Performance player and coaching assistant Harry Feast won the 18 & under Boys singles title at last weekend’s East Winter County Tour Oxford Sports tournament held at the Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis Club, Oxfordshire.
After losing his first match against Scott Aspley in three sets 4-2, 2-4, 10-8 Feast then his next three matches beating Rafferty Read 4-3(4), 4-0, Tanguy Wache 4-2, 4-1 and Yegor Boyev 4-1, 4-0 to win the title.
Congratulations Harry!
Totally Tennis performance player and coach Liam Hignett competed in the LTA British Tour Sutton in the Open Mens Singles and Doubles events at Sutton Tennis & Squash Club last week.
In the opening round of the singles Hignett beat ninth seed Tom Hands 2-6, 7-5, 10-5 and then defeated Oscar Glenister in their second round match 7-5, 6-2. He was then beaten in the quarters by second seed and eventual runner-up Alexis Canter 6-4, 6-1.
It was a similar story in the the doubles where Hignett teamed up with fellow Hampshire teammate Austin Gwilliam to beat Glenister and his partner Oliver Matthews 7-5, 6-0 in the first round before losing in the quarters to fourth seeds Sean Hodkin and Millen Hurrion 6-2, 4-6, 10-2 .
Hignett said, “The Sutton tournament is a premier tier British Tour event and the biggest of the year so offers the best prize money. I was very happy to get to the quarters in both singles and doubles.”
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) British Tour 2019* provides a circuit of tournaments designed to give up and coming players the opportunity to gain experience in their quest to become professional tennis players, to provide competition for professional players in between competing in professional events at home and abroad, as well as providing a national level open competition circuit.
This week Hignett will be competing in the British Tour in Cumberland followed by the Roehampton event early next month. Read more about Hignett’s previous British Tour events HERE
*British Tour information used with courtesy of www.lta.org.uk/britishtour
Since the beginning of the year Performance player and coach Liam Hignett has been competing in LTA British Tour tournaments held across the country. Over the last month he has played in the Open Mens Singles events in Bournemouth, Woking, Connaught and North Oxford.
In the Bournemouth event he won his first two matches beating George Russell in the first round 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-3 followed by Finely Cook in round two 6-4, 6-1. He then lost in the quarters against eventual winner Toby Samuel 6-3, 6-4. It was a similar story at the Woking event with Hignett getting knocked out at the quarter-final stage, after winning his first two matches, by James Mackinlay in a three set battle 7-6(5), 6-7(6), [1-0](9).
After a bye in the first round of the Connaught event, Hignett lost in the second round to Alexander Jochim 7-5, 3-6, [11-9]. In the North Oxford tournament he made an early exit in the first round after losing to Yujiro Onuma 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) British Tour 2019* provides a circuit of tournaments designed to give up and coming players the opportunity to gain experience in their quest to become professional tennis players, to provide competition for professional players in between competing in professional events at home and abroad, as well as providing a national level open competition circuit.
Read more about Liam’s previous British Tour events HERE
*British Tour information used with courtesy of www.lta.org.uk/britishtour
As well as training for thirty-eight hours a week, Cooper Kirby is studying at the school linked to the academy based in nearby Fort Myers. While resident at the academy Cooper Kirby will be following an intense daily training programme to improve every area of his game including technique, footwork, movement and strategy on an individual and small group basis. The training includes match play and drills as well as mental training and fitness.
Brian said, “It was great to see Dean and to watch him train but also to understand how hard they are pushed in high temperatures – it was 36 degrees on court when we were there.”
The programme ensures that players are looked after in every way to improve their game, everything they eat and drink throughout the day is recorded and that data is used to analysis performance on court versus food intake to track energy levels. He needs a massive 8,500 daily calorie intake to cope with a days training, he is weighted in the morning and lunchtime to record how much water he has lost due to the morning training session, so far the most he has lost in a morning session is four pounds.
