Wokingham & Woodley Joint Tournament 2010
by Midge Cox (from the Wokingham Times, July 21, 2010)

The joint Woodley and Wokingham Clubs Finals day was played at Woodley as their shale courts were in better condition than ours.

The first match was a mens doubles won by John Butcher and Paul Hancock quite comfortably.

The next match was an all Wokingham affair in the Ladies Singles. Emma Cox played with a lot of top spin and served well, making it difficult for her opponent Sue Elsbury. Both ladies played some great ground strokes in an attacking match but Cox ran out the winner 6-2 6-2.

The Mens Singles was played the previous week as Rod Sellick was not available on the day. Warren Cunningham stepped in to play Coles on the finals day for a very hard hitting exhibition match, in which both players excelled. However it was to be Coles’ day yet again as he hit the lines several times to make life difficult for his opponent.

For the mixed final Martin Ball decided he was fit enough after knee surgery only 10 days before to play this match and combining with his partner Keren Bailey put up a strong showing, especially in the second set. Paul Hancock and Helen Bailey were the winners by 6-1 6-4.

Cox and Elsbury were pitted aganist each other again in the ladies doubles with Cox partnering Helen Wilson and Elsbury with Paula Morley. This time Elsbury and Morley were the victors by 6-4 6-2 in an entertaining final.

This year the club decided to run a mens doubles event where the players choose their own pairs. This fixed pairs final was not played on the day as Martin Ball could not sustain a second match. It was then decided to play this one in early September as unfitness would then not be an issue. To keep spectators entertained Warren Cunningham took Martin’s place in another exhibition match which was very close with Darren Dunmow and Baptiste Jouhannaud winning in two tie break sets.

The whole day was much enjoyed by around 20 members and friends who were able to watch good quality tennis played in a competitive but friendly spirit.

Postscript:- Darren and Baptiste won the real mens doubles final by defeating Martin and Paul Hancock on a club evening six weeks later by 7-5 3-6 1-0.

Elsbury Almost Takes Clean Sweep At WTC
by Midge Cox (from the Wokingham Times, July 22, 2009)    

Sue Elsbury's hopes of a clean sweep of titles at the Wokingham & Woodley finals were ended by Helen Judd & Luke Henderson in the Mixed Doubles.

Nearly 20 spectators enjoyed an excellent day of tennis at the finals in which 36 members had entered back in April. In the Ladies Singles Sue made a nervous start and was soon 2/5 down in the first set. Then just in time Sue really got her act together to pull out some great shots to take the first set 7/5.

Sue maintained her hitting standard in the second set and wrong footed Midge several times with deep groundstrokes to the backhand corner. Despite several deuce games Sue gained a convincing victory by winning the second set 6/1.

In the Mens Singles Duncan and Darren both served well and hit a good variety of shots. Although most of the games went to duece, Duncan always seemed to win the big points which gave him the edge throughout and a win by 6/2  6/1.

In the Ladies Singles Justine skillfully lobbed and drop shotted but Sue and Helen were able to keep the rallies going and then go on the counter attack. Their more powerful all round game gave them the victory by 6/3  6/4.

The Mens Doubles had to be curtailed part way through the second set because of an ankle injury to Dan Cox.

The match was completed in October with a win by Martin and Dan by 7/5  6/4. 

Cunningham Takes Title In His Bare Feet
by Midge Cox (from the Wokingham Times, July 23, 2008)

Warren Cunningham is the new Wokingham Tennis Club singles champion...and he won it in his bare feet!

In an 'international' final, South African Cunningham was having so much difficulty keeping his footing on the shale he decided to take his shoes and socks off and play the remainder of the match against Frenchman Baptiste Jouhannaud in his bare feet.

Jouhannaud started the better of the finalists, winning the first set 6-1.

The man from South Africa managed to change direction more quickly and pulled himself back in to the game, winning the second set 6-4.

The third set went with serve initially, then Cunningham broke to go 5-3 up.

With Cunningham serving for the match, Jouhannaud played some lovely forehand winners to secure the game. Cunningham, however, was determined not to let the match slip away from him and broke back to win the match 6-4.

The ladies' singles between Midge Cox and Justine Woodward was not such an even affair.

From 2-2 in the first set, Woodward dominated with her consistent accurate length and telling drop shots and ran out a 6-2, 6-0 winner.

The men's doubles final between Darren Dunmow & Jouhannaud and Mike Cocke & Luke Henderson was a very entertaining game.

There was some good strong serving and volleying by all players with Dunmow & Jouhannaud winning 6-3, 6-4.

All matches were played in a competitive, but friendly manner and were enjoyed by all participants and spectators, as was the lunch that followed.

Taylor & Cox Triumph in the Doubles
by Midge Cox (from the Wokingham Times, Aug 6, 2008)

There was something of a family feel to Wokingham & Woodley Tennis Club's ladies doubles final last week as Midge Cox, in her pair with Lynn Taylor, saw off the challenge of her daughter Emma Cox and her team-mate Helen Judd.

The final was always going to be an even game with one first team and one second team player in each pairing.

Consequently, the match went to three sets to give the spectators a contest to remember.

Taylor and Cox took the first set fairly comfortably 6-2 but in second set Cox and Judd found their length and pace more consistently to take it 6-3 and draw level.

The third set started with a few closely-fought games, but Taylor and Cox surprisingly went 5-0 before Emma and Helen secured the next game.

At 5-1, the more 'experienced' pair held their nerve to take the game and the set and claim a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory.