Henley men’s sides get winter county campaigns off to winning starts

HENLEY Tennis Club’s women’s team lost out to a strong Bracknell squad in their final Berkshire Summer League match.

The matches featured impressive rallies and strong teamwork, particularly from debutant Millie Hallam, who paired with Jess Craig. Despite good play combining Craig’s sharp net shots and Hallam’s deep cross-court hitting, they fell to both Bracknell’s teams.

Fiona Huggard and Ana Roberts lost their first encounter to a powerful Bracknell A side but showed resilience in their second match against Bracknell B.

After trailing 5-1 in the first set, they won the following six consecutive games, winning the set 7-5. Bracknell B fought back to win the second set 6-2, forcing a decisive tie-break.

Henley led 9-2 but saw their lead slip to 9-9 before finally sealing an 11-9 victory. Despite this effort, Henley lost the overall tie 3-1.

Henley narrowly missed out on promotion in the summer league, but they now enter the winter season with renewed determination, aiming to build on last year’s success, when they earned promotion in the same competition.

In the Oxfordshire League, Henley men’s B team began their season with a gritty 5-3 victory against Kingston Bagpuize, battling through strong winds and long rallies.

Gordon Stoddart and Andrew Grant secured three sets, while Peter Fennelly and Simon Perry contributed two crucial wins, including a tense tie-break in their final set, one of three tie-breaks played in the three-and-a-half-hour match.

Despite carrying a shoulder injury, Fennelly continued to play, helping the team earn the hard-fought win.

The standout performance of the week came in the Berkshire League where Henley men’s 1sts opened their season in emphatic style with a dominant home win against Bracknell 6ths.

James Cudd and David Hunte were in top form, taking their first rubber 6-1, 6-2 before storming through their second 6-0, 6-1. Michael Whorrell and Levi McAndrew-Brown matched their teammates’ intensity, winning 6-2, 6-4 and 6-1, 6-4 in two composed displays.