The Border Cups Tennis Tournament was completed over the weekend of the 23^rd and 24^th August with 21 players competing over the 2 days. The event was again supported by Soltyre Ltd from Heathhall with DS Roofing Ltd sponsoring the match balls. Both days were bathed in sunshine with the singles title being retained by Colin Dunbar as he edge out 15 years old Niklas Stingl from Kelso in the Borders, 6-2, 7-5. In the consolation final Steven White came back from a set down (4-6, 6-1) to secure the win against Kyle Singh by taking the championship tie-break 11-9.

Colin was back in action on the Sunday defending his doubles title with Johnny Short from the Borders against local boys Dan and Lister Mckiddie. Colin and Johnny raced into an early lead taking the first set 6-1 before Dan and Lister broke early in the 2^nd to lead 5-4 but the experienced pair rattled off the next 3 games to take the title 7-5 in the second set.

The mixed A league goes down to the final week of matches. Simply, if Dalbeattie don’t lose at home against their nearest challengers Stewartry CSC then they win the league. Stewartry need to win 4-0 to win the league but if they fail to win and Dumfries win against bottom team Kirkcudbright then Stewartry could finish 3rd. Last weeks results saw Dalbeattie edge a 3-1 at Castle Douglas and Dumfries beat Kirkcudbright 4-0.

In the B league Dumfries B went from top of the league to 4th after a 4-0 loss to Beechgrove, with Dalbeattie recording 2 wins again Stranraer 3-1 and Kirkcudbright 4-0 to send them top of the league with 3 matches to play. Elsewhere Stranraer recorded a 4-0 win at Kirkcudbright to keep their title chances alive. This week sees Dumfries entertain Kirkcudbright B whilst Dalbeattie play back to back matches away to Stranraer and Beechgrove

This weekend (23rd & 24th) sees Dumfries Tennis Club hosting the Border Cups Tournament for the 3rd year in a row. With another strong field it should be a good weekend of tennis in Dumfries and Galloway.

Updates will be published as and when, see the links below.

Singles Draw and results as and when they are played

Doubles draw TBC

Dumfries Tennis Club has entered 2 teams into the National tennis leagues for the fourth year in a row. Both teams have slightly different targets with the  A team challenging at the top of the County Tier and the B team hoping to avoid being bottom for the fourth year. The competition is played over the weekends in September and October with a match format of 4 singles matches followed by 2 doubles matches with tie-break matches to settle the results should the result be 3 matches each.

This year see Dumfries A up against Livilands 1 from Strinling, Waverley 1 from Edinburgh, Dunfermline 1, University of Glasgow and Kinnoull 1 from Perth. They will play home fixtures against Livilands & Waverley and are away for the other 3 matches.

Dumfries 2 are at Home to Falkirk 1 and Kirkhill1 from Glasgow with away matches against Livilands 2 from Stirling and Aberdour 1 from Fife.

Both team can be followed via the link below.

Aegon Division 2

Aegon Division 4

Dumfries B earned a good draw at Stranraer to keep their unbeaten record in tact and stay top of the B league. With 2 wins and 2 draws they sit top of the league with 6 points but face a tricky tie away to Moffat this Wednesday (20th) who sit 1 point behind.

With only four fixtures remaining in the A league Dumfries A climbed back into the title race with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Dalbeattie A. In the other match Stewartry CSC beat Kirkcudbright A 4-0. This weeks fixtures sees Dumfries A entertain Kirkcudbright A and Stewartry at home to Dalbeattie A.

A disappointing end to the South of Scotland Tennis Championships highlights the need for new all-weather courts in Moffat.

The South of Scotland Tennis Championships had to endure another finals weekend of bad weather once again to complete this year’s event. Play was, once again, taken to the Nunholm Sports Club courts in Dumfries, this time for an unprecedented both days of the finals weekend.

A big thank you must go to Nunholm Sports Club for helping the tournament out of a tricky situation for the fourth time in the last seven years but Moffat really needs to have its own courts where it can guarantee that the rain will drain away properly and allow completion of this hugely historical tournament at Moffat.

Despite a great effort by the council ground staff a few weeks before the start of the tournament to make the courts as good as they were at beginning of the competition without actually digging up the existing courts it is impossible to solve this drainage issue.

This year there were a lot of negative comments from tournament players questioning the ongoing validity of such a big tournament on courts that are worn out. One entrant commented ‘you must be the only really big tournament in Britain that has courts in this condition with such appalling drainage problems. It is very difficult to see how Moffat can retain a tournament of this size and grading and continue to attract top players when you cannot keep the courts at Beechgrove playable for the full 8 day duration of the event.’

