girls did their county proud, and there are so many people to thank for it. Thank you to the parents and onlookers, who stuck with their team through rain, wind, thunder and pollen. Thank you to Sheelagh who organised the competition entry and loaned us Eric. And thank you to everyone else involved.
An extra special shoutout to Chris, the brilliant coach and captain of the girls’ team, who stayed calm and collected at all times, kept up morale and helped the girls find the determination to win through tiebreak after tiebreak. They couldn’t have done it with you.
Girls Under 12 at the Aegon County Cup
Lincoln, Lincolnshire – End of June
Boys Under 12 at the Aegon County Cup
Harlow, Essex – End of June
Boys and Girls Under 9 at the Aegon County Cup
Ipswich, Suffolk – 19th August
Framlingham Open Tournament
Framlingham, Suffolk – First week of August
Junior County Closed Tournament
Suffolk – End of August
Senior county teams (35–70)
Home and away –Throughout the summer