A newly formed Wiltshire Men’s team met up in Eastbourne for the 2022 LTA Over 35’s County Cup in mid-August. The weather conditions were clear skies and challenging heat and the team were all excited for the battles ahead with Staffordshire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man. First up on the hottest day was Staffordshire who proved to be the strongest team in the division going through without losing a match. Adam Gentry and Martyn Ledbury played well in the singles matches, losing to very strong and highly ranked opponents. Jason Stevens and Sam Hull put up a good fight in their two consecutive doubles matches, the highlight being a 6-7, 5-7 loss to the opposing number 1 pair.
Day 2 saw the team come up against Cumbria who had a mix of relative youth and vast experience. A very close 3 set singles loss for Martyn inspired some great doubles which got the team back into the tie but at 2 match wins each unfortunately the final doubles was lost for a very close 3-2 defeat overall.
The final day saw Kent and Surrey battling it out for the overall title whilst Wiltshire faced the Isle of Mann. In a similar story to the previous day the singles were close but both matches ended in defeat. Once again, the team rallied to win two doubles matches but the final match ended in defeat and another very close 3-2 loss. Despite finishing 4th in the group, a few points going the other way could have landed a 2nd place finish – but that is tennis!
All the team reflected positively on their experience and are very keen to push the team forward. Any new players would be welcomed to the squad for training and preparations for 2023. For more details, please contact the Wiltshire Mens Over 35’s Captain, Sam Hull. on email: [email protected] or Tel: 07879 447249.