SOUTHEND-based duo Anthony Weingarten and Olivia King secured glory in the men's singles and women's singles at the 2021 Essex Closed Championships that were held at Thorpe Bay Lawn Tennis Club.

Weingarten defeated Ralph Bartlett in a thrilling singles final 6-2 3-6 12-10 and followed that up with an emphatic win in the mens doubles final with partner Adam Groves over Layne Gold and Toby Terrell 6-3 6-0.

King secured the women's crown by overcoming Rebecca Raymond 6-4 7-5 and secured second-place in the womens' doubles round robin with Thorpe Bay’s Natalie Crawford.

Following the enforced break in 2020, the county's top youngsters flocked to the club on Thorpe Bay Gardens eager to make up for lost time.

None more so than Ingatestone’s Kyla Eves who made history by becoming the first player to win six consecutive Essex Closed singles titles at her age group from 2015 to 2021.

Eves ended the week with a hat-trick of U14 crowns - girls singles, girls doubles and mixed doubles.

Billericay’s Anna Wright also completed a hat-trick of wins by winning the U11 girls singles, U12 girls singles and U12 girls doubles.

In addition, Wright was collected the award of U14 most improved player – the first girl to win the award for six years.

In the under-18s, Thorpe Bay’s Natalie Crawford overcame Lizzie Thompson 2-6 6-4 10-4 to clinch the girls singles title while Kai Cowcher was crowned boys singles champion as opponent Younes Jenkins retired while trailing 6-3 1-0 following a marathon men's singles semi-final earlier in the day.

Both the girls doubles and boys doubles finals were epic three setters.

Echo:

Well played - winners at the Essex Closed Championships

The girls final ended in victory for Paige Botts & Ellison Fisk over Natalie Crawford & Olivia King 3-6 7-5 10-7.

The boys was won by Samuel Constantinou & Fred Wallace who defeated Otto Freidlein & Alexander Winder 6-3 6-7 10-6.

The mixed doubles final was a close affair too with Daisy Morlham & Jack Wallace beating Olivia King & Charlie Kaunders-Boothby 6-4 7-6.

FULL RESULTS

Mens Singles – Anthony Weingarten

Womens Singles – Olivia King

Mens Doubles - Anthony Weingarten & Adam Groves

Womens Doubles – Rebecca Raymond & Emily Watts

U18 Boys Singles - Kai Cowcher

U18 Girls Singles – Natalie Crawford

U18 Boys Doubles - Fred Barnett & Samuel Constantinou

U18 Girls Doubles - Paige Bott & Ellison Fisk

U18 Mixed Doubles - Jack Wallace & Daisy Morlham

U16 Boys Singles - Otto Friedlein

U16 Girls Singles – Rebecca Raymond

U16 Boys Doubles - Rio Hanif & Noel Moore

U16 Girls Doubles - Paige Bott & Ellison Fisk

U14 Boys Singles – Alexander Winder

U14 Girls Singles - Kyla Eves

U14 Boys Doubles - Freddy Ward & George Ward

U14 Girls Doubles - Kyla Eves & Anvi Karode

U14 Mixed Doubles - Hugo Buchan & Kyla Eves

U12 Boys Singles - Thomas Taylor-Widgery

U12 Girls Singles – Anna Wright

U12 Boys Doubles - Augustas Dambrauskas & Varun Degun

U12 Girls Doubles - Sophia Krutikova & Anna Wright

U11 Boys Singles – Kamran Arif

U11 Girls Singles – Anna Wright

U10 Boys Singles - Brandon Pugh

U10 Girls Singles - Isabella Rebel

U9 Boys Singles - Hudson Burdett

U9 Girls Singles - Isabella Rebel

U8 Boys Singles - George Biggane

U8 Girls Singles - Freya Chiu