The Gomez Tennis Academy was founded in 2010 by tennis coach Rene Gomez, his wife Leslie Gomez and her son Chase Muma. Gomez Tennis Academy is a boutique tennis training academy situated in Naples, Florida. Led by Rene’s knowledge and experience, the Gomez team practices a training philosophy based on commitment, consistency and individualized instruction.*
Read more about the academy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
*All information about the Gomez Tennis Academy and court photo were sourced from www.gomeztennisacademy.com
Read more about Copper Kirby’s time in Florida in previous posts totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/cooper-kirby-returns-from-florida-to-contest-european-tournaments and totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/cooper-kirby-heads-for-full-time-academy-training-in-florida/
Totally Tennis performance players Isla Hignett and Tillie Reid competed in the 18 and under Girls Doubles event, part of the latest South West Winter County Tour, at Totally Tennis Basingstoke run by coach Liam Hignett.
Five pairs entered the event and the Totally Tennis pair beat Ridah Nayeemullah and Lucy Peer 4-3(1), 4-1 but were unlucky in their other three matches and finished fourth overall. Second seeds Martyna Ciubatiuk and Magda Kornijczuk were the overall winners.
The next event in the series is the Mens and Womens Open that takes place on 11th November
Performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Liam Hignett is putting his gap year to good use by taking on a coaching role at the club where he will be working with both adults and juniors in various sessions at Totally Tennis’ indoor centre. He will also be continuing his tournament referee role as well as competing in a variety of tournaments countrywide and studying for his Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) level 3 coaching qualification.
Hignett, who completed his A levels the summer, decided to forgo his scholarship at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) in favour of studying at university in the UK after his gap year which we see him concentrate on competing and progressing his coaching career.
Current Hampshire & IOW County Championships Men’s champion, Hignett will be sharing his experience and expertise with players in the junior development and orange/green squads, adults drills, Saturday munchkin and junior clubs as well as the weekend Pirates and Indians squads. He will also be offering private lessons as well as hitting sessions for performance players looking for that extra practice.
His level 3 coach qualification* starts next week and will be completed in January 2019. He will learn many skills including how to coach beginners and improvers in groups and as individuals, understanding the basics of business management and the competitive structure in the UK and work with level 1 and 2 coaching assistants. Alongside the four modules Hignett will need to undertake coaching experience with a mentor, compile a portfolio and pass a final on court practical coaching assessment.
Hignett completed the LTA referee development course that enables him to run events at the club such as the recent LTA South West Summer County Tour series. He will be running South West Winter County Tour series at Totally Tennis between September and March for juniors aged from eight to eighteen – to find out more about the tournaments and to enter visit www3.lta.org.uk/Competitions/
Hignett said, “I am looking forward to coaching regularly at Tennis Totally in between my tournaments that are scheduled during my gap year. This will provide me with some more experience that will prove to be useful in the future.”
For more information contact Totally Tennis on 01256 358816 or Hignett via Instagram and Facebook
*LTA Level 3 course information used with courtesy of www.lta.org.uk
Totally Tennis performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby has made the permanent move to America’s sunshine state to live and train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.
As well as training for thirty-eight hours a week, Cooper Kirby will be studying at the school linked to the academy based in nearby Fort Myers. If initial training goes to plan he will be looking to compete at the ITF tournament to be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of October.
While resident at the academy Cooper Kirby will be following an intense daily training programme to improve every area of his game including technique, footwork, movement and strategy on an individual and small group basis. The training includes match play and drills as well as mental training and fitness.
Brian Cooper Kirby, Dean’s father said, “After receiving his four year US Visa Dean flew to Fort Lauderdale on 29th August to train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.”
Cooper Kirby spent a month at the Florida academy earlier this year in April and while there he won the Spring Tropical Junior and also competed in another 16 and under event but was knocked out in the quarter final stages by a fellow Gomez Academy player.
The Gomez Tennis Academy was founded in 2010 by tennis coach Rene Gomez, his wife Leslie Gomez and her son Chase Muma. Gomez Tennis Academy is a boutique tennis training academy situated in Naples, Florida. Led by Rene’s knowledge and experience, the Gomez team practices a training philosophy based on commitment, consistency and individualized instruction.*
Read more about the academy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
*All information about the Gomez Tennis Academy and court photo were sourced from www.gomeztennisacademy.com
Read more about Copper Kirby’s time in Florida in previous post totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/cooper-kirby-returns-from-florida-to-contest-european-tournaments/
