AVENUE TENNIS COACH HAS AN OUTSTANDING SUMMER

Top local player Craig Phillips who is also a coach at the Avenue tennis club has had an outstanding summer in his last year of junior tennis.

In May, Craig entered the Redlands tournament in Bristol where he won the under 18s boys doubles, under 18s mixed doubles and the under 18s boys singles. At Torquay, Craig was unseeded in the under 21s and lost in the quarter finals to the number 1 seed, he also entered the under 18s boys doubles with Peter Hoyland which they won. Then he went to Burnham seniors where he entered 4 events and made all 4 finals where he was runner up in the mixed, won the men’s doubles, men’s open singles beating the number 1 seed in the final and he won the Somerset men’s closed. The following week he entered the under 18s boys at Burnham reaching the final but ending up runner up without starting due to an injury. He had already won the boys doubles the day before, but ended up runner up in the mixed doubles as he had to pull out due to an injury. At Burnham junior tournament he was also awarded the shield for the most outstanding junior. He has also captained the men’s Avenue A team which gained promotion to division 1. And was also selected to play men’s county cup and has been playing national club league for Taunton men.

Craig has an apprenticeship at the Avenue tennis club which has enabled to help him pass his first 2 coaching badges. Craig has now got a semi contract from Babolat for his coaching and is hoping a sponsorship in the pipeline will enable him to play Men’s British Tours, ITF’s, Futures and challengers events. 

Avenue Tennis Club Centenary Open Day will be held on Saturday 19^th September and will start from 11:00 am.  As with other Open Days the focus will be on FREE tennis coaching for all the family but head coach Vinny Duddy said this is our Centenary Open Day and we have therefore organised some other non sporting activities – with a Teddy Bears Picnic, a magic show and a bouncy castle.

On Sunday the 20^th Sep there will be a junior and adult tennis competition; anyone interested in playing please contact the office (01278 782758) – details can also be obtained from the Avenue’s website about events and coaching going on at the club – www.avenuetennis.com.

Head coach, Vinny Duddy, said Rhiannon is a very keen and promising young talent at the tennis club who is always very helpful and assists on the Nathan Edwards Academy helping with the coaching and providing hitting for the members of that Academy and for any members of the club. She is keen to take up a career in sport and will be joining the coaching team during the summer for her school work experience week.

Rhiannon also plays for the Avenue Tennis Club Ladies A team who play in Division 1 of the North Somerset Ladies Tennis League and who take on Victoria A of Street on 28th April in the first fixture of the new season. The Avenue Tennis Club have 4 ladies teams and 6 men’s teams, they are always looking for new members to join as either a social or playing member – for more details contact the office 01278 782758 or visit the website www.avenuetennis.co.uk.

Winners, after a hard-fought final at Winscombe tennis club, were  The Avenue’s own Craig Phillips and Jamie Allan, from Woodlands (Weston). They beat Charlie Hart and Dave Austin, from Lympsham.

Losing semi-finalists were Chris Wheeler and Jon Treen, from Woodlands, and Alastair Gregory, of Wedmore, and Greg Spink, tennis coach at Clifton College, Bristol.

A total of 12 pairs entered from seven clubs, with the youngest players aged just 12. The tournament organiser was Peter Hucker, chairman of Winscombe.