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The Day begun at 6pm for Groundsman Steve Johnson, who under the early cloud cover cut and marked out the grass courts for action. As usual the courts looked a picture and were ready to receive our finalists who had fought hard over the previous weeks to get to this point. As the tournament referee arrived, bacon roll in hand the clouds dissipated and the sun began to shine on what was to be a fantastic days tennis.

With so many matches to be played (14 in all) it was going to be a long day and at 11am the players and umpires hit the courts. The first rounds of matches provided some great entertainment for the crowds. Greg and Matthew Toothe retained the mens open doubles crown with a majestic performance and a straight sets win over Elias Sayhoun and Chris Theobald. It was a tight match but Matthew Toothe showed great athletisism and power while his brother Greg hit it even harder! Too good on the day, but surely one day Theobald will have his day. Meanwhile the Ladies Handicap Doubles was going the way of Elodie Whyte and Sarah Mackenzie who had taken the first set from Jane Sargeant and Debbie Yates even with having to start -30 and  -40. Bob Kelly had also taken the first set in the Mens vets singles, simply making too many balls for his opponent Mark Braden. Lastly in round one, Bill Cole and Mariska Adamson were taking on Chris Arnheim and Mary Davies in the Mixed Handicap. Mariska who regularly tells me she joined the club a long time ago used all of that experience and with the pillar of strength Bill as a partner proved too strong with 6-4 6-3 victory.

Round two was beginning, but two matches were still out there as both Mark Braden, and Jane and Debbie begun their comebacks and took the second sets in their matches. Time to bring in the juniors!! Our under 10 boys event took to court one. With both players playing on grass for the first time and the crowds growing near to capacity both Ollie Evans and Bill O’Rourke took it all in their stride and attempted to show the adults how it was done. In the end Bill came out a worthy straight sets winner but not before both players treated the crowds to a fantastic contest, with Ollie showing off his big forehand and Bill soaking up the pressure with a combination of power and patience that won the day.

At around 2pm the comebacks were complete, Jane and Debbie’s steady play had won them the Ladies Handicap and Mark Braden re found the volleying form that got him to the final and snatched victory away from ‘Mr Consistant’ Bob Kelly. With Round one only just complete, tournament referee Andy rung home to explain that chances of being home before dark had got slimmer and at the same time sent on the Ladies open singles starring two of Kent’s best players, no.1 seed Kate Green and raining Kent Junior champion Jade Matthews. A feast of tennis to come. As they warmed up, next door Henry Whyte was about to take on Doubles champion Greg Toothe in the mens handicap final. Greg, bigger, stronger, wiser?? It looked that way in the beginning as Greg overpowered Henry to the first set. Meanwhile Jade was upsetting the seedings by taking a 3-1 lead in the first set with some enormous serving and accurate groundstrokes. However Kate, two years her senior, kept her head and even under the barrage of 100mph serves found a way back in and stole the first set with some impressive groundstrokes. After the first set there was no way back for young Jade and Kate powered home the victory it what was probably the best ladies final in many years. I think that the guys were just pleased that there was no mixed singles!!

With the exuberance of youth and a never say die attitude Henry had turned the match around, had taken the second set and was ahead in the third. Greg’s power game was starting to malfunction and Henry was more than ready to take his chance. And so it was, Henry had done it, but Greg showed what a great sportsman he is, although tired and very disappointed ran to the net to give Henry a hearty handshake and congratulations with a smile on his face that must have been hard to find.  On court three, Mark Braden and Gill Collins took on Ian Ogilvie and Sue Wellens for the vets handicap title. It was expected to be tight encounter but with Mark, now with his eye in from the singles, and Gill, desperate to prove the referee’s seedings wrong, they marched to a straight sets victory which left only one question - was Sue Wellens saving herself for yet another handicap singles title?? - we would have to wait to find out!!!

In the meantime, Bill Cole and Chris Arnheim were about to take on the junior pair of James Everett and Henry Whyte. The junior pair were clearly used to having more room to aim at and couldn’t find a way past the more senior opponents. Experience had taught Chris and Bill that outhitting juniors was not an option and to get in the way at the net!! They did and the result was a Cole/Arnheim victory. During the excitement, Alexander Burgoyne (the refs 16 month old) had found his way in the club and was causing chaos among  the crowd showing the kind of racket throwing skills that his Dad had demonstrated during his tournament playing days. But even this sideshow could not detract from the mens’ singles final being played between Stephen Rogers and young Lewis Whiteley who had both had tough matches to get into the final. Stephen used his 6’4 frame to great effect in the early exchanges, getting to the net and volleying his way to the first set. In the second Lewis demonstrated the baseline game that had got him in the final and pinned Stephen to the baseline to draw level at one set all. The deciding set was close with Stephen serving better and better and Lewis’s groundstrokes winning most of the long rallies. Eventually Lewis got frustrated with being unable to break the Rogers serve and allowed him the chances to get back to the net. Rogers wins, but by this time next year will Whiteley be 6’6??

While most attentions had been focused on the men’s singles Bill Cole and Hilary Powell had wrapped up the Warden Medley title against Chris Arnhiem and Rose Poole in straight sets and Sue Wellens guile had proved too much for Elodie Whyte who had battled and battled but in the end could not break down the consistant accurate play of Sue.

With the day drawing to a close two matches were left, the Mixed open between Sue Revell & Chris Theobald v Susie Russell & Dick Ward and the mens vets doubles between Mark Braden & Ian Ogilvie v Julian Thornington & Peter Yetzes. Both matches were a little one sided Russell & Ward; Braden & Ogilvie coming out on top. It had been a fantastic days tennis with a huge amount of spectators present. I don’t know of another club that has a finals day as good as ours, with such a great atmosphere with families, young and old playing and watching. The day was completed with Keith Room our longest serving member giving out the prizes and Tony O’Brien serving up an evening of BBQ food, what a day! 

A Big thanks to everyone who helped with the event (you know who you are!), it was a team effort that resulted in a great day for everyone. Congratulations to all the finalists as we look forward to another fantastic finals day in 2007.

Andy Burgoyne