An exciting start to the Horsham Primary Schools Tennis Leagues at Horsham Tennis Club yesterday as three schools – Southwater, Holbrook and St Mary’s Horsham – entered a team each in both of the year 3+4 and year 5+6 age category leagues.
The younger children played on mini-courts in a format where all four players in a team played singles matches against all four of the other team’s players, with the spare team doing the umpiring duties, an important aspect of their learning at the event.
St Mary’s was the dominant force, not that surprisingly given the club and their school are neighbouring establishments. They beat Southwater comfortably on paper 13-3 but on the tarmac of the courts many of the matches, including two draws in the timed format, were very close. Holbrook was the most inexperienced team and was a player short so suffered a couple of big defeats but their players appeared to benefit significantly in confidence from taking this first step into matchplay and will only grow stronger in future weeks.
The year 5+6s played on full courts with a couple of rule adaptions on service available if they needed them. Holbrook and Southwater were neck-and-neck in this one, both beating St Mary’s 7-1 and when they came together drawing 4-4, so much excitement to look forward to in the coming weeks as both aim to get ahead of the other.
Next week the players will combine in doubles matches before competing in singles again in Week 3.
RESULTS – meeting 1 (050523)
| YEAR 3+4 | YEAR 5+6 |
Round 1 | Southwater v St Mary’s Horsham 3 – 13 | Holbrook v St Mary’s Horsham 7 – 1 |
Round 2 | Holbrook v St Mary’s Horsham 1.5 – 14.5 | Southwater v Holbrook 4 – 4 |
Round 3 | Southwater v Holbrook 12 – 4 | Southwater v St Mary’s Horsham 7 – 1 |
TOTAL POINTS
YEAR 3+4
- St Mary’s 27.5
- Southwater 15
- Holbrook 5.5
YEAR 5+6
- = Holbrook 11
- = Southwater 11
- St Mary’s 2