COUNTY TEAMS
Adult Teams 2021
Ladies Summer County Cup Team 2021
Alaia, Gabby, Holly, Jacqueline, Natasha, Phoebe E, Phoebe W, Sarah, Sofia, Tiegan
Captain: Holly Richards Vice Captain: Jacqueline Darby
Result - Finished 2nd and Promoted to Division 1
Beat Essex 6-3, Beat Warwickshire 5-4, Beat Nottinghamshire 6-3,
Beat Lancashire 5-1, Lost to Northumberland 6-3
After a year away from county tennis, this seemed somewhat a blur to be heading to Cheltenham finally for Ladies Division 2 County Week. Having captained the Ladies team for many years, I was anxious and excited this year, having missed a year but also buzzing to get back to what we all love about County Tennis. Soon as we arrived in Cheltenham it clicked, we often hear from other Counties how Kent gel together, and that was evident from the moment we arrived.
We were up against Essex first. Jacqueline and I were a bit unsure with our pairing as we had some new comers on the team, but went with what we thought was best. Kent got off to a blinding start and finished the day 6-3 up.
Day 2 saw us up against a very common opponent at county week, Warwickshire. The conditions were tough, it was extremely hot and to watch the Kent girls play for their county and give it their all, and finish with a well deserved 5-4 having come down to the wire was a pleasure to watch.
Kent vs Notts, no doubt we were on a roll and with spirits high in the team, we battled on to a 6-3 win. With promotion in sight, we knew the following day would be tough, Northumberland hadn’t lost either and although we fought till the end came out losing 3-6
Final Day, we had put ourselves in a strong position for promotion, and as I had seen all week, the girls played their socks off and got to 5 rubbers very quickly showing no mercy whatsoever! PROMOTION TO DIVISION 1.
I would just like to say that yes promotion was the goal, but to be part of the Kent team once again, and see how much it means to everyone on the team made me realise why County Tennis, and County week is a vital part of the tennis calendar. Everyone on the team played their part in this promotion and it was an honour to Captain the girls. COME ON THE GARDEN.
Mens Summer County Cup Team 2021
Andy, Francis, Hugo, James D, James M, Lewis, Matt, Nick, Patrick, Sean
Captain: Andy Burgoyne Vice Captain: Alastair Filmer
Result - Finished 1st NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!
Beat Hertfordshire 9-0, Beat Suffolk 9-0, Beat East of Scotland 5-4, Beat Surrey 5-4 and Beat Essex 5-1
Day 1 vs Hertfordshire
Always tough opponents, Hertfordshire should never be taken lightly, and they weren’t. The team of Summers/Davis, Brookes/Burton (replaced by James Markiewicz 3rd round), Sargeant/Thornley put on a masterclass of both tennis skill, teamwork and the fighting Kent spirit to gain a 9-0 victory on day 1.
Day 2 vs Suffolk
Hard to follow up a 9-0, but with team unchanged from day 1 spirits were high in the Garden of England. With Suffolk down a couple of key players, the boys took full advantage and rampaged through the Suffolk line up with an incredible team performance and the result was, again, 9-0 to Kent.
Day 3 vs E of Scotland
Two unbeaten teams against each other on Wednesday - surely a classic? Well round 1 saw the men of Kent pick up where they had left off and at lunch had another 3-0 lead. Were we invincible? Round 2 saw a change in the direction with Kent’s first losses of the week and at tea we were 4-2 up with the momentum clearly with the Scots. Round 3 and we only needed 1 win which was fortunate as, with the Scots on fire, that was all we got, but Kent were over the line with a 5-4 win.
Day 4 vs Surrey
History tells us that Surrey are a banana skin fixture for Kent and a team never to be taken lightly.