After a huge entry once again with over 230 players breaking the entry record once again, organisers feel that new, All-weather courts are the only way forward. One committee member said ‘ New courts can only help the tournament to increase in size and strength. It is a big investment but it makes economical sense to protect an event which brings so much money into the town in the 8 days it runs for. With All weather courts we can guarantee play which will encourage more players, who at present travel daily depending on the weather, to stay overnight in the town. With a somewhat ‘captive audience’ we can then run more social events which will increase the player satisfaction of the whole event. Increased entry numbers not only increase income into the town for the duration of the tournament it also raises the general profile of Moffat to those who, having had an enjoyable experience tournament week, return to Moffat outwith the tournament. All of this has to be important for a town that relies on tourism to survive.

With Beechgrove Tennis Club as the driving force we have identified which surface would be most beneficial for all of the facilities users, we have had site surveys and obtained relevant quotes. Discussions are ongoing with the council who will hopefully make this a priority project for 2015. After a long time in waiting it is certainly something that Moffat deserves.

Jill Callander (Magnox) presenting the trophy to the mens champion Alan MacDonald

The Tennis that was played at both Moffat and Dumfries was of a very high level and the Mens Singles Open saw a top class final with Alan MacDonald (Barnton Park TC) beating Allan McClure (Giffnock TC) to retain the title he won last year in a match that was much closer than the score suggests. Both had fought their way to the final from a draw of 32 highly rated individuals.

The Ladies Singles Open saw a repeat of last years final Emily Lauder (Virgin Active Club Lanarkshire) beating Sophie Dunlop (Strathgryfe LTC) once again.

There were a good number of Moffatonians playing this year representing Beechgrove Tennis Club. The best performing of these were area Tennis coach Mike McMillin, reaching the final of the Mens Handicap Singles and Marisa Meola who reached the final of the Mixed Handicap Singles.

Other players from Dumfries & Galloway doing well were Mens handicap singles winner Alex Shearman, Mens handicap doubles winner Chad Lawson with Alex once again and Rhona Park, who reached the semis of the under 18 girls singles.

Results

Mens open singles Alan Macdonald bt Allan McClure 6-0 6-3

Ladies open sinlges Emily Lauder bt Sophie Dunlop 6-3 6-4

Mens open doubles Alan Macdonald/AndrewMelrose bt David McCall/Craig Severin 6-2 7-5

Ladies open doubles Nicola Tweedy/Sophie Williamson bt Nikki Howie/Charlotte Walker 6-4 6-3

Mixed open doubles Allan McClure / Sophie Dunlop bt Jack Walker/Emily Lauder 6-3 7-5

Mens handicap singles Alex Shearman bt Mike McMillin 6-2 6-2

Mens handicap doubles Chad Lawson/ Alex Shearman bt Scott Docherty/Joe Docherty 6-3 6-3

Mixed handicap doubles Joe Docherty / Holly Docherty bt Craig Severin/Marisa Meola 6-4 6-1

U18 Boys James Shemilt bt Michael Welsh 6-4 6-3

U18 Girls Nicola Tweedy bt Emily Gates 5-7 7-6 (10-5)

U16 Boys Philip Blythe bt Scott Docherty 3-6 7-6 (10-8)

U16 Girls Caitlin Owens bt Emily Gates 5-4 (ret)

U16 Boys doubles Scott Docherty/Jamie Martin bt Jack Barclay/Greg Walker 4-2 4-0

U14 Boys Lewis Hall bt Callum Rendle 6-1 6-3

U14 Girls grace Eland bt Megan Almond 6-4 6-2

South of Scotland Results 2014

The organising committee would like to thanks all their sponsors, without whom none of this would be possible

Magnox North (chapelcross site), HEAD uk, Annandale and Eskdale Upper Area Committee, Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, Scottish Cooperative, The Star Hotel, The Stag Hotel, The Buccleuch Arms Hotel, The Balmoral Hotel,The Moffat House Hotel, Hartfell House and Limetree Restaurant, Claudio’s Restaurant and Maria’s Fish & Chip shop.

Lochmaben duo Alex Shearman and Chad Lawson enjoyed a successfully week at the South of Scotland tournament. The rain effected event was completed at Dumfries tennis Club on both the Saturday and Sunday with Alex winning the mens handicap singles event again Moffats Mike McMillin before he and partner Chad took the spoils in a hard-fought handicap doubles event. More to follow.

Chad and Alex with their trophies