Records tumble on Finals Day 2019

Featuring the youngest ladies singles lineup in Wigmore memory, an epic three setter in the mens doubles and a mixed pairs match set to music, this year’s finals day was everything we had hoped for and more.

Ladies Singles – Valeria Cespedes-Beltran, playing on her 15th birthday, battled out a victory in three sets over 14 year-old Sophie Quagraine. Both girls have been members since they were young children,  play in the ladies first team, and compete at a high level in and around London. We are proud.

Mens Singles – Christian Kerrigan, who also first won a Wigmore adult trophy when he was a teenager, faced two set points against club coach Jimmy Callus before clinching a memorable 6-2, 7-6 victory. A match of fast points and big hitting that ended with a nailbiting tie-break.

Mens Doubles – Jimmy and Christian faced each other for the second time, paired up respectively with Gregor MacLean, a new member this year, and Ashley Martin, a veteran returnee. The standard of tennis was high and the contest fierce, Christian and Ashley prevailed in the end 4-6, 7-6, 7-5.

Mixed Doubles – With the light fading, the party band striking up, and the Pimm’s-fuelled crowd getting raucous, Jimmy and Ashley dragged themselves back on court for a third time – Ashley having  earlier won the Mens Vets Singles too. Ashley and his partner, first team stalwart Fiona Rodgers, could not stem the onslaught from Jimmy and Valeria, who closed out the day under lights.

The Ladies Doubles and Mens Vets Doubles have had to be postponed to a later date (watch this space), but there was still plenty more great tennis. The Ladies vets doubles, won by Louise McKerchar and Juliet Redfern over Sharon Gould and Sue Jeffries, gave us another of the day’s three-set thrillers. John MacLean took home both the Plate and the Handicap titles in two close fought contests, against Tim Loughhead and Dave Chamberlain respectively.  Louise also won a memorable Ladies Vets Singles over a battling Deborah Holmes. Ashley’s vets victory over Pratha Mahendran featured some of the longest rallies of the day.

Youth did not quite carry the day, however. Rita Cobb, one of our oldest members whose actually age is a state secret, picked up a trophy with partner Jimmy in the Handicap Doubles, while despite, or perhaps because of, his pre-match tippling, Tony Forbes prevailed 6-4, 7-5 over Keith Beer in a hard-fought Supervets (over 60s) match.                 

 To view all the photos of the adult tournament and evening event (mainly taken by Vicky Wolfe and Gerry Lovell so huge thanks to them for their hard work throughout the day!), please click this link https://1drv.ms/u/s!Avevt26AxA5srRDaDmXgvIzB50RP?e=dwwSQx