1:30pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Paul Alton
SOUTHEND and District LTA is gearing up for a promising summer season.
A number of new clubs have joined the league, which is being supported by Dennis Rayner Tennis Consultants.
The Men’s Premier League has grown to 10 teams following the arrival of Deanes Sports College, Kent Elms and Crowstone.
Thurrock and Westcliff Hard have signed up for the Mixed Veterans league to boost that competition to seven teams.
“It makes this summer our largest season in entry numbers for quite some years,” said league secretary Geoff Payne.
“The Southend and District is only a small association, but for what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up in quality. “Our current men’s singles champion is in the top 50 players nationally and our ladies champion has been in the Redbridge Summer Series final recently.”
The junior leagues have been sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis Association as grade six, with the play-off rounds catagorised as grade five.
This means junior will earn national ranking points from their matches as well as points towards their LTA rating card.
David Lloyd Southend, Deanes and Southend Lawn are additional entries to this year’s junior events. The Junior Leagues run for boys and girls in age groups under-16, under-14, under-12 and also Mini Tennis Green for under-10s.
Summer tournament entry forms are also available.
For more information on Southend & District LTA you can visit www.southenddistrictlta.org.uk or contact the league secretary at geoff@southenddistrictlta.org.uk.
l David Watson has been appointed as the new coach at Thorpe Bay tennis club.
The 18-year-old from Shoebury is planning to continue playing while teaching tennis alongside fellow Thorpe coaches Jon Lee, Matt Bell and Kris Bush.
l Wickford tennis club is holding its winter finals on Sunday.
There are seven matches, with the first three starting at 9.30am.
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