Kenilworth Tennis Squash and Croquet Club

The Kenilworth Tennis Club's Championships at Crackley Lane were concluded in brilliant sunshine and with some close matches.

In the Ladies Doubles, Melanie Jennings and Kate Perkins beat Caroline Rhodes and Kay Gebbels in two entertaining sets.

Steve Shipley beat Steve Proctor in a particularly athletic match to win the Mixed Handicap Singles.

In the Centurions competition (for couples with a combined age of 100 or more), Kay Gebbels and Dave Neal beat Sheila Skinner and James Roe in two sets.

In the Mixed Doubles final, Melanie Jennings and Paul Jennings beat Kay Gebbels and Steve Shipley while the Mixed Doubles Plate (a new innovation) was won by Pat Hawthorn and Richard Hawthorn who beat Anne Douglas and Alistair Kirkwood.

Click here, or on the thumbnail photo above, to go to this picture gallery .

The rain on Saturday 23rd June interrupted, but did not stop, the tennis finals at Crackley Lane, and some good play was seen.

In the Mens Open Singles, Warwick University history student Andrew Harman beat Steve Shipley 6-2; 7-6 in a match dominated by hard serving and some ferocious forehand drives from Andrew in particular. Steve fought back in the second set to get the tie-break, but, despite his considerable athleticism, could not overcome the barrage.

In the Ladies Open Singles, Melanie Jennings won fairly straightforwardly against Sarah Money, 6-1; 6-2. Melanie is a strong and experienced match player and carried too many guns, no matter how fast Sarah ran around the court.

The Ladies Handicap Doubles also went 6-1; 6-2 as Caroline Rhodes and Carolyn Lindsay beat Mel Twigger and Helen Hunter in a match made very interesting by the handicap difference. Caroline and Carolyn had to play very consistently in a situation where they could simply not afford a wayward shot.

Full results were: Mens singles, Andrew Harman beat Steve Shipley: 6-2 7-6; Ladies singles, Mel Jennings beat Sarah Money: 6-1 6-2; Mens Handicap Doubles, Stan Barker & Andrew Harman (owe 50) beat Steve Shipley & Richard Evans (owe 50): 6-4 5-6 7-5; Ladies Handicap Doubles, Carolyn Lindsay & Caroline Rhodes (owe 40) beat Mel Twigger & Helen Hunter (receive 15) : 6-1 6-2; Mixed Doubles Handicap, Jeff and Carolyn Lindsay are through to the finals against Helen Cochrane and Steve Proctor, playing on 5th July. They beat Hannah Sharman and Tom Holmes in the semi 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday.

Click here, or on the thumbnail photo above, to go to this picture gallery .

Pictures from the Summer Ball, held at the Club on 30th June 2007.

Thanks to Richard Levitt for the photos.

Click here, or on the thumbnail photo above, to go to this picture gallery .

A "great welcome among friends" was the description used by Peter Wilson, Tennis Secretary at the KLT&SC, when he led a group of members to Eppstein, Kenilworth's twin town in the Taunus hills, near Frankfurt am Main.

2007 marks the 50th anniversary of Tennis Club Eppstein, which has 8 shale courts, and a pleasant Clubhouse. The visitors took part in a full programme of tennis, celebrations of the anniversary and visits to local places of interest in an extremely attractive area.

The Saturday was marked by tournament. At the formal ceremony on the Sunday, the Burgermeister of Eppstein, Herr Ralf Wolter, and other eminent visitors, offered congratulations. Peter Wilson presented a photograph of the Crackley Lane Club to Dr Gerhard Marquordt, President of Tennis Club Eppstein. There followed some exhibition matches.

Click here, or on the thumbnail photo above, to go to this picture gallery .

Here are the results from the Tennis Finals, held at Crackley Lane on Saturday 23rd September.

• Mixed Handicap Singles - Tom Holmes beat Steve Shipley 6-1, 6-5
• Men's Doubles - James Roe and James Cooper beat Paul Jennings and Bill Devitt 6-7, 6-4, 6-1
• Centurions Mixed Doubles - Ted Frith and Kay Gebbels beat Kate Perkins and Peter Dennis 6-3, 6-4
• Mixed Doubles - Paul & Melanie Jennings beat Lucy Austin and James Roe 6-3, 6-3
• Ladies' Doubles - Melanie Jennings and Kate Perkins beat Rosie Fuller and Caroline Rhodes 6-0, 7-5

Click here, or on the thumbnail photo above, to go to this picture gallery .