Runner-up Spot for Cooper Kirby in Salisbury

Totally Tennis performance player and Sherfield Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby added yet another trophy to his summer haul after finishing as runner-up in The Kirk Moore Salisbury Junior Open held last week at the Salisbury Lawn Tennis Club in Wiltshire

After a bye in the first round of the Grade 3 tournament second seed Cooper Kirby beat Oliver Martin 6-3, 6-3 in the quarters followed by Oscar Oberoi Jensen 7-6(6), 6-1 in the semis but lost out in the final to top seed Edred Opie 6-2, 6-3 to finish as runner-up.

Well done Dean 🙂

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More Titles For Tillie

Totally Tennis performance player and Sherfield School tennis scholar Tillie Reid is having a run of success in her summer tournament schedule. She won the Southampton Junior Open 16 & under Girls title at the end of last month and this week she was crowned the 14 & under Girls singles champion at the Hazelmere Junior Tournament.

In the Grade 4 Southampton tournament, held at Totton And Eling Tennis Centre, Reid won all her four matches in the round robin competition to win the overall title and collect the gold medal (pictured above). She defeated Jena Gregory 4-1, 4-1, Alice Calder 4-1, 4-2, Mia Gerty 4-1, 1-4, 10-6 and Simi Osula 4-2, 4-1.

At this week’s Hazelmere LTC Tournament held at Haslemere Lawn Tennis Club in Surrey, Reid won the Grade 4 event after an epic final between her and fellow Hampshire player Mia Gerty (who she defeated in the Southampton event) that certainly entertained the crowd. After a bye in the first round Reid beat Bo Edwards 6-1, 6-0 in the quarters followed by a walkover against Sophie Marie Lowe in the semis and a 7-5, 6-2 win against Gerty in the final.

In the 16 & under Girls Doubles Reid and partner Sienna Boyce finished as runners-up after beating Charlotte Griffiths/Olivia Russell 6-2, 6-0, Imogen Garthwaite/ImogenWatt 6-0, 6-1 before losing in the final to Millicent Edwards/Hattie Venneman 6-0, 6-0.

Congratulations Tillie!

Mixed Success For Players In Winchester

Totally Tennis performance players were in action last week at the Winchester Babolat Open 2017 held at the Winchester Racquets And Fitness club with varying levels of success.

Dean Cooper Kirby picked up one winners and two runners-up trophies at the event held last week. He won the 16 and under Boys Doubles with partner Alexander Pearch (pictured below) defeating Edwin Lau and Anirudhha Hazarika in the quarters 6-4, 4-6, [1-0](7) and then Thomas Horsley and Lleyton Scott 4-6, 6-3, [1-0](8) in the semis. In the final they beat Henry and Louis Bowden 6-0, 7-6(3).

In the 18 and under Boys singles, Cooper Kirby was the runner-up after losing in the final to Henry Bowden 6-1, 6-1. After a bye in the first round Cooper Kirby beat Archie Hillier 6-3, 6-3 in the second round, David Brehme in the quarters 6-3, 1-6, [1-0](2) and club and school team mate Miles Bromilow 1-6, 6-3, [1-0](6) in the semis. Bromilow also had a bye in the first round and then defeated Otto Schlüter 6-1, 4-6, [1-0](6) in round two and Alfie Reynolds 6-2, 6-3 in the quarters before losing to Cooper Kirby.

 

In the 18 and Under Boys Doubles Bromilow and Cooper Kirby joined forces beating Joshua Davis-Lye and Luke Strivens in the semis 4-2, 5-3 but fishing as runners-up after losing to Bowden and Daniel Webb in the final 4-0, 5-4(7).

Liam Hignett won the Open Men’s Singles consolation final beating 18 and under Boys winner Bowden 6-0, 6-0. Hignett teamed up with Open Mens Singles winner Louis Allen in Open Mens Doubles and after a bye in the first round the boys lost in semis against Miles Mcdowall and Harvey Reed 4-6, 6-3, [1-0](6).

After a bye in the first round of the 14 and under Girls Singles Isla Hignett beat Mia Sibley 7-6(4), 6-0 in the quarters before losing to eventual overall winner Jessica Longjohn 6-2, 6-2 in the semis. Clubmate Jasmin Bromilow lost in her first round match against Katy Jarvis 6-3, 6-1. In the 16 and under Girls Singles Hignett beat Ellie Black in the first round 6-3, 6-1 but then lost in the quarters to Orla Cooper 6-0, 6-0.  Bromilow was beaten in her first round match by Emma Stewart 6-4, 6-1

In the 16 and under Girls Doubles, Hignett and Bromilow lost in the quarter finals against Jessica Longjohn and Katy Jarvis 4-2, 2-4, [1-0](10) but won the 18 and Girls Doubles consolation final beating Mia Sibley and Gabriella Lindley 5-3, 4-1. 

