Ladies double up for smashing day of tennis at Bognor

Once again, Bognor Tennis Club's open ladies doubles tournament drew a wide-ranging group of competitors, representing 14 different clubs from across Sussex and beyond.
The line-up for the ladies' doubles open at Bognor LTCThe line-up for the ladies' doubles open at Bognor LTC
The line-up for the ladies' doubles open at Bognor LTC

With an 18-pair entry and only five courts to play on, the organisation of matches had to be slick and players had to be ready to leap to their feet and head for the court at very short notice.

Players in the two groups of five pairs played five games against their group opponents, while those in the two smaller groups of four pairs played seven games.

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After all the round-robin matches had been completed, play was adjourned while the ladies took a well-deserved break for lunch.

The four pairs who had finished top of their respective morning groups were put into a group together, and the same applied to those that had come second. Finally, the pairs that had finished in third, fourth or fifth place were assembled into two new groups, each of five pairs.

The challenge for the afternoon was for each couple to beat the other pairs in their newly-created group and finish in a prize-winning position. Competition in the top group was determined and resolute but, despite losing to Sarah Inman and Jo Rees from Storrington, who finished as runners-up, Alison Cox and Juliet Matthews emerged as the winners with a total of 14 wins out of a possible 21. With this pair also having finished as winners the previous year, their target for 2014 is to make it a hat-trick.

Winners and runners-up of the other groups were all awarded a prize - they were Doreen Shire and Ann Woodhead of Angmering (winners), Jane Chase-Gardener and Rose Hodson from Wentworth (runners-up), Carol David and Joy Withers of Angmering (winners), Jenny Loversidge and Patti Francis-Kerr of Bognor (runners-up), Janet McKay and Shaz Morris from Aldingbourne (winners) and Linda Thomas and Hannah Ridley (runners-up).

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