Carisbrooke Tennis Club of Knighton started out last Sunday on the road to defending their title of best in the Midlands in the Men’s National Club League (NCL), with a view to again making the nationals finals in September.
The team, sponsored by Landmark Planning of Leicester, played a strong Stourbridge team at home. After all the singles and doubles matches were played, the scores were level at 6-6.
Then followed the shootouts to 10 championship tie-break points to decide the winner. Again, the singles finished level, but in the deciding doubles, James McKinlay and Dan Dean got over the line 10-6. Coach Jack Simpson remarked: It was squeaky bum time; it could not be closer; and the atmosphere at the end was fantastic. This sets the team up nicely for the next home match versus Oadby Granville in the local derby on Sunday, 12th April, starting at midday.
Entrance to Carisbrooke is off Kenwood Road, Knighton and is free, so come and enjoy some very high-class tennis.
Pictured are the winning team from L to R: James McKinlay, Alex Solonenko, Dan Dean, Matt Howse and coach Jack Simpson.
Both Alex and Matt have won the Leicestershire County Singles Titles in the last three years. James is currently ranked 206 in the world at men's doubles and has won international Challenger titles last year.
The standard is really, really high and well worth watching.
