JUVENILE LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

SUCCESSFUL BASFORD EVENT

PROMISING PLAYERS

The blustering and, at times, chilly wind that swept the courts of the Basford Lawn Tennis Club yesterday may have interfered with the accuracy of the play to some extent, but it certainly did not have any effect on the enthusiasm of the competitors in the annual juvenile tournament promoted by the club.

Mr. H. T. Heatley, who has conducted this tournament so successfully for a number of years, was compelled, through indisposition, to take a less active part on this occasion and the secretarial duties were performed by another Basford stalwart in Mr. Norman F. Gibbons, whose arrangements were admirable. He had the support of an efficient Committee, consisting of Messrs. H. T. Heatley and C. J. Noke and Miss Olive Gibbons, Mrs. H. T. Heatley, Mrs. J. R. T. Hay, Mrs. Edgar Russell, Mrs. A. D. Munro, Mrs. Gilbert Sherwin, Mrs. C. J. Noke and Mrs. Roy Taylor.

The tournament consisted of a mixed doubles event played on the American system - all play all - though curiously enough, the winners in each of the sections were two girls and two boys who had elected to play together. Each match consisted of eight games.

PARTNERSHIP SPLIT

The winners last year were David and Eileen Russell, the talented grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Heatley, and, in view of their undoubted superiority over all other competitors they sportingly offered to split their partnership and play with other competitors.

Eileen Russsell therefore played with Rosemary Twigg of Stafford and they were successful in Section I. David Russell played with Miss Tindill and they occupied third place.

Section II was won by two boys - Robin Keane and John Cocks. I commented on the play of these two boys at the Stone Juvenile tournament last week, and again yesterday they played extremely well.

Apart from the Russells, who stand out on their own, the star yesterday was Miss Ena Sandy of Stafford. This girl has advanced her game by leaps and bounds since I saw her last year and she should certainly be heard of again in the near future. In fact, I commend her in the County authorities as a very likely County player in a few years' time.

Another Stafford player who impressed me very much was 13-years-old Rosemary Twigg, who partnered Miss Russell.

C. R. Hartley, from the Crewe district, also showed an exceedingly good knowledge of the game and produced his strokes in the correct manner.

Evening Sentinel, 18 August 1938
Courtesy of The Sentinel News & Media