Newry Tennis Club

The Newry Closed Tennis tournament is an annual fixture on the city sporting calendar and was again held in the last two weeks of June. The Warrenpoint Road Club was the setting for a fortnight of terrific tennis action as 33 participants from all age ranges and experience started out on their quest for local glory. The Men’s Singles final was an intriguing battle between the top two seeds Giby Vettiankal and Patrick Clements and there was a packed clubhouse present to applaud a very high standard match. It was younger guy Patrick who used his heavy topspinning groundstrokes from the back of the court to prise open a 3-0 lead but Giby responded and used the immense variety of shot making at his disposal to volley and angle drop shot his way back into the match. It was the gossamer touch of Giby which prevailed in a tight first set 7-5 having had a set point at 5-4 when Patrick had responded in seemingly nerveless fashion. Giby was now in the ascendancy and found his rhythm to pull away winning the last three games to clinch the second set and match 6-2. It was the eighth singles title for the legendary Newry club player Giby Vettiankal who had won his first as a raw teenager back in 1986 so eat your heart out Boris Becker (who would have been winning his second Wimbledon at exactly the same time and same age)! Indeed Giby was the star attraction in the finals weekend as he contested a mesmerising three finals in all. But just to prove that you don’t have to be a perennial over achiever to contend for trophies, he paired up with Cormac Moody who had just taken up the sport six weeks earlier and had already alongside Giby fought his way to the Men’s Doubles final. In another fantastic example of the exciting nature of this sport, it was another very close final which would go to the maximum three sets. The wily net craft of Kieran Campbell and Matthew Pearce would ultimately prove too good as they played a compact game of crisp volleys which were punched away accurately to victory. Kieran is an entertaining competitor, fiery, passionate and deadly at the net alongside team mate Matthew who used spin and angles aplenty which made them a formidable duo and they won four matches en route to the title. This included a 9-7 final set semi victory in the match of the tournament against Paddy McKinley and Jamie Campbell. So father prevailed against son in a three hour tennis marathon that enthralled everyone watching. Kieran had plenty to cheer about during the final weekend as he also won the Mixed Doubles with the ultra consistent Lynne Dalzell against that man Giby Vettiankal again and his teenage ‘phenom’ partner Marie Pearce. In a spectacular comeback, Kieran and Lynne lost a dramatic first set 7-5 but showing a never say die approach they equalled the sets score with 6-3 in the second. They found themselves 4-0 down in the third before unleashing six unanswered games for a hard fought triumph. The Campbell family had plenty to cheer about as mother Derval beat daughter Eve in the Women’s Singles final 6-3 6-3, this family know how to compete and contest on the courts! Maureen Grant and Margaret O’Hare won the Women’s Doubles, they were in awesome form losing just four games in their two matches to claim the title and beat Dorothy Blair and Marie Pearce 6-3 6-0 in their final. For those who were first round losers there were plate competitions and they were as eagerly contested as anything with special mention to 15 year old Oisin McKinley who had missed his opening main draw match due to his fourth year GCSE assessments but he bounced back and triumphed in the Men’s Plate with his consistently deep forehands against adult competition! He is a sure sign that the future is bright for Newry tennis alongside Shane McAteer who was seeded No6 in the men’s rankings all at the age of just 16 and of course Marie who reached two finals as a teenager this year. There is a terrific open door policy of welcoming new members at this club. It is a phenomenal way to keep both body and mind fit and active so why don’t you give it a go and join the social evenings on Thursday night at 7pm and you too could be volleying, lobbing, hitting forehands and backhands, serving aces or even lifting trophies before you know it.

FULL FINAL RESULTS

Men’s Singles: Giby Vettiankal bt Patrick Clements 7-5 6-2

Women’s Singles: Derval Campbell bt Eve Campbell 6-3 6-3

Men’s Doubles: Kieran Campbell & Matthew Pearce bt Giby Vettiankal & Cormac Moody 6-4 4-6 6-2

Women’s Doubles: Maureen Grant & Margaret O’Hare bt Dorothy Blair & Marie Pearce 6-3 6-0

Mixed Doubles: Lynne Dalzell & Kieran Campbell bt Marie Pearce & Giby Vettiankal 5-7 6-3 6-4