Tennis club’s move to sports hub put on hold

Tennis

The coronavirus crisis has delayed Herne Bay Tennis Club’s move to their new venue.

Prior to the outbreak, the club had been planning on moving to the Herne Bay Sports Hub at the weekend, subject to building around the courts being completed.

The club, who are moving out of their Beacon Road venue, have been eagerly awaiting the chance to move in and make use of the six new tennis courts on site.

Developers were also hoping to have completed the pavilion by June.

Like the rest of sport, play has been halted because of the coronavirus and the club will now have to wait a little longer before they can move into their new home.

Summer league matches across Kent are currently postponed.

The club did enjoy a successful winter season, however, with a new-look over-60s ladies team clinching the title.

Captain Sarah Pout played with Debbie Holden, and new partners Sue Toye and Anne Gibbs, contributing to a positive outcome, winning all of their matches in their first season together.

Their final scheduled match away to Trottiscliffe was unplayed due to Coronavirus. Herne Bay’s first team completed their Kent League Men’s Division 4 season with an emphatic win over Frindsbury.

George Harris played well, completing his debut after standing in for Dan Walker, paired with Alex Kazakeos. Strong performances by other pairing Peter Elsden and Guy Farmer ensured a win for Herne Bay without dropping a set.They finished in third place.

In the Kent League, Veteran Division 2, the first team completed their final match of the season with a win away at Park Langley to safely escape any threat of relegation.

Peter Elsden and Ian Cooke won their matches but there were defeats for second pairing Gary Smith and Steve

Howard. With the teams level on two matches each, four sets each, Herne Bay clinched the crucial points having won 35 games to Park Langley’s 32. Herne Bay Ladies’ first team finished fourth in Kent Division 1.

In their final match, Anne Gibbs and Louise Tucker were beaten by the opposition’s first pair but recovered well to win their second match 7-6 6-3.

The second pairing of Danielle Miles and Nicola Mileham won their first rubber 6-3, 7-5 but were narrowly defeated 4-6, 6-7 in the second. The match was all square but Herne Bay lost by four games on countback. Ladies Vets 2 completed their winter season with two wins, which saw them finish midway in Kent League Division 2.

The regular pairings of Denise Parrett and Debbie Holden, along with second pairing of Sarah Pout and Helen Lipyeat, all had comfortable wins in their final weekend.

Kent Ladies over-60s completed their season with narrow losses in their final two games.

Against Bexley the first pairing of Tui Thain and Isobel Warnock won the first rubber but were defeated in the other. Diana High and Sheila Wyver played well but lost both rubbers.

In their match against Hythe, Thain and Warnock won one and were defeated in another on a tie-break.