Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Jasper’s doubles act is world’s best
Jasper Cooper starred against the world’s best septuagenarians in Mallorca at this year’s World Tennis Championships. It proved a career-defining tournament for Canterbury’s Cooper, with his win in the over-70s’ doubles event taking him to No.1 in the world over70s Masters doubles rankings. Much like his long career, the tournament itself was far from straightforward last month. Cooper and playing partner Boyd Brackstone, of Dorset, came through 10-point matchdeciding tie-breaks in the Quarter-final and Semi-final. But the Final was a more decisive affair, winning 6-3, 6-4 against two players from the United States.
It has been an outstanding year for Cooper, whose prowess on the singles court has secured him the British No.1 spot - No.7 in the world. He won three of the four British national events with singles victories in Wrexham
(indoors), Wimbledon and Eastbourne along with doubles triumphs in indoors, Bournemouth and Wimbledon. Cooper also won events in Glasgow, Jurmala in Latvia and Istanbul.
He captains the Kent men’s
over-70s team who won the Inter-county National Championship Finals in Sheffield, the team not dropping a rubber all season.
Cooper represented Great Britain at the World Team Championships as well, where GB finished sixth out of 22 competing nations.
While contemporaries such as John Lloyd and Buster Mottram have long since given up competing, Cooper shows perseverance and dedication can win through in the long run. He comes from a tennis family his grandfather made wooden rackets and he started playing aged five. He was three-time Hampshire junior champion and senior champion four times, but eschewed the expensive gamble of a professional career for teaching. Now a successful children’s author of teenage fantasy books, he can take his work anywhere.
Cooper, a popular Canterbury Tennis Club member, can be regularly found training on the clay courts of Polo Farm. He still finds time to represent Canterbury LTC in the Kent Inter-club League. Canterbury Tennis Club provide tennis for all ages and abilities on its clay courts and indoor centre. Call 01227 781505 for further information.