Last Monday saw the first matches in this year’s Enniskillen Tennis Autumn League get under way. Sponsored once again by FRANCOS Restaurant the Autumn League sees over 80 club members playing doubles and mixed doubles in a team format over the next ten Monday and Wednesday nights with the four teams with most games won progressing to the semis at the start of December.
Monday Night
Thankfully the league has started with balmy summer evening weather in stark contrast to last year’s winter downpours. Opening proceedings we had the Bolzanos led by Alex Knowles take on defending Spring League captain Paul Lendrum’s Ferraras. With most games ending in narrow wins for the Bolzanos it was the opening 9-3 win for No.1s Clive Funston and Sandra Parker over Paul and Geraldine Millar which ensured a comfortable 56-40 win for the Bolzanos.
The second match had Catherine Sloan’s Milanos take on Donal Burn’s Margerhitas in a much closer affair. The mixed doubles ended with the Margerhitas 4 games ahead after the evergreen Seamus O’Connell of the exquisite lobs and the hard hitting Nadine Stewart of the aggressive backhands returns beat Catherine and Mark Cousins 8-4. However in an equally competitive mens and ladies doubles the Milanos were to get back on level terms with the crucial games coming from Jennifer Kelly and Catherine’s 9-3 win over Mary Griffin and Nadine . Both teams will be happy with the final 48-48 score line on this their first outing of the league.
Wednesday Night
Both matches on Wednesday night produced close tense tennis throughout. In the first match Niall McGandy’s Billi Billis secured a late 48-48 draw with Roisin O’Connell’s Mad Fish. This match saw the welcome return to league tennis of Marius Blake who showed all his old determination in holding out for an important 8-4 with league debutant Martina Boyd over Niall and Ruth Elliott. With a number of drawn games it was the brace of 7-5 wins in the home stretch for Billi Billis pairings of Davy Thompson and Nick Hambley in the mens and sub Liz Murphy and Moira McAdam in the ladies which secured the draw.
The final match of the week saw Martin Sharkey’s Chilli Monks and the Early Birds led by Sheila Colville fight out a keenly contested match with only two points separating 7 of the games. The decisive match was won 8 to 4 by Nick Meeke and Yvonne Masterson. This was Nick’s first ever league match and he played extremely well having hurt his arm in this win. It meant he had to serve under arm in his next match the men’s doubles .But like all good athletes he give his best in the match. The level of tennis was remarkably high considering most had not played in some months. The ball seemed to be attached to Sean Bogue as he was hit 3 times but this did not stop him putting in his usual crafty performance. David Casey also on his league debut scored best for the Birds in winning both his matches 7-5 and Sean Dillon best for the Monks with 14 points leaving the Monks winning overall by 50 games to 46.
