Stratford A and Alcester B qualify for Junior Tennis Cup play-offs
STRATFORD A and Alcester B are celebrating after progressing to the semi-finals of the Wildmoor Spa League Junior Tennis Cup.
They join Littletons A and Pershore, after all four teams topped their groups following the fourth and final round of competition.
Pool A saw the major upset of the competition as Alcester B pair Oliver Linnett and Henry Beer managed to win all three of their matches beating first Henley B 6-2, then Henley A 6-0, before squeezing past their club side Alcester A duo Ben Pons and James Faulks 7-6.
Alcester A then recovered by beating Henley B 6-2 and then Henley A 6-2. Despite leading the table most of the season, Alcester A had now been caught by their B team and both had 21 points.
However, when the games were added up, Alcester B had a total of +27 to Alcester A’s +21 and so the B team went through. In the final pool match, Henley A's Joe Webb and Joe Williams beat Archie Hanson & Max Gillevel (Henley B) 7-6
Pool B, played at Littletons Tennis Club, saw the hosts qualify by a clear four points at the top of the table.
The Littletons’ A pair Daniel Reynolds and William Bishop continued their domination on the night beating all three teams, Littletons B, Chipping Campden A and Campden B and all by the same decisive 6-0 margin.
Campden A duo Tom Cox and Jack Theo managed to defeat Campden B 6-0 and Littleton B 6-1.
Finally, Littleton B boys Robbie Clear and Jack Golding overcame Campden B’s Andre Jeffrey and Daniel Oldfield 6-2.
Oldfield is a member of Littletons club, but had volunteered to play for Campden B on the night as one of their players became ill and could not play.
In Pool C played at Pershore, it was the hosts who celebrated reaching the play-offs with the biggest margin of all the tables leading by six clear points.
Toby Atkins and Tom Edwards for Pershore won every game 6-1, defeating Redditch A, Evesham A and Evesham B in the process.
Redditch A boys Finn Shannon and Caleb Ravenscroft went on to defeat Evesham A 6-2 and Evesham B 6-3.
Lastly, Anton Devos and Joseph Wilson for Evesham B managed to trounce their A team of Daniel Wilde and John Rushby 6-0.
In Pool D at Stratford’s courts, the hosts also enjoyed a six-point lead to qualify for the play-offs.
James Richards and Oliver Murphy defeated Redditch B 6-2, then Stratford B after a struggle 7-6, while they also had a 6-0 walkover against Bidford, who had pulled out of the league.
Stratford B pair Toby Pearton and Thomas Pinnock beat Redditch B juniors Norbert Cygan and Joshua Tomlinson 6-0, plus they too had a walkover. Redditch B had to just settle for their 6-0 walkover.
The junior semi-final play-Offs will be held from 6.30pm on Wednesday 4 July at the Littletons Tennis Club. The top two teams will qualify to play in a full match alongside the men's Inter-League Charity Cup final to be held 2.30pm on Sunday 2 September, 2018, at Alcester Tennis Club.