Brilliant tennis served up at club championships
SLIGO Tennis Club recently hosted another successful club championships. There were in excess of 110 members taking part, with terrific tennis produced across the four grades, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’. The tournament sponsors were yet again Bistro Bianconi and the Grimes family, who have been loyal supporters of Sligo Tennis Club for years.
In the main grades, Tiernan O’Connor was the leading player in the Men’s ‘A’ Singles category – he defeated defending champion Mel Bourke.
But Bourke still picked up a title – he partnered Tuyen Vu to victory in the Men’s ‘A’ Doubles event. The runners-up here were Oliver Joyce and Graeme Watt. Hilary Kilcawley – this year’s tennis captain at Sligo Tennis Club – linked up with Graeme Watt to take first place in the Mixed ‘A’ Doubles. Beaten in this final were the pairing of Daire Heffernan and Noreen Cassidy.
There was further success for Hilary Kilcawley as she was the best competitor in the Women’s ‘A’ Singles section. Kilcawley had to give 110% to dethrone last year’s champion, Aoifin Shorten,
RESULTS:
MEN’S ‘A’: Tiernan O’Connor (winner), Mel Bourke (runner-up).
MEN’S ‘B’: John Ryan (winner), Brian McCaughey (runner-up).
MEN’S ‘C’: Robert Young (winner), Daithí Ó Lionaird (runner-up).
WOMEN’S ‘A’: Hilary Kilcawley (winner), Aoifin Shorten (runner-up).
WOMEN’S ‘B’: Barbara Curran (winner), Rachel Wirtz (runner-up).
WOMEN’S ‘C’: Elaine Kivlehan (winner), Winnie with their match lasting three hours and 10 minutes. Kilcawley took the spoils – just about – after an enthralling encounter.
The ‘A’ grade of the Women’s Doubles was won by the skilful pairing of Noreen Cassidy and Marina Swann – they overcame Maggie Hennessy and Hilary Kilcawley, who had a hectic schedule as she featured in three finals, winning two. There was a unique aspect to the Mixed ‘B’ Doubles final – Michael Conlon was up against his mother, Maeve. It was Michael who took the bragging rights as he and his playing partner, Carole Lynch, got the better of Maeve Conlon and Brian Fahey. Ran in conjunction with the senior competition were Sligo Tennis Club’s Junior Club Championships.
Among those who ensured the competitions ran smoothly, in terms of what happened on the court as well as the catering and general business of what has become a huge tournament, were Mark Wirtz, Alice McNasser, Tuyen Vu, Mícheál Ó Broin, Marie Farrell, Liam Farrell, Kay Curley, Deirdre Moylan, Sinead Gallagher and Mel McKeown.
Connolly (runner-up).
WOMEN’S ‘D’: Fiona Kiernan (winner), Geraldine McGarraghy (runner-up).
MEN’S ‘A’: Mel Bourke and Tuyen Vu (winners), Oliver Joyce and Graeme Watt (runners-up).
MEN’S ‘B’: Michael Conlon and John Fallon (winners), Frank Armstrong and John Burke (runners-up). WOMEN’S ‘A’: Noreen Cassidy and Marina Swann (winners), Maggie Hennessy and Hilary Kilcawley (runners-up).
WOMEN’S ‘B’: Louise McGirl and Ann McKieran
EFFORT: Hilary Kilcawley. (winners), Karen Walsh and Deirdre Moylan (runnersup).
WOMEN’S ‘C’: Ita Brady and Barbara Curran (winners), Maureen Campbell and Kathleen Mitchell (runnersup).