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.

 

 

 

 

Hignett Wins Men’s Title in Southampton

Totally Tennis performance player Liam Hignett won the David Lloyd Southampton Aegon British Tour FAST4 Open Mens singles title last weekend beating the top seed in the final. The Sherfield tennis scholar Hignett, 17 was second seed in the Grade 3 event which also featured fellow tennis scholar and performance player Miles Bromilow.

In the first round Hignett defeated Krishna Tanja 4-0, 4-3(4) (who went on to win the consolation event) followed by James Balir in the quarters 4-3(1), 4-1 and Jj Clark 4-0, 4-2 in the semis. The final saw him up against the highly rated Troy Dixon who had just beaten Bromilow in the semis, it was a close three set match which Hignett won 4-3(3), 3-4(4), 10-6 to clinch another title.

Bromilow had two three sets matches beating Tom Batchelor in the first round 4-3(1), 3-4(2), 10-3 and Daniel Dean 0-4, 4-2, 10-3 in his second match before he came up against Dixon.

Congratulations Liam, what a great to start the summer season!

 

 

Two Trophies For Tillie

Even when visiting her grandparents in Devon for the Easter holidays performance player Tillie Reid still managed to win not one but two trophies to add to her collection.

Sherfield School tennis scholar Reid competed in the Grade 4 North Devon Spring Open 14U Girls singles and doubles events in the tournament held at the Tarka Tennis Centre in Barnstaple. After a bye in the first round of the singles she beat Grace Vowles 4-0, 4-0 in the semi-finals and then won the final against Amelia Pirt 4-0, 4-1.\

The following day she joined forces with Pirt to compete in the doubles which was played in the round robin format. Together they defeated Evie Norris-Bishop/Ruby Davis 4-0, 4-0 followed by Katie Rowe/Martha Macdonald 4-1, 4-1 and then won the final against Lucy Ward/Vowles 4-0, 4-2 to collect the winners trophies.

Congratulations Tillie! What a great start to the summer season!

A Win for Kirsty in Oxfordshire

Totally Tennis performance player Kirsty Da Silva won the Grade 5 12 & under Girls event at the Game, Set & Match Play Spring Super Series held at Radley College Sports Centre in Oxfordshire last weekend.

After a bye in the first round, top seed Da Silva defeated Emma Gabriel in the semi-final 4-2, 4-0 and then in the final she beat Beatrice Painter 4-2, 4-2 to win the event and collect yet another medal.

Sue Da Silva said, “Good consistent play from Kirsty in the event. She had some really clever shots, moving her opponents well.”

What a great start to the Easter holidays, Congratulations Kirsty!

 

Silver Medal For Kirsty

Totally Tennis performance player Kirsty Da Silva was runner-up in the grade 5 Chesham Bois 12 and under Girls singles tournament held at Chesham Bois Lawn Tennis & Squash Club in Amersham, Buckinghamshire this weekend.

In her first match Da Silva beat Bianca Iacobut 4-3, 4-1 and then defeated her personal nemesis’ and second seed Patricia Radan in a close three set semi-final match  4-2, 1-4, 10-9. In the final her winning streak was halted by Anjali Kotecha who won 4-1, 4-1 and Da Silva finished up with the runner-up’s medal.

Sue Da Silva (Kirtsy’s mum) said, “Kirsty has never beaten Patricia before although she came close in their last meeting but today was her day, at last! she added, “It’s her first medal for a while, it’s so great to see her back in a final again!”