TRURO

Affiliated to the Cornwall LTA

Lawn Tennis Club

The ladies singles title was won by Helen Stubbs, who played steady tennis to beat Emma Welch in the semi final 6-4, 7-5. Clare Hudson, a nine times winner of the event used her experience to good advantage to win through against Sophie Weedon 7-5,6-2. Helen Stubbs started the final very strongly, serving well and backing up her serve with powerful ground strokes taking the first set 6-2. The second set was rather more cagey, Helen taking that 6-3 to win the title for the second time.

Helen and Clare teamed up for the doubles, comfortably winning through to the final to meet Sarah Statton and Michelle Turner who had fought off a determined challenge form Dory Crellin and Becky Smith in the first round. Helen and Clare were just too strong for Sarah and Michelle won 6-2, 6-4 to retain their title.

The men’s’ singles produced one of the best matches of the tournament, with Adam Jarvis taking on the higher ranked and much more experienced Liam Storey. Jarvis took an early lead in the first set, but Storey’s power enabled him to draw level and force a tie break. Both players had set points, but Storey eventually won it 12-10. The second set was remarkable after the close fought first, Jarvis overcoming the disappointment of losing it by taking the second 6-0. Unfortunately, the heat began to take its toll on Jarvis in the third – and the effort required to win the second – and he began to suffer from cramp. Storey finished powerfully taking the match 6-3 in the third set. In the other semi final, Simon Phillips, playing in his first county championships, had to face club mate and six times champion Ryan Fern. Ryan was able to match the power of his opponent and won 6-2, 6-1. The final promised to be exciting. The last time Fern and Storey had met in a county final Fern came back from a set and 4-1 down. This time, Fern never allowed Storey to find his rhythm, and won comfortably 6-2, 6-0. Remarkably, Fern lost only seven games in the three matches he played to become champion at this event for the seventh time.

The finalists in the men’s singles were the top seeds and favorites for the doubles title, playing Jarvis and Phillips the losing singles semi finalists in the final. The match was going according to the seeding, but Fern and Storey were made to play excellent doubles to force their way to a one set lead and a 6-2 lead in the second set tie break. However, Jarvis and Phillips did not lose another point in the tie break and leveled the match. In the third Jarvis and Phillips kept up the momentum, and won their first county title 6-2 in the third.

Past champions Clare Hudson and Ryan Fern teamed up in the mixed doubles, and, like their opponents in the final, Helen Stubbs and Simon Phillips, had a relatively comfortable passage through. The final was altogether a much greater challenge for both pairs and it proved to be an excellent match, Helen and Simon winning in straight sets 7-5, 7-5. This meant that Helen had made a clean sweep of the main events and Simon had been on the winning team in each of the doubles.

For the first time for many years, there were veterans events. Dory Crellin beat sister Dinah to take the ladies’ singles, and Andy Angove beat Carlos Caldeira to win the men’s event. Dory Crellin and Maggie Hayward won the ladies’ doubles, and Andy Angove and Nigel Richards won the men’s.