Basford Shoot Down RAF
TENNIS by Jackie Thorley
Exhibition match to mark 125th anniversary of Basford Tennis Club.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Josh Eardley and Karen Dobson, above, helped Basford to victory against the RAF.BASFORD Tennis Club took on the RAF top flight in a series of exhibition matches to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The club, based in West Avenue, fielded its best players for the showpiece event against the air force, in a combination of men's and women's and mixed doubles. And it was the Basford outfit who emerged undefeated. Included in the Basford line-up was Dave Egerton, the RAF singles champion of 1987, who teamed up with Karen Dobson for the mixed doubles to defeat Mark Lane and Rhae McCartney 6-4, 6-3. In the men's doubles Egerton and teenager Josh Eardley beat Andy Keeley and Paul Season 7-6, 6-4, while Mike Armstrong and youngster Tom Ellis saw off Martin Ledbury and Phil Coral 4-6, 6-4, 10-7. Further success came in the women's doubles, when June Fisher and Judy Tierney beat Kate Frayling and Louise Waterhouse 6-1, 6-2 and Sue Winters and Mary Hobson dismissed Delia Chadwick and McCartney 6-1, 6-1. The mixed match between Armstrong and Ellis and Ledbury and Frayling was drawn. "The RAF came to help us celebrate our 125th birthday and it was a truly memorable day," said spokesman Derek Newport. "It was wonderful to see so many people at the club pulling together to make the event such a success. It was a real team effort."
Sentinel, 30 September 2008
Courtesy of The Sentinel News & Media