Girls'
Tennis
1st VIT
he 1sts had a fantastic
season, remaining unbeaten
on our tremendously strong
circuit, which is a magnificent
achievement. The term
included victories over
Canford, Clifton, Sherborne and Taunton
School, and in total, eight different girls played
for the 1st team, which shows how much
strength in depth we have in girls' tennis.
The term started with a convincing 7-2 win
over Blundell's, with the first two pairs, Holly
Domellof and Alex Taylor, and Hattie
Cunningham with Jodie Burrows, winning all of
their sets. Charis Elphinstone and Louise
Webber contributed a good win as well. Just
three days later we had a tough match against
a strong Clifton side - the weather conditions
really tested the team's mental strength and
determination not to give up. The fixture was
evenly poised as we went into the final round
of matches, but good wins from our first and
third pairs allowed us to inch ahead, eventually
running out 7-2 winners.
It was another short turnaround before our next
match against Taunton School, a real
rollercoaster ride of a match, but in the end our
players kept their cool, and won all of the final
sets. There was an excellent performance from
Kathleen Sondern and Charis Elphinstone, who
won two out of their three sets. Just three
days later we were in action again, this time
against Wellington, a match in which we were
always in control, winning 8-1.
At Canford Holly Domellof had to retire due to
a shoulder injury, but her partner Alex Taylor
went on to win two out of her three singles
matches. Hatti Mason made her debut for the
1sts partnering Kathleen Sondern, and they
had a fine win over Canford's first pair. Louise
Webber and Jodie Burrows kept the crowd well
entertained with a thrilling tie-break in their
final game!
We started the second half of the season with a
seniors' fixture at Sherborne. Hattie and Jodie
struggled a bit at first to adapt their game to
grass courts, but then went on to win both
sets. The surface seemed to suit Louise, who
played exceptionally well with Heather
McKenzie. Milla Bell made her debut this
Saturday, playing with Kathleen and winning
two of their sets 6-1, 6-2. This was a nailbiting
fixture, but Hattie and Jodie coped well
with the pressure to win their final set 6-4 and
the fixture 5-4.
It was a dominant performance against
Queen's - Hattie, Jodie, Louise and Alex didn't
drop a set all afternoon. And it was another 61
team that faced Taunton School in the final
fixture, with Taunton's second pair proving the
most difficult to beat, and there were some
long, exciting rallies. Hattie and Jodie were
magnificent again, and Harriet Butterfield really
stepped up her game alongside Kathleen.
Hattie Cunningham was voted player of the
season for her consistent excellence, ably
supported by her partner Jodie Burrows. And
we will miss the smiling face of tennis captain
Louise Webber, a great team player. Many
thanks to Mrs Similien for all her
encouragement and advice, and best wishes to
next year's 1st team. They have a lot to live
up to!
Aluredian
84
Hattie Cunningham hits
out against Queen's