HARROGATE & DISTRICT TENNIS LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT 2011
The rest of the country was gripped by the grass court tennis at Queens, but Harrogate and District players had a much more important event to support. The Annual Tennis Tournament for all players in the Harrogate and District Tennis League was held 5-11 June using courts generously allocated by Harrogate Racquets and Harlow Clubs. The Tournament is sponsored by Cardale Asset Management and the referee is the affable Oliver Scaife, who had to manage a record number of entries this year.
The tournament has grown in popularity as there are Open and Restricted events for Mens and Ladies singles, doubles; and mixed doubles. It’s an opportunity for players to pair up with friends and family, and pit their skills against local opposition. Coaches play with and against pupils, friends partner those of their choice, not the team captains’, and parents partner sons and daughters. On court this year were three generations when Grandmother Anne Boodt entered the restricted Ladies Doubles, with daughter-in-law Audrey Henderson and granddaughter Danielle Henderson playing in the Open events. Mat Parry, tennis coach at The Academy in Harrogate entered all the events, and proved that age is no barrier to competing by teaming up with teenager Serena Nash for the mixed doubles, and for the men’s doubles with Academy team mate Andy Cousins who celebrates his 50th birthday next month. The referee estimates that Mat clocked up over 2300 points, in playing 28 sets and 333 games in the tournament.
Action started on Sunday 5 June with the first rounds of the men’s singles events, and matches continued on Monday due to the high level of entries when the Ladies doubles and Ladies singles were also played. Tuesday was an evening of mixed doubles, and Wednesday was the turn of men’s doubles. Sponsor Richard Whiteley paired up with neighbour Dave Whitelaw, to try to recreate their winning partnership of the 1990’s. They won their first round match but fell foul of a youthful Dacre pairing in the second. Thursday saw more heated action with the men’s singles and mixed doubles quarter finals, and on Friday all the semis were finished ready for the finals, played in beautiful sunshine, at Harrogate Racquets on Saturday 11 June.
The Men’s Open singles had 16 players lined up for round one, with some interesting match-ups. Young played not so young, and in the top half of the draw Philippe Bourgeois, head of languages at Rossett School, won his 3-set semi-final match against Harlow teenager Ivan Dechovsky to meet Mat Parry in the final, a repeat of last year. Sadly Philippe had to retire injured in the second set, to hand Mat his second Men’s Singles title. The Men’s Restricted Singles Final saw two Shauns playing, with Shaun Holme from Thirsk winning against Starbeck player Shaun Winstanley. The Shauns had both played very experienced over 60’s locals Trevor Nuttall and Gianfranco Cavestro to secure their final placings.
The Ladies Open Singles final was contested between two teenage schoolgirls, who played superbly over three sets. The winner was Serena Nash from the Academy, and the runner-up was last year’s runner-up Danielle Henderson, who plays at Harrogate Racquets and attends Harrogate Grammar School. Earlier Danielle had secured the Ladies Open Doubles title playing with her mother Audrey Henderson, against last year’s winners from West Tanfield, Judith Abel and Kath Halliday. On the other court Danielle’s grandmother Anne Boodt won the Ladies Restricted Doubles with Carol Rees, from Harlow, against the Burton Leonard pairing of Caroline Barr and Rosie Ellerby.
The Men’s Doubles Open Final match saw four Academy team mates on court, with Andy Cousins and Mat Parry taking on Dave Brown and Tom Crowther. After three close sets Mat and Andy emerged victorious, and Andy says “Thank-you” to Mat for a fantastic early 50th birthday present. The Men’s Doubles Restricted event brought the Starbeck friends Shaun Winstanley and Paul Evison together again in an attempt to repeat last years’ win. They had their faithful support team with them, as they had been all week, with Kath and Emma sitting on a bench, sipping wine, and enjoying themselves watching great tennis. John Shackleton and David Street from Harlow, had played late into the previous night to secure their final placing, but Shaun and Paul won through in two sets.
Mixed doubles were the last events on court on Finals Saturday. The by now well-known Academy players Serena Nash and Mat Parry teamed up to take on the steady, and experienced Thirsk pairing of Carol Collinson and Graham Parker in the Mixed Doubles Open event. Mat and Serena won giving Mat a well deserved clean sweep of titles for 2011. In the Mixed Doubles Restricted Event the champions from 2007, Carol Rees and Chris Reynolds won against John Berger and Michelle Guise.
All the players and spectators had a great week of tennis and socialising, with lots of smiles, laughs, sighs, and “if onlys”. Everyone would like to thank referee Oliver Scaife for his brilliant organisation, and to thank the HDTL Committee who run the league all summer for over 300 players to enjoy mixed doubles tennis in Harrogate and the surrounding district. Entry to the tournament is free, so make sure you put a note in your diary to enter next year. (www.hdtl.co.uk)
Full Finals results:
Men’s Singles Open: Mat Parry (Academy) 6-3 4-0 ret. Philippe Bourgeois (Academy)
