ON a warm and bright autumn afternoon, when most people in Abergavenny were thinking about food and drink at the town’s Food Festival, the finalists of the Abergavenny Tennis Club Championship had their minds firmly fixed upon the final day of competition.

In front of a healthy crowd of spectators, the afternoon opened with the men’s singles final, as 14-year-old Ollie Stansfield took on Jeremy Callard.

Despite playing aggressive attacking tennis, the experience and consistency of Callard was just too much for Stansfield and he went down in straight sets 6-0, 6-2.

In the women’s final Becky Rogers took on Carys Howard-Rees. Rogers, who is a strong baseline player, had her game plan thwarted by the experience and tactical awareness of Howard-Rees who took the women’s title in straight sets.

In the men’s doubles final Bill Rodgers and Sam White took on the father and son pairing of Boy and Lloyd Barcenilla. Rodgers and White failed to find their form and the strong serving and consistent tennis played by the Barcenilla’s was just too much for Rodgers and White who lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

In a replay of the 2014 women’s doubles final, the paring of Sophie Davies and Alice Garlick took on Becky Rodgers and Brenda Saunders. In a final strewn with some great rallies and excellent winners by both pairings, this match proved to be the highlight of the afternoon. However, with the match tied at one set all and six games all, Rodgers and Saunders proved just too strong for Davies and Garlick and they took the title for the second year running, after winning the tie-break.

The mixed doubles final saw the pairing of Carys Howard-Rees and Jack Grayer playing the mother and son combination of Ashley Barcenilla and Lloyd Barcennila. Despite a strong effort by the Barcenilla’s, the experience and consistency of Howard-Rees and the powerful serving and ground strokes by Grayer proved too much and they won the mixed doubles title in straight sets.Finally, in the veteran’s singles finals, the women’s final was taken by Mary Jeon who beat Patsy Roseblade, and in the men’s final Boy Barcenilla beat Steve Sharp.

The afternoon was a great success for the tennis club and the club would like to congratulate all of the finalists for a great afternoon of tennis and also thank all of the members who turned up to show their support.