National Finals

Nottingham: National Finals

It was just an amazing honour to even get this far. Having experienced playing Reed’s at Eton, we knew we were up against it. With their ‘Mr England’ at no.1 and their French world-ranked player at no.2, Jack and Tom knew they had a lot of work to do! Halbie and Harry’s matches were equally tough but they felt as though they had a chance to do rather well. Jack played some sublime tennis to compete with Mr England. Winning five games was inspirational and Jack’s attitude was exemplary. Tom had the tough ordeal of just trying to get his racket onto the serve, with balls bombing down at about 120mph, so he was happy wth any form of return.

In the consolation round we had to play an equally challenging match, which was actually a lot closer than it should have been on paper. St Peter’s no.1 and 2 were obviously once full-time tennis players. Their no.3 was a big Year 13 boy who must also play a lot. Harry played a terrific match, winning comfortably. Jack had an immense match, winning on a tiebreak in the third set. After two matches all, it went into the doubles where 1 and 2 lost but Halbie and Fraser took it all the way to a tiebreaker where they were 8-4 up. Sadly they couldn’t hold it together long enough and nerves took over a little and they ended up losing 11- 9.

On Friday we were a player down as Jack was going on holiday. Luckily we were playing schools similar to ours. And we won, four matches to two, with Harry Cox and Halbie Wagstaff winning their singles and both doubles! We were heading into the last day with a victory under our belts. Saturday saw our team down by yet another player with only three being able to play. We were up against it and had to win all four matches. Harry at no.3 lost in an incredibly tight third set championship tiebreak with the rallies hitting 20/30 strokes at a time. Tom had an equally tough game, just losing out in another tiebreak. Fourteenth in the country overall sounds a little unimpressive until you see the standard of play the boys were up against. The ‘tennis schools’ are just a different class and even the likes of Millfield did not compete for the top spots. It was an outstanding experience and I was honoured to be there with a special bunch of players.

Kerris Wagstaff

Boys’ Tennis

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams were rather busy during summer 2022. There were lots of fixtures, lots of training and, surprisingly, a lot of sun (with the occasional light drizzle). As a result, the boys were drilled hard in training, which put us in a solid position for taking on schools like Sherborne, Blundell’s and Taunton. The 1st team established itself very quickly but it was the depth and enthusiasm that ran through the 2nd and 3rd teams that truly surprised us all. Outstanding debuts (Erik Lippert and Szymon Malinka) were made and some boys were certainly putting in a strong case for moving to the 1st team when the time comes. Well done to Matt Simms (captain) and Sonny Taylor (vice-captain) for leading this merry bunch of boys to a resoundingly joyous Summer Term of tennis.

Noel Doran

Senior Development

The Senior development team worked hard to hone their tennis skills. They developed their serve, volley, cross-court hitting, overall movement and doubles positioning. We even managed to fit in doubles and mixed doubles championship tournaments where these skills were enthusiastically showcased. A thoroughly enjoyable term on the courts!

Yan Turnock

U15a

The U15As had an action-packed and highly enjoyable season of tennis this year. This cheerful squad of young men certainly developed as the season progressed with notable wins over local rival schools. It was pleasing to see Milo Lankester having made so much progress on court since last season leading him to be a regular player for the 1st pair. Junsei Yasuda built on his leadership skills from last year by remaining as captain and was supported in this role by Henry Wilkinson as vice-captain. Overall, a delightful term of tennis.

U15b

The U15Bs were ceaseless in their drive to improve their oncourt skills with many hours put in by the boys trying to perfect their serving game. The team responded well to the absence of their captain Freddie Clarke (due to injury) who had made an instant impression when playing against Sherborne in the first fixture of the season. The Arver boys became an unstoppable force towards the end of the season owing to their athleticism and knowledge of the game. Overall, a successful term of tennis thanks to the positive attitude of all the boys involved.

Max Ernest-Jones

U15C/D and Development

The U15Cs and Ds summer season consisted of just two fixtures, one of which we lost and one of which we will count as a victory (Malvern withdrew at the last moment). In training we saw great progress from a number of players, including Francis Allen, who had become a winning machine by the end of the season; and Tom Bilney, who got to the final of the internal boys’ doubles competition after starting the term with limited experience of the sport. Overall, the boys consistently brought enthusiasm to the training sessions and the weather was kind, making it a very enjoyable term.

