STEVE Wynn was delighted to see ‘excellent’ tennis played at the Southend & District Tennis Association’s highly-anticipated Annual Winter Finals.

The yearly event, which was organised and refereed by Wynn, took place at Deanes, Benfleet.

The finals saw competitors from 10 different local tennis clubs go head-to-head in search of silverware.

And Wynn was impressed with the standard of tennis on show.

“It was a very successful day with some excellent tennis being played across the 12 matches,” said Wynn.

“There are various rounds throughout the winter that the competitors have to negotiate to make it to the Finals.

“There have been about 125 competitors altogether from the very start.”

Rayleigh enjoyed the most success as members won half of the finals played.

Steve Higgins claimed four of those six trophies, and Wynn was quick to praise the Higgins and the club’s efforts.

Wynn added: “Rayleigh did very well and Steve Higgins in particular enjoyed a good day.

“Steve played brilliantly to walk away with four trophies on the day.

“He had failed to win in previous finals so to get four trophies was a massive achievement.”

Higgins, alongside Emily Watts, won the mixed doubles title.

Mark Rose partnered Higgins as they beat Rayleigh team-mates Gary Coombes and Steve Lloyd for the mixed doubles plate.

Higgins and his wife Dawn secured the mixed senior doubles and mixed over-35 doubles championships.

Wickford’s Craig George reclaimed the men’s singles title two years after initially winning the crown, while Rayleigh’s Emily Watts held on to her ladies singles trophy by defeating Sarah Ball of Westcliff Lawn.

But Ball did bounce back as she won the ladies double with Christie Hale.

Rochford’s Andre Bozin claimed the men’s doubles and mixed doubles plates alongside Rob Scott and Amy Plews respectively.

Westcliff Lawn’s pairings of Blase Walton and Dan Thrale along with Marg Rimmer and Cally Flinders won the men’s doubles and ladies senior doubles titles.

David Lloyd Southend’s Craig Giles secured the men’s singles plate while the Rayleigh duo of Emily Watts and Sophie Bigden won the ladies doubles plate.