It’s third time lucky for new champ James (From Echo)

It’s third time lucky for new champ James

1:20pm Thursday 22nd September 2011 in Tennis By Paul Alton

IT was third time lucky for James Holloway when he won the Leigh & Westcliff LTA men’s summer singles title.

The Hadleigh Park player had been the runner up for the last two years but defeated his club-mate Gary Lewis in three sets to claim the crown.

Defending champion Sue Sergeant lost her ladies’ singles crown in straight sets to talented David Lloyd player Rosanna Clarke.

And there were two new names on the men’s doubles trophy after hard-hitting young Hadleigh Park duo Ben Clow and Jack Vile defeated David Lloyd’s Craig Giles and David Petchey.

Ladies’ doubles champions Ann Murray and Annemiek Binnendijk, from Thorpe Bay, retained their crown with a straight sets win over Rayleigh’s Cathy Chambers and Debra Rose.

It was mixed fortunes for the husband and wife pairing of Debra and Mark Rose.

Mark lost to Nelson Okomi in the veteran men’s singles but teamed up with Phil Alderton to win the veteran men’s doubles.

Debra and Mark teamed up to face defending mixed doubles champs Sue Sergeant and Martin Needs, who retained the silverware after a third set tie-break.

But Debra and Mark gained revenge by claiming victory in the veteran mixed doubles in straight sets.

It was the last match of the day at Westcliff Lawn on Saturday and came after Sue Sergeant had already played four consecutive matches.

They included a successful defence of her veteran ladies’ singles title and victory in the veteran ladies’ doubles, where she partnered Kris Newbery to a win with a 13-11 championship tie-break.

FULL STORY IN THURSDAY'S ECHO