Tennis finals pit brother on brother (From Salisbury Journal)

Tennis finals pit brother on brother

8:10am Monday 20th July 2009

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THE future looks bright for Salisbury Lawn Tennis Club after the club’s 2009 finals day saw an array of young talent on view.

In total, half of the finalists were teenagers and five players won their first title.

In the men’s singles, favourite Rory Smith was undone by the sheer persistence of his 14-year-old brother Francis.

Francis started well, taking the first set 6-2, but Rory then took command in the second set. However, Francis carried on with his winning groundstrokes and battled to take it to a tie-break in the deciding set, winning that 9-7.

The ladies’ singles was won by 14-year-old Anna Featherstone, who beat Susan Brown without dropping a game using her stronger groundstrokes to move her opponent around.

The mens’ doubles saw Smith v Smith again, Rory with Lucas Griffiths and Francis with Will Baillie.

Rory and Lucas took the first set 6-2 but Will and Francis got into the match at the start of the second set, which they took 7-5.

In the deciding set they proved too consistent, taking it 6-4.

The ladies doubles saw two-time previous winner Judith Cutler team up with Bridget Hamilton and their steady play saw off the challenge of Lynne Greenwood and her 15-year-old daughter Jessie, 6-1 6-1.

The mixed doubles final had a close first set with Simon White and 15-year-old Marlo Boyd clinching the set on a tie break having been 5-3 up before Geoff Naish and Pippa Fordham levelled it at 6-6. In the second set Marlo’s consistency got the pair a 6-0 win.

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