Cruised to 7-2 win over Woodfield Grove…
Captain Murray Sutton promotes his club well!
Players and spectators battled scorchio temperatures of 25+ at Woodfield Grove on Sunday 8 May as Grafton cruised to a 7-2 win in the Millennium Cup.
Four rubbers in, though, it was all-square: Woodfield’s Anna Thompson, graduating from juniors to seniors, held off a gallant challenge from Grafton’s Liz Wickham with her rangy ground strokes in a gruelling 6-4 6-2 win involving 20+ shot rallies in the hot sun.
Grafton’s Ivan Barker celebrated his last juniors match by beating Alec Kenningham 6-1 6-1.
In the Ladies Doubles, Grafton pair Rosie Merriman and Monica Parrott were proud of their two aces in their 6-3 6-1 defeat of Jo Kiernander and Scarlett Bishai, with Rosie retrieving magnificently.
Mercedes Gonzales (no relation to Pancho from the 60s) then swiftly levelled it for Woodfield denying Julie Wilson a game in the Ladies 40.
Admittedly the current WGTC Ladies Champion was a real ringer, filling in at the last moment with the agreement of both captains, and the hosts were pleased for the point she so ably provided!
The visitors then pulled away, but it was far from easy despite what the scores might suggest.
The girls were both Millennium Cup debutantes: Nayla Mohamed recovered from 0-2 to nick the first set 6-4 in over an hour, which gave her the confidence to close it out 6-1 in a nice level match against Woodfield’s Jess Smith.
The Men’s Singles was another tight affair: Grafton’s Mike Young tamed newbie Matt Waring’s booming serve and teased ground stroke errors from his opponent to earn a feisty 6-2 6-4 victory, ultimately benefiting from a cruel final point let cord.
Grafton’s Paul Flatters dug in after losing the first set to Jon Elwes 3-6 to take the second with the loss of only one game and the took a nervy match break 10-5 in the Men’s 45 Singles.
Eddie Tomlinson and Alex Hamlin got past Woodfield’s David Murray and Adam Callaghan 6-2 6-1 thanks to some punchy net play, and the Grafton mixed pairing of Peter Wiggins and Felicity Sampson proved too strong for David Snook and Andrea Thompson, winning through 6-0 6-1.
Culinary plaudits to the Woodfield BBQ and Jo’s iced lemon cake, which was absolutely delicious!
Report by Murray Sutton, Grafton’s Captain
Results
Grafton defeated Woodfield Grove 7-2
(Woodfield Grove names first)
Women’s Singles: Anna Thompson d Liz Wickham 6-4 6-1; Men’s Singles: Matt Waring lost to Mike Young 6-2 6-4; Women’s Over 40 Singles: Mercedes Gonzales d Julie Wilson 6-0 6-0; Men’s Over 45 Singles: Jon Elwes lost to Paul Flatters. 3-6 6-1 [10-5]; Girls Under 16 Singles: Jess Smith lost to Nayla Mohamed 6-4 6-1; Boys Under 16 Singles: Alec Cunningham lost to Ivan Barker 6-1 6-1; Women’s Doubles: Jo Kiernder & Scarlett Bashai lost to Rosie Merriman & Monica Parrott 6-3 6-1; Men’s Doubles: David Murray & Adam Callaghan lost to Eddie Tomlinson & Alex Hamlin 6-2 6-1; Mixed Doubles: David Snook & Andrea Thompson lost to Peter Wiggins & Felicity Sampson 6-0 6-1.