The day had a strange feel and the men of Kent were off to a slow start and at lunch we were 2-1 down. Round 2 looked better, but the results were going the same way until a moment of brilliance that would turn the tie round. Kent 4-1 down in matches and 8-9, match-point down in a match tiebreaker, James Davis at full stretch plays a near impossible angle volley to make it 9 all and, in a flash, it was 11-9 Kent and, although we were 4-2 down, surely it was a sign?
Round 3 saw the best of what Kent has to offer with James ‘The Beast’ Markiewicz (in for Brookes) looking unplayable, Summers and Davis in “destruction” mode, it was then left to Thornley and Sargeant to complete an improbable victory for Kent winning 10-3 in a match tie break for a 5-4 Kent win.
One of the greatest comebacks wins in Kent history, demonstrating the power of the team.
Day 5 vs Essex
The day began with us needing to get 5 rubbers to guarantee retaining the title, but with Essex fielding a strong team nothing could be taken for granted. Due to injury Francis Sargeant was out, so the team lined up Summers/Davis, Burton/Markiewicz, Thornley/Brookes. A very tough first round went Kent’s way and at lunch it was 3-0. Meanwhile other results meant that we only needed one more win to clinch the title, but we got two with the match ending 5-1 in the favour of the Kent men.
Overall Summary
In Captain Burgoyne’s last summer event as skipper, the men of Kent completed something only done once before by the Kent men, to retain the division 1 title and, in doing so, made the Kent Mens’ team the most successful team in the last 40 years of Summer County Cup, with 9 titles. A sweet farewell for Kent’s most capped player which the team dubbed ‘The Last Dance’. Yet another display of what a great team unit the Kent men are, and have been over a long period of time. Don’t be surprised when the new Captain, Ali Filmer, makes it a three-peat in the summer of ’22.
Mens Winter County Cup Team 2021
Anton, Andy, Hugo, Jack, James D, James M, Matt, Matthew, Nick
Captain: Andy Burgoyne Vice Captain: Alastair Filmer
Result - Finished 1st NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!
Beat Yorkshire 6-3, Beat Essex 7-2, Beat Lancashire 5-1
Day 1 vs Yorkshire
Tough matches throughout the day, but the men of Kent were strong with Markiewicz, Summers, Davis, Jack PJ and Anton all winning in Singles and Short and Markiewicz taking doubles number 3 it was a great start.
Day 2 vs Essex
During day 1 we heard the sad news that James Davis’s Grandfather, John Povey had passed away, which was compounded by the fact that it was also James’s birthday. Initially James decided not to play, but after consideration James announced that he would play in his Grandfather’s honor as John was a huge fan of Kent tennis, himself being a Life Vice-President and Honorary Treasurer of Kent tennis in 1969.
James himself put in one of the best performances of his Kent career playing flawless tennis and himself lead the team on to beat a strong Essex line up.
I as Captain am no ashamed to admit that James’s singles win was one of the greatest things I have witnessed as Captain and brought a tear to my eye as he shook hands the victor.
This day was rightly dedicated to John Povey (1931-2021), Grandfather of James Davis.
Day 3 vs Lancashire
With the emotion of the previous day there was but one job to do, win. With that in mind Hugo Coquelin made a winning debut at 6 to give us the lead, followed by wins for James Davis, Matt Summers, Jack PJ and finally ‘The Ace From Space’ Anton Matusevic and we were there with a 5-1 win.
Overall Summary
An amazing weekends tennis with one of the best Kent teams I have ever had the privilege to Captain. From top to bottom we had not only great players, but player who understand the ethos and spirit that all the players and Captains of yesteryear have fought hard to create.
This has been my last event as Captain, and I leave in no doubt that in coming Captain Filmer will be an incredible Captain and that Kent Men's team will continue to do us all proud.
