Okehampton Tennis Club

Swing by OCRA’s Pay & Play tennis every Friday — we just need you! £4 per person each week; pay online (link below) or bring cash on the day. See you on court! https://buff.ly/cIUr0kF

Our mixed B team has been doing well this season. It’s the first year for the team, so started in the lowest division, meaning we’ve had some comfortable wins. This week was less satisfying though. We were very much outclassed by Torquay in an away match on Tuesday, losing 0:8 ! Onwards and upwards though, hopefully the next match at home on June 18th will be more fun and earn some points.

Massive thanks to Joe Rice 1st Aid Training for a practical, hands-on, totally engaging and informative CPR and defibrillator awareness course Monday evening. Sixteen playing members of the tennis and squash clubs met at the Church Hall for a very well spent 2 hours. We all left with valuable new knowledge, skills and confidence - hoping we won’t have to use it, but definitly feels good to be better prepared for the unexpected emergency. Joe is a brilliant trainer, highly recommended.

Thanks to Okehampton United Charities for their support.

Last night (25th May) okehampton mixed B travelled to Exwick to play Exwick C. Prior to this match the Okes were top of the table with 27 points after 4 games played. Exwick had won their only game. On a hot evening the Okes were given a rude awakening by their much younger opponents.

Okehampton B pair of Sumiyo and Dave were beaten convincingly by the Exwick B pair 6-1, 6-0, although many of the games reached deus or 40-30. It didn't get any easier against the home A pair who won 6-1, 6-1.

Okehampton A pair of Helen and Graham were blown away 6-0, 6-0 by the Exwick A pair, but recovered to win the 1st set against the Exwick B pair. The 2nd set saw the hosts bounce back and with the momentum in their favour went on to win the championship tie break. One point on the night was, in reality, a good haul after the first round of rubbers.

More good, if exhausting tennis for Graham's okehampton mixed B team last night. They came home with an 8:0 win from Newton Poppleford.

Okehampton mixed A team started the season last night. It was a beautiful evening for tennis in Sidmouth – sunny, warm but not too hot, and with the courts offering stunning sea views. As the evening went on, a nearly full moon rose over the sea, while the sound of the waves created a spectacular backdrop for some excellent mixed doubles tennis.

Special mention goes to Selena, who went above and beyond to make the match. She cycled from Spreyton to Whiddon Down to meet the car heading to Sidmouth – with a well-timed pit stop at Greggs to restore blood sugar levels!

Our first pair, Sol and Tamsin, faced Sidmouth’s second pair, Gez and Hilary. The first set was closely contested, with Okehampton edging a tense tie-break. With momentum on their side, Sol and Tamsin pushed on confidently in the second set, using strong serving and assured net play to secure it 6–2.

Their second rubber was another tight contest against Andy and Debbie. Sidmouth raised their level and dug deep to take the match 7–6, 6–4 after some long and hard-fought rallies.

Okehampton’s second pair, Liz and Selena, got off to a flying start against Sidmouth’s first pair, Andy and Debbie, taking the first set convincingly 6–0. The second set was more competitive, but Liz and Selena kept their composure to close it out 6–4.

Wind became a major factor in their second rubber, with sudden gusts sending the ball several feet off course and making angled shots a risky choice. Despite the challenging conditions, the Okehampton pair adapted well and delivered a strong performance to win 6–1, 6–2.

Overall, it was a fantastic evening of tennis, with Okehampton securing a 6–2 victory.

Okehampton Ladies had an enjoyable match against Willand A on Monday evening in their third fixture of the summer league. The weather was perfect for tennis, with a lovely sunny evening that wasn’t too hot.

Our first pair, Hayley and Tamsin, played some powerful, fast-paced tennis against Willand’s first pair, Jadeen and Rachel. The final scoreline of 6–1, 6–1 to Willand didn’t fully reflect how competitive the match was, with several long rallies and closely fought points. However, Willand’s strong serving, in particular, allowed them to take control at key moments.

Our second pair, Lauren and Liz, did well to battle back in the first set of their rubber against Willand’s second pair, Sue and Maria, eventually taking the set. Strong serving from Lauren helped push the second set to a tie-break, but unfortunately momentum slipped away and they lost the tie-break for the set and also a second tie break for the match.

In the second rubbers, Hayley and Tamsin fared much better. They took the first set to a tie-break before claiming the second set decisively 6–1. They sealed the match with confident play, including a series of aces and some cheeky volleys, to win 7–5, 6–1.

Lauren and Liz’s second rubber against Jadeen and Rachel proved more challenging, with the Okehampton pair going down 6–0, 6–1 despite their best efforts. The Willand pair dominated throughout, using topspin to particularly good effect.

A big thank you to our top cheerleader and emotional support spectator, Helen, who encouraged us from the sidelines, and also to Jackie who came along to see how we were doing and offer some well-timed words of encouragement.

The next ladies’ fixture is an away match at Sidmouth on 14 May.

Pay and Play Tennis!
OCRA is launching an open Tennis session each Friday.
All we need is you! £4 per person each week, you can pay online (link below) or on the day in cash.

Hopefully see you there!

https://buff.ly/cIUr0kF

Last night (23rd Apr) saw the 1st match of the mixed summer league. The club are running 2 mixed teams this year and the newly formed okehampton B play in division 6 of the East Devon league.

On an ideal evening for tennis even the midges kept away (!), we entertained Newton Poppleford, a side we've played many times in the past.

Our A pair of Helen and Pete got off to a good start on Court 3 beating the visiting A pair 6-3, 6-0. On Court 4 our B team of Mary and Dave also had a good start with some good volleying from Mary and consistent (apart from the first one) serving from Dave, running out 6-2, 6-2 winners.

The 2nd lot of rubbers were much closer, tightly fought affairs. After playing some great tennis against the opposing A pair, Mary and Dave ran out winners 6-3 in the 1st set. The 2nd set was a different affair with the opposition taking a 3-1 lead and continuing to gain the upper hand. The Okes dug in well and at 5-4 up we served for the match, only to find the opposition play some great tennis to save it. All was not lost and we dug in to win the final 2 games, and the set 7-5. On the other Court, after winning the 1st set 6-3, Helen and Pete ran into trouble in the 2nd, going down 6-3. After a strong start in the championship tie break, finding ourselves 5-1 up, the opposition fought back to win 10-8.

So on the night a 7-2 victory. A good way to start the season with a wonderful evening if tennis and some good relaxed chat over some beverages afterwards in the Pavilion. Next up another home match next Thursday (30th April) when we host Sidmouth.

Our mens team had a great start to the summer season last night with an 8 : 0 win at home to Tipton St John. Well done guys!