Singles players strung out in tough tiebreak
A dentist drilled out a convincing victory in Campbeltown Lawn Tennis Club’s men’s singles championship. Sary Rahma and paramedic Jamie Morris played five sets each to reach the final last Saturday under scorching sun. Just half a dozen men’s tennis players turned up at 10am to chase singles glory. Usually players are split into at least two groups for the opening competition to decide who plays in the semi-finals. With MOK Fest two weeks earlier than in 2017, there was much to tempt players away, such as the Carni-West parade and later Up The Close. For one player, the draw of cutting silage proved irresistible and Martin McCallum, who tasted doubles success the previous week, was away for birthday celebrations. This year it was decided that every player would play each other in the opening rounds meaning it would take at least five sets to reach the final. First round results were as follows: Sary Rahma: 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2; Thomas Jordan: 6-1, 6-0, 2-6, 1-6, 6-3; Alasdair Ferguson: 1-6, 4-6, 6-0, 0-6, 2-6; Millar Irwin: 0-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0, 3-6; Jamie Morris: 6-0, 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0; Mark Davey: 0-6, 0-6, 0-6, 0-6, 2-6. If Rahma thought it might be easy after winning his qualifier against Morris 6-0, he was in for a shock, as it appeared Morris was just warming up in the earlier contest. At first Morris demolished Rahma, achieving 4-0 before a deuce situation, in the fifth, which Morris won to put him 5-1 up. Rahma held his next serve for 2-5 and his comeback began. He took just four points to win the next game, faced and won deuce in the 10th to level at 5-5. With a small group of spectators having eschewed MOK Fest’s music for the drama on court, Rahma went ahead in the 11th, 6-5, before Morris served his way back in to force a tiebreak, which he seemed to win with ease. In the second set, Rahma took the first four games, being held to a deuce just once, before a return of form saw Morris net a pair for 2-4. From that point Rahma was unbeatable winning the set 6-2. In the third, Rahma’s resolve hardened and, as MOK Fest’s rock music filled the air, he took a well deserved 6-0 win, to add a new name on the Dickson trophy. For more tennis, see page 51.