ONLY IN THE GARDEN
Junior Teams 2021
14U Girls County Cup Team 2021
Lois, Chloe, Anastasia, Daisy, Annis, Eloise
Captain: Martin Whitehouse Vice Captain: Sarah Wray
Result - Finished 2nd
Beat Sussex 5-1,Beat Hampshire & IOW 6-0, Lost to Middlesex 4-2
14U Boys County Cup Team 2021
Ben, Erik, Kobi, Dimitar, Luke, Isaac
Captain: Tom Jarvis Vice Captain: Lewis Whiteley
Result - Finished 1st
Beat Sussex 5-1, Beat to Essex 5-1, Beat Middlesex 4-2
One week on from the 12U County Cup event, it almost felt like a carbon copy for the 14Us this past weekend, with both teams taking on Middlesex again on the last day.
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams kicked off their weekend in identical fashion by beating Sussex 5-1. The boys followed this up by beating Essex 5-1, however it should be noted that it was closer than the score-line suggests, as the Kent boys took 3, third set wins in this match. The girls comprehensively beat Hampshire and IOW 6-0 to join the boys in a last day showdown with Middlesex for the regional win!
Both teams battled incredibly well and were so close to winning both matches, however unfortunately Kent’s fortunes turned as the Middlesex girls edged 3, third set wins themselves to clinch the match 4-2. Such a brave display from the Kent girls, but it wasn’t to be as they finished runner up to a strong Middlesex team.
Over at The Weald LTC in Sussex the Kent boys took an unassailable lead winning all 4 singles, including another 3 set win. The Kent boys ended with a 4-2 win as both doubles were played out for fun.
Another fantastic effort from both Kent teams, with the boys 14U following up the Kent win over Middlesex the previous weekend in the 12U. Al players were a credit to themselves and their County. Well done
12U Girls County Cup Team 2021
Charlotte, Rozie, Nikita, Bella, Ruby, Jessica
Captain: Sarah Wray Vice Captain: Chloe Taylor
Result - Finished 3rd
Beat Sussex 6-0, Lost to Essex 4-2, Lost to Middlesex 5-1
12U Boys County Cup Team 2021
Alex, Conrad, Herbie, Matt, Nate, Tommy
Captain: Dom Cobby Vice Captain: Will Carnegie
Result - Finished 1st
Beat Essex 6-0, Beat to Berkshire 4-2, Beat Middlesex 5-1
Over the course of the past weekend the LTA County Cup summer competition kicked off in style for Kent Tennis. Our 12U boys and girls were competing in Bromley and Frinton, captained by Dominic Cobby (Sevenoaks) and Sarah Wray (Sevenoaks & Dukes Meadow) and assisted by Will Carnegie (Canterbury) and Chloe Ayling (Kings Hill Community Tennis).
Both teams competed hard and were a credit to the county and their captains who have worked hard with them in a limited number of county training sessions. Our boys teams were in a group with Berkshire, Essex and Middlesex, with the girls accompanied by Sussex, Essex and Middlesex, both faced stiff opposition, but I am very pleased to inform you that the Boys team won their regional competition, beating Berkshire 5-1, Essex 6-0 and in the final match beat our rivals Middlesex 4-2! I was very fortunate to be there on Sunday to see the boys in their match with Middlesex, you can see some of the highlights on the Kent.lta Instagram and Facebook accounts, including the moment the boys clinched the tie. It was an amazing atmosphere, Covid didn’t affect the fun and competitiveness that only County Cup can bring.
The girls after a strong start beating Sussex 6-0, lost a very tight match with Essex 4-2 with an 8-10 loss in the 1st pair doubles that could have seen them into a shootout, they then went onto lose to Middlesex who were the eventual winners.
11U Girls County Cup Team 2021
Aditi, Isabel, Julie, Milena, Judy
Captain: Harry Bushnell Vice Captain: Holly Richards
Result -
Finished 1st in Qualifying
Finished 2nd in National Finals
11U Boys County Cup Team 2021
Alex, Zak, Tom, Drew, Jayden, James
Captain: Shane Theobald Vice Captain: Toby Churchill
Result - Finished 4th
lost to Sussex 5-1, lost to Middlesex 6-0, lost to Hampshire and IOW 4-2,
Beat Wiltshire 5-1.
