Sport Injury-hit women narrowly lose out
COVENTRY’S gritty Natasha Hillyer found the going tough, partnering debutante Lilly Mould, 16, the British Junior champion as Warwickshire tennis sides experienced contrasting fortunes on Day 1 of the Aegon Inter-County Championships.
The injury-hit women’s side narrowly lost 3-5 to the powerful Essex team in Group 1 at Eastbourne, while the men thrashed Oxfordshire 8-1 in Group 5 at Cambridge,
An injury to former junior international Alannah Griffin from Solihull left captain Katie Shaw (King’s Heath) who turns 50 next month, forced to return unexpectedly to playing duties, nearly a decade after her last Group 1 appearance, partnering Birmingham teenager Tamara Malazonia.
Hillyer and Mould battled hard but their inexperience as a partnership proved costly in the face of inspired scrambling from their opposition.
The Midlanders’ experienced top pairing of Manisha Foster and Emily Smith won two out of three rubbers but found the power and consistency of the Essex firsts, senior internationals Eden Silva and Aimee Gibson, too much to handle.
Captain Nathan Rooney from Solihull took a chance on three newcomers, Max Stewart from Sutton Coldfield, plus 17-year-olds Dan Bird and Alex Griffiths, who received a last minute call-up after Stratford-upon-Avon stalwart Steve Lee had to pull out with a back injury.
The debutants all repaid his confidence with a string of fine performances. Rising star Mason Recci, who like Bird and Griffiths trains at the Edgbaston Priory Club, looked particularly impressive, combining well with Stewart at first pair and not dropping a set all day. Rooney and Solihull’s Luke Hammond also rose to the occasion and won three out of three in punchy style.
“I was so proud of all our youngsters kept battling,” Rooney said, “particularly our teenagers who are finding County Week a rapid learning curve.
“The whole team played their hearts out and encouraged one another. Our next match against Dorset will be tough as they’re one of the favourites but on this sort of form, we’ve got high hopes of winning promotion.”