Robinson wins 14s Hatrick

This seasons Under 14s schools tournament was highly successful and attracted almost 50 youngsters.The standard in the girls events was encouragingly high and,in the singles, six players battled their way into a two group round robin semi-final. In the first group Holly Bowen beat Amy Sharman and Louise Thacker, whilst Sophie Piper overcame Annie Giles and Lauren Read in group 2. The final was a closely fought contest, pitting Bowens superior racket control and all court play against Pipers speed and athleticism. In the end it was Bowen who triumphed, winning the title by 21-17. The same six girls achieved the top three places in the girls doubles. Thacker and Giles became champions by virtue of superior teamwork, winning all seven of their games. In second place were Bowen and Piper, losing only to the winners 21-16, with Sharman and Read coming in third.

But it was Mark Robinson who was the star performer of the championships, bagging a hat-trick of titles. In the singles semi-finals Robinson beat Tom Hinks whilst Andrew Carrier overcame Andrew Simmons to set up the expected final between the two top seeds. The final was closely matched between two very fit and fast players, which led to a very high level of play, with Robinson coming out on top 21-16. Matthew Browne won the plate event beating Ben Sharman, the youngest boy in the tournament, 15-9 in the final.

It was no surprise when Robinson and Carrier qualified for the doubles final by winning their group and then beating Chris Parrott and James Bailey in the first semi-final. In the second semi, Adam Simmons and Ed Allen beat Nico Schilling and Carl Bell, but were really battling against the odds in the final which Robinson and Carrier comfortably won 21-8.

The mixed doubles final, between Robinson and Bowen and Carrier and Piper produced the best match of the day. The score was always very close and the standard of play was high throughout. At 20-all the result was still in doubt, but two quick points gave Bowen her second title and Robinson his third in an excellent match to finish the tournament.

* With three girls playing up for the Under 17s, it was always going to be difficult for the Under 15s in an away Shires League match against Hertfordshire, which they lost 16-4.

But the girls who came into the team acquitted themselves very well and it was the boys who struggled against a very strong Herts line-up. Some games were very close with Norfolk pairs being edged out in the best of three sets on several occasions. Playing for Norfolk were Mark Robinson,Luke Cox, Ashley Robb, Andy Carrier, Serena Verney, Sophie Piper, Louise Thacker and Lauren Read.

The Under 17s crashed to a 19-1 defeat against a very strong Derbyshire side, with Norfolks only victory coming from Chris Piff and Holly Bowen in a mixed doubles game.

Other members of the team were Lee Robinson, Adam Stubbing, Craig Thomas, Briony Lund, Rebecca Chapman and Annie Giles.

* Norfolks Over 40s team won their first match of the season with a 8-4 victory against Cambridgeshire. Steve Thacker and Tim Hudson-Church and Julian Ross and Kevin Lepage won all four mens doubles, with Liz Cubitt and Jane Sheldrake and Linda Sawyer and Jenny Longmore halving their matches. Hudson-Church and Sawyer and Lepage and Cubitt won their mixed, but Thacker and Longmore and Ross and Sheldrake just missed out,

losing close three setters.