This past weekend saw the Kent 11U boys and girls in action in the LTA County Cup, with Kent looking to follow up on what has been a very successful season so far. The boys were in Hassocks, Sussex, with the girls in Chichester, both teams looking to qualify for the National Finals. Expectations were lower for the boys as we had a very young team, 4 of which will still qualify for the 11U age group next year, whereas the girls were quietly confident of booking their trip to Sheffield for the finals in a fortnight’s time.
The 11U captain Shane Theobald said that he couldn’t have asked more from the boys as they gave their all throughout the competition, finishing their weekend with a 5-1 win over Wiltshire, following defeats to Hampshire & IOW, Middlesex and Sussex. We are confident the boys benefited hugely from the experience and will be back next year as contenders.
The girls lived up to their expectation by disposing of Dorset, Hampshire & IOW and Sussex by the identical score line of 5-1, booking their place at the national finals in two weeks time. The team along with their parents and captains will travel up to Sheffield and compete with 7 other counties over the course of 3 days for the title of 11U County Cup National Champions. Best of luck to them all.
The final event of the 2021 LTA Junior County Cup was completed this past weekend as the 11U age group battled it out for the National title in Sheffield.
Kent’s girls team of Julie, Judy, Milena, Isobel Mclain and Aditi were led by captain Harry Bushnell and vice-captain Holly Richards. With 3 of the girls still eligible for the same age group next year, Kent were fielding a young, but competitive side.
Placed in group B along with Yorkshire, South Wales and Warwickshire, the girls came through as winners of the group 4-2, 4-2, 5-1 respectively, setting up a National Final clash with our neighbours Surrey. After a terrific start where Kent took the first two matches to lead 2-0, Surrey clawed their way back by winning the next two. With both teams taking one of the doubles matches each, the match was to be decided by a tie-break doubles shoot-out, by the narrowest of margins the Surrey girls had the edge and took the tie and the national title.
A terrific effort from the Kent team, who I’m sure will be back next year as contenders for the title themselves, well done to all involved.
10U Girls County Cup Team 2021
July, Isla, Isabel, Zarina, Milena
Captain: Craig Allen Vice Captain: Katy Taylor
Result - Finished 1st
Beat Berkshire 6-0, Beat Exxex 6-0, Beat Middlesex 3-3 (on shoot out 10-5)
10U Boys County Cup Team 2021
Timothee, James, Justin, Drew, Tom, Zak
Captain: Brett Spencer-Stephens Vice Captain: Ben Roger
Result - Finished 1st
Beat Hampshire & IOW 6-0, Beat Dorset 4-2, Beat Sussex 6-0
With the county cup season well and truly underway, this weekend saw the 10U event being played across the country. The Kent teams were fortunate to be competing at two local venues, with the girls at Sundridge Park and the boys at Oakwood LTC.
Both teams looked strong, so we were quietly hopeful of further success in addition to that seen from the older age groups.
After a challenging weekend in terms of weather and competition, I am pleased to say that both the girls and the boys finished as winners of their regional groups.
The girls dealt with some pressure situations, way above their years and were a credit to themselves, their parents and their county. After seeing off both Berkshire and Essex 6-0, they were left with a final match showdown with Middlesex for the win. With the match evenly poised at 2-2 after the singles, the counties also shared the doubles to take the tie into a championship tie break shoot-out. Kent’s Judy Zhang and Isla Smith held their nerve and stepped up turning a 3-5 score-line into a 10-5 win for Kent!! All the girls from both sides showing tremendous fight and resilience throughout the match, well done to all!
After beating Hampshire &IOW 6-0, the boys held a tight 3-2 overnight lead against Dorset, with the remaining doubles to be played the following morning. Finishing off that tie 4-2 set up a final match with Sussex to secure the group win. The boys didn’t disappoint and ruthlessly steamed through the Sussex line-up with another 6-0 victory.
