North aces prove to be a smash hit at Nationals
DISABILITY TENNIS
A TEAM of 15 players and four volunteers represented the two North East-based clubs - Tees Valley Sound Tennis and North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club - at the National VI Tennis Championships in Loughborough.
The event attracted a record number of entries, the field including all of Great Britain’s medallists from this year’s International Blind Tennis Tournament in Dublin - where the team took six global titles.
National titles were decided across four sight categories - B1 to B4/B5 – with B1 players having the greatest degree of sight loss.
The standard of play is improving year on year, with very close matches
- and the North East continues to fly the flag for visually-impaired tennis.
Anthony Harrison from Hartlepool became the B1 British champion - a staggering achievement considering he only took up the sport 18 months ago.
His dedication paid off with a comprehensive victory in Loughborough.
Sam Murray was playing in her first National Championship.
Murray, from Murton, competed in the B4-5 group and showcased her tactical and technical ability to beat the country’s best.
In the final, Murray played against a fellow North East player Rosine Pybus. It turned out to be an incredible match with both sets going to a tie-break.
With immense rallies and side-toside battles it was Murray who just came through 5-4 5-4.
Founder of the North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club Wendy Glasper compete in her B2 final.
Glasper, from Darlington, battled hard and finished runner up.
She said: “Well done to everyone from the North East who competed.
“We all played amazingly well and should be proud of what we continue to achieve.
“We are a tennis family and are continuing to grow the sport across not just the North East but nationally.”
To find out more about visuallyimpaired tennis in the North East email Glasper at wglasper2000@ yahoo.co.uk.