Greg Laing

U14A/B

The boys had an eventful start to the Summer Term. While Pimm’s-drinking parents watched on, the boys got stuck into their first match: Sherborne at home. As the relentless play of the A team, led by Wilfred Gemmill, allowed them to grind out a deserved 5-4 win, the B team had an especially tough opener and suffered their first bagel. The B team consisted of stalwarts Leo Yang and Steve Wan, as well as Cyrus Fong, but it is noteworthy that many of the team had played very little - or even no tennis at all - prior to this summer. As a result, the matches proved to be exercises in resilience and optimism, in addition to loyalty to Clifton and each other. When knowing it was likely they were about to get a free lesson in how to play tennis, it might have been easier for their heads to drop; however, indicative of the spirit within the team, Tom Flavin and Ed Tomlinson had some exceptional rallies and a great time away against Millfield on a particularly hot Saturday afternoon. In the rest of the season, more wins followed for the A team, with talisman Halbie Wagstaff unbeaten on the tour. Adam Wyatt joined Halbie on one of the many extra playing opportunities that the Under 14s had this season, including Avon Schools’ Tennis Championships (see p.110). With an excellent showing from both, the future of Clifton’s tennis looks bright.

Stephen Cross

U14C/ Development

The U14C team and the Development team had a very promising season of tennis. They brought a wealth of enthusiasm to every session. Despite many of the boys being absolute beginners, their resilience and determination saw them all make huge improvements in their skills and understanding of the game. Particularly of note was Aiden Jim’s ferocious forehand, while Jason Chan impressed with his calm and precise serves. But the U14 Development student of the season had to be Ethan Ho, who never failed to bring humour and bags of enthusiasm to the courts. All the boys put in excellent performances in the junior and mixed doubles tournament.

Amy Jenkins

Girls’ Tennis U15A/B

The U15 As and Bs have had a successful season of tennis, and a very high standard has been seen. Each week the pupils have remained enthusiastic and dedicated to their sessions, and their matches have been well contested. One of their most successful fixtures was against Taunton School, where the As celebrated a 7-2 win, in which Megan Whately and Sophie Houghton dominated, only dropping a few games across their matches. The Bs also had great success, winning 9-0, with every pupil showing resilience and determination. The As have also had great success in their team tennis matches against Colston’s and Redmaids’, winning these in a combination of singles and doubles. Congratulations in particular to Megan, Sophie, Alicia Milligan and Julia Fuerst. Well done to everyone who has represented the school for the U15s.

Grace Ball

U15C/ Development

A great season of tennis in which the girls have been enthusiastic and motivated in each training session, which has led to great progress in their tennis. I have been impressed by their persistence on aspects such as the serve and volley, which has led to huge improvements in their general consistency and match play. There were a few super matches against other schools for the C team, which were very close, as well as a junior and mixed doubles tournament, which was enjoyed by all.

Lucy Dales

U14A/B/C

The U14A & B team went from strength to strength this year. With some challenging fixtures, the teams were still able to improve with practice and match experience. The U14A team had close fixtures against Taunton School, losing 4-5 and were able to win comfortably against Millfield, 11-2. Andrea Jove Cinca and Darcy Shields led the team as first pair, a fantastic match up, considering Darcy had only previously played tennis with her family. The team should be really proud of their improvements and commitments to tennis.

The U14B team had quite a few successes against Bromsgrove, Taunton School and Dean Close. The team were able to adapt to various pairings throughout the season. The pairs were always cheering each other on and improving their shots at the net and down the line. Well done to Sasha Horwood, Libby Laredo and Bea McEwan who all played consistently well and were always committed to the team.

The U14C team played two fixtures during the Summer Term, losing to Cheltenham College, but winning 3-1 against Dean Close. Olivia Breakwell and Joung Youn Hoang played some fantastic tennis, both at practice and in matches. Well done to all the girls who played for the U14s this term; for many of you it was the first time playing tennis and you competed well and made the College proud.

Claire McCormack & Kirsty Willis