Totally Tennis players competed in this year’s Hampshire & IOW Junior County Championships that were held from Sunday 21st to Saturday 27th August at Winchester Racquets and Fitness.
Performance player Liam Hignett played in the 18U Boys singles and the Men’s open events as well as both the 18U Boys and the 18U Mixed Doubles. In the 18U singles he beat Will Coward 6-1, 6-1 followed by team-mate Miles Bromilow 6-1. 6-0. In the semi’s he defeated Ryan Hutchinson 6-2, 6-2 but then lost in the three set final against George Houghton 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 to finish as runner up, receiving a medal and an Amazon voucher.
In the 18U doubles Hignett and partner Hutchinson lost their first match 4-2, 0-4, 10-6 to Jake Norris and Ryan Golesworthy but won the consolation event 5-3, 5-4 (7) against Totally Tennis duo Dylan Allenby-Ryan and Alex Dawson.
In the men’s event Liam beat Harry Dunnett 6-2, 6-1, Bromilow 6-0, 6-1 followed by 6-2, 6-1 win against Austin Gwilliam in the semis. The final was a reply of the 18’s against Houghton with Hignett losing the first set 6-0 managing to pull himself together and played exceptionally well to win the second set 6-1. In the tie break they both played some great tennis but this time Hignett was the victor winning 11-9. He received a trophy, towel and t-shirt. In the Men’s Open Doubles he partnered Norris and they won their first match after a bye in the first round against Hutchinson and James Blair 7-5, 7-6 (4) but lost in the final to Houghton and Adam Drysdale 6-2, 7-6 (3). Hignett and partner Isabelle Barefoot were 18U Mixed Doubles runners-up after beating brother and sister duo Miles and Jasmin Bromilow 6-2 and then Alfie Reynolds and Charlotte Howard 6-2 but lost against Gwilliam and Freya Davis 6-4.
Dean Cooper Kirby had a fantastic tournament winning the 12U Boys Singles title, the 12U Doubles title with partner Aaron Dawson and was runner-up in the 14U Boys singles event. Cooper Kirby beat Louis Bowden in the final 6-3, 4-6, [1-0](8) to be crowned the 12U Boys singles champion, Dawson also competed but lost at the semi final stage. In the doubles event Cooper Kirby/Dawson defeated Christopher Adeshina and Owen Martel 4-1, 5-4(4) in the semis after a bye in the quarters. In the final they beat Louis Bowden and Jack Curtis 0-4, 4-1, [1-0](4) to win the event. In the 14U Boys final, Henry Bowden beat Cooper Kirby 6-2, 7-6(4) to win the event.
Performance players Jasmin Bromilow, Tillie Reid and Kirsty Da Silva all competed in the 12U Girls singles event. Bromilow was runner-up, Reid was third and Da Silva fourth. In the quarters finals Bromilow beat Gabrielle Gwilliam 6-0, 6-0, Reid beat Poppy Marston 6-1, 6-1 and Da Silva completed the hat trick against Alice Collins 7-6(6), 7-6(5). In the semis Bromilow beat Reid 6-1, 7-5 and Da Silva lost against eventual winner Rina Hayamizu 6-1, 6-1. In the final Hayamizu defeated Bromilow 6-4, 7-6(4) and Reid beat Da Silva for third place 6-1, 6-0.
The 14U Girls Doubles featured four Totally Tennis players, Bromilow, Reid and Da Silva and Isla Hignett. Bromilow was runner-up with partner Magda Kornijczuk after losing against Samyuktha Manoharan and Alana Unitt in the final 4-1, 4-0. The duo had previously beaten Hignett and Reid in the semis 6-3, 6-4. Hignett and Reid finished in third place overall after beating Da Silva and her partner Sienna Boyce in the third/fourth place playoff match 4-1, 4-0.
Bromilow and Hignett also both competed in the Girls 14U singles. Bromilow beat Boyce 6-1, 6-1 in her first round match but then lost to Charlotte Howard in the quarters 6-1, 6-0. Hignett won her first match in 14’s against Hayamizu 6-3 6-3 but lost her quarter-final match against Unitt 6-2, 6-3. In the 16U singles’s Hignett lost 6-4 6-4 against Mary Strevens and then lost her consolation match to Anna Vinnell 5-4, 4-0. Hayden Cummings and Dylan Cooper Kirby competed in the 8U singles which was won by Oliver Cole.
Lots of fun was had in the touch tennis event. Liam teamed up with Hutchinson and won two matches, Isla was paired with Vinnell, the overall winners were James Ardley and Mats Colling.
Head Coach James McIntosh said, “It was great to see so many players from the club competing in this years county championships. All of the players did extremely well and it was good to see a lot of the players both boys and girls reach the semi-finals and finals of their respective competitions.” he added, “Well done to Dean who won the U12’s boys competition and to Liam who won the Men’s, managing to beat the same player he lost to in the final of the U18’s just a few days before“.
The County Championships take place across all counties nationwide during the last week of August. All the events offer singles and doubles events across all age groups from mini, junior and adults, there are also social events encouraging all families to be involved.
Photos provided by Donella Hignett. Photos 4, 5 and 6 used courtesy of Hampshire & Isle of Wight LTA
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