Hailsham Tennis Club has played the last of their finals in the Drawn Doubles Tournament — the Ladies’ Doubles and the Mixed Doubles.
This is the tournament where partners are chosen at random. In the Ladies’ Doubles, Debbie Hughesman had won the competition four times before, once paired with her opponent in this match, Barbara Cordner, who had won it twice.
In this year’s pairings, Debbie drew Valerie Jackson while Barbara played with Mary Leggatt. The first set started evenly with both pairs winning their serves to 4-4. Then Barbara and Mary broke for a 6-4 victory. In the second set, Barbara and Mary went ahead 5-0 before being pegged back two games, but still went on to take the set and the title 6-2.
In the Mixed Doubles, 2014 winner Sam Noakes was paired with Jose Noya, a winner earlier in the Men’s Doubles, while Tim Fellows drew Valerie Jackson. Sam and Jose came out as winners under the floodlights, 6-1, 6-2. Club President, Graham Landon, was pleased that all the categories had been played, and encouraged members to enter the tournament again next year.
Hailsham Tennis Club’s ladies’ 2nd team have been in action against the 2nd team from The Green in St Leonards. The Green are top of the table in the early days of the season, but were hit by injury and covid, only being able to put out one pair for the match.
Hailsham first pair, Narun Chea and Georgia Lee had a close fought match against Sheila King and Heather Wilcox, but managed to win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Second pair, Barbara Cordner and Lyekin Witt, had a battle on their hands in the first set, trading blow for blow, but ended up on the wrong side of a tiebreak, losing 6-7. In the second set, the Green’s Sheila and Heather found a higher gear, winning it 6-0, to give them their only point from the match, which went the way of Hailsham 3-1.