 

 

Hignett Meets Henman at Wimbledon

Totally Tennis performance player Isla Hignett met British tennis legend Tim Henman at the weekend’s HSBC Road to Wimbledon tennis clinic along with the other county final runners-up who travelled from all the UK to take part.

The clinic, with Henman and Dan Bloxham, was held on the famous grass courts in SW19 on Saturday. They played drills on court for an hour and half with some of the overseas juniors helping with hitting and motivating the players. The tennis session was followed by lunch and a photo opportunity with Henman before a tour of the grounds and Wimbledon museum.

 

Older brother Liam, who accompanied Isla to the event, was himself a competitor in the National Road To Wimbledon finals back in 2014.

 

 

Another Busy Week For Hignett

Totally Tennis performance player Liam Hignett had a busy week competing in the Grade 3 Frost & Co. Dorset Open 2017 as well as volunteering at the IAFF World Athletic Championships in London.

In the tournament held at the East Dorset Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Hignett competed in both the Open Men’s singles and the doubles with Dorset based partner Louis Allen. In the singles, second seed Hignett had a bye in the first round then he beat Joshua Kean 6-2, 6-1 in round two followed by fifth seed Jack Oswald 6-2, 6-3 in the quarters. In the semis he defeated seventh seed Thomas Watkinson 6-4, 6-1 but then lost to top seed Alex White 7-5, 6-1 in the final to finish in the runner-up spot.

In the doubles, second seeds Hignett and Allen had a bye in the first round then beat Adam Watkinson/Thomas Watkinson in the quarters 4-0, 4-2 and then beat third seeds  Benjamin Battey/David Hill in three sets 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 10-6 in the semis. In the final they were due to face top seeds Adam Glynn/Toby Samuel but due to the match scheduling and Hignett’s IAFF commitments the pair had to concede leaving them as runners-up. 

At the televised World Athletics sessions Hignett had the honour of carrying Usain Bolt’s bag before the 4 x 100 metre relay final.

 

Hignett and Bromilow Join Referee Development Group

Totally Tennis performance players and Sherfield School tennis scholars Liam Hignett and Miles Bromilow are adding more skills to their ever growing tennis portfolio by attending a three part Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) referee development course.

The boys were invited to become part of the new Referee Development Group taking place across the South West of England. The LTA initiative aims to develop young players aged 16+, especially those who have shown an interest in coaching, to enable them to run events at their respective clubs by teaching them the necessary competition organisation skills.

With the number of tennis players competing having dropped in recent years from 24,000 to 20,000 the LTA has announced its commitment to reversing the decline. This new group is designed to get like minded young players together and encourage them to run competitions and events that give other players the opportunity to play tennis.

The boys will take part in three free courses at the Winchester Racquets and Fitness Club; the Competition Organiser Course which they have already completed, the Court Supervisors Course and Referees Course worth a whopping £125 in total. They have also been gifted team kit and laptop bags and will receive on-going mentoring as well as the opportunity to learn valuable new skills.

Hignett said. “It has been great to be a part of the Referee Development Group. I’m  looking forward to being able to transfer the skills I have acquired to organise LTA tournaments in the future.” he added, “The next two parts of the courses will teach me how to run my own tournaments as a Referee and also oversee a number of courts at larger tournaments as a Court Supervisor.”

“I am looking forward to continuing with the group and embracing the new opportunities it will give me in the officiating side of the game.”

 

 

Sherfield School Boys In Action At The National Championships

The Sherfield School Boys team, which consists of four Totally Tennis performance players, completed in the Team Tennis Schools National Championships Finals 2016-2017 (formerly known as the Glanville Cup) at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.

The Boys Team (L to R) Alex Dawson, Liam Hignett, former Sherfield School Head of PE Adam Gibson, Miles Bromilow and Dean Cooper Kirby

The team of Liam Hignett, Miles Bromilow, Alex Dawson and Dean Cooper Kirby were playing in a tough field of the top sixteen teams in the country at the weekend long event. Unfortunately the boys were knocked out in the first round of the main draw by Cheam High School 8-4. Bromilow and Cooper Kirby both won their singles matches 4-1, 3-5, 1-0(6) and 4-2, 4-2 respectively but Hignett and Dawson lost, both pairings were beaten in the doubles.

The boys then competed in the consolation draw beating Queen Elizabeth School, Cumbria 10-0 followed by St.Peter’s RC High School 8-4 in the semis but then lost in the final against St Bede’s 8-2 with Bromilow the only player to win a match.

Top seeds Culford School A were the overall winners beating third seeds Reed’s School in the final 8-2. In the Girl’s event (formerly known as the Aberdare Cup)  second seeds Talbot Heath School A beat top seeds Queenswood School in the final 8-4.