Ladies grab a little slice of Hard history

12:19pm Thursday 26th June 2008

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WESTCLIFF Hardcourts' ladies made a bit of club history by winning the Essex Senior Cup for the first time.

The team of captain Alice Dickens, Faye Watts, Jackie Moody and Fiona Stone had a tough match against Cranston Park's first team but came out with a 2.5-1.5 win.

It was all level after the first round, but Moody and Stone beat the Upminster club's second pair in two sets.

Then Dickens and Watts won 5-7 7-6 against Cranston's first pair to seal the match for Westcliff.

The playing conditions were extremely difficult with gale force winds blowing across the courts at Gidea Park LTC, where the annual finals were held.

Westcliff Hard men's team were unable to retain the men's Senior Cup after being pipped by Woodford Wells.

With the final tied at two events all, Hard lost 6-5 on sets.

David Lloyd Basildon lost out on a tie-break in their Intermediate Cup final against Brentwood Lawn.

The scores were level at 2-2 following a long match which saw David Lloyd's Christie Brackett and Mave Blewett win their two events.

As it was a tie, 1 player from each pair played a final tie-break set, which DLB just lost 6-3.

Thorpe Bay II men's team also lost in the Intermediate Cup final. They went down to Gidea Park II 3-1 in an excellent match lasting four hours.

Rochford Tennis Club reached the final of Essex Junior Cup II in their first year in the cup competitions.

Chris Nelson and his team of Geoff Payne, Tim Collett and Shane Scanlon put up a superb performance before losing in the one-set play-off to the strong Next Generation Gidea Park third team.

The programme was organised by Essex LTA Competition Committee's chairman Harry Brickwood.