A fantastic achievement for both the girls and boy’s teams, joining the recent success of other Kent age group teams in winning their regional groups. Well done to all.
9U Girls County Cup Team 2021
Rosie, Iris, Kate, Olivia
Captain: Tom Samson Vice Captain: Sam Taylor
Result - Finished 3rd in Qualifying
Beat Sussex 5-1, drew with Dorset 3-3, lost to Hampshire & IOW 5-1 and lost to Surrey 4-2
9U Boys County Cup Team 2021
Tony, Ragav, Darnay, Matyas, Gianluca
Captain: Tom Samson Vice Captain: Sam Taylor
Result -
Finished 1st in Qualifying
Finished 1st in South Finals
The Kent 9U boys have qualified for the National Finals (South region), after a clean sweep at their regional qualifying event. On their way to qualifying for the South area national finals the boys beat Hampshire & IOW 6-0, Sussex 6-0, Dorset 5-1 and finally Surrey 4-2 in the final match.
Ordinarily this would be a mixed event, but some last-minute changes were made due to concerns over numbers of people on site at some of the venues, in which case the event was split.
Our girls team finished 3rd in their group, beating Sussex 5-1, losing to Surrey 4-2, drew with Dorset 3-3 and finally lost to Hampshire & IOW 5-1. It has to be noted that the girls lost three 10-9 matches in the Hampshire match, so close and could have gone either way!
9U Kent County Cup captain, Tom Samson took the girls team and 9U vice-captain Sam Tyler travelled to Southampton with the boys. Sam said “The boys were outstanding, after a difficult morning, they played as a team and supported each other from the moment we arrived to the last point played”
The boys will travel to Bath on Sunday 6th June to compete against the other group winners, with Tom as the captain. Best of luck boys.
After qualifying from the Aldershot County cup group the Kent 9U Boys started the LTA 9U County Cup 2021 - South Area Finals against Devon who straight away gave the team a tough start. After the singles Kent were 3 -1 up after some great singles matches which included a great performance by Gianluca who had to stay calm and focused when his opponent made a comeback.
We then faced Warwickshire who gave us a tough matches despite us winning all the singles matches to go 4- 0 up. Raghav showed the Kent ‘never give up’ spirit after coming back from 2-0 down to win in the tiebreak to secure the victory without having to win any of the doubles.
After a great performance against Warwickshire, we then faced Hertfordshire where Kent won all 4 singles matches again. Maty showed why he was playing as the number 1 player where he kept his focus and played some fantastic tennis to get Kent of to a winning start. Darnay also played a fantastic match having to deal with lots of awkward slices and drop shots to close the match out to put Kent 4-0 up.
In the final round of singles Kent had to play Middlesex who like Kent had not lost any matches so far. You could really feel the energy in the air as both teams knew how important this match was. After some close matches Kent finished the singles rounds 3-1 up. The big match of this fixture was Tony who had to battle through in a close match which he won in the tiebreak to put Kent 3-1 up.
After all the singles were played, we moved onto the doubles with Kent just having to win one match against Devon and one match against Middlesex to become champions. In the doubles against Devon, Kent won both matches meaning the final score against Devon was 5-1 to Kent. We then closed out the remaining matches against Warwickshire and Hertfordshire to win the fixtures 6-0.
It finally came down to the deciding match where Kent just had to win one doubles against Middlesex to become champions. Tony and Raghav started strong which settled the whole team down. They played really professionally and secured the LTA 9U County Cup 2021 - South Area Finals winning 4-0. While this match was going on Maty and Darnay were playing against the number 1s doubles pair and were 3-0 down match point down. But after a slight tactical change and their never give up spirit the boys battled back to win the match in the tiebreak to finish the event on a massive high! Huge congratulations to all 5 boys who played with such spirit and passion and worked so well together. Also to the parents whose support over the event was incredible cheering the team on and keeping them going through such a long day.