18U Girls County Cup

Captains Report- written by Claire Williamson

Team

Captain – Claire Williamson

Assistant – Josie Williamson

Jessica Morrison

Shennai Chahal

Tess Beard

Tanishka Naveen

Ellie Buttimore

Holly Jacques

Isabella Taylor

Julia Zybura

Mila Angrave

Results

Vs H&W – 8 – 1

Vs Northumberland – 6– 3

Vs East of Scotland – 4 - 5

To view the full results please click here

What an incredible weekend it turned out to be! On paper, we knew the challenge ahead would be tough, especially missing a couple of key players, Alice Wilson Marsh & Georgie Nicha Seager. Hereford and Worcestershire were our 1st county to play & from the moment we stepped onto the court, Josie and I could see the passion and determination in our girls. We quickly realized that promotion was a real possibility, especially after a commanding 8-1 victory.

Day 2 - Northumberland

Our second challenge came in the form of Northumberland. We got off to a fantastic start, with wins from Ellie, Tanishka, and Julia, and the girls were absolutely on fire. We secured one more win in the singles, leading us into the doubles with a 4-2 advantage. The solid performances continued, with Bella and Holly winning at third pair and Shennai and Ellie triumphing at second pair, putting us at 6-2 overall. Jess and Tanishka had a tough match against the number 1 pair, but they couldn’t quite overcome the power and partnership of the two older players, though they gave it their all.6-3 win

Day 3 - East of Scotland (Promotion Decider)

On Sunday, we faced East of Scotland in a must-win match for promotion. The girls were fired up and gave it everything they had. After the singles, we found ourselves 4-2 down, meaning we needed to win all three doubles rubbers to secure promotion. Holly and Tess, playing at third pair, held their nerve and delivered a crucial win. Ellie and Shennai fought tirelessly, only narrowly losing in a championship tiebreak. Jess and Tanishka, however, produced an incredible comeback, defeating the number one pair in another thrilling championship tiebreak. Ultimately, we lost 5-4, but the effort was undeniable.

Josie and I are beyond proud of the girls, both on and off the court. Their teamwork, dedication, and unwavering support for one another were truly inspiring. They made Warwickshire proud!

A massive thank you to Warwickshire for their continuous support, from committee members to our chairman, Tom Barton, vice-chairman Sarah Heaton, Holly Reid, Sally Jones, Graham Baker, and many other Warwickshire players. The atmosphere was electric, and the support was fantastic.

A special thank you to Jackie Robinson, our LTA representative, for presenting the prizes and speaking so kindly about the level of tennis she witnessed, particularly the doubles matches.

I’d also like to personally thank my assistant, Josie Williamson, for her invaluable support in helping our players both mentally and emotionally on and off the court. And of course, a huge thank you to the players for giving their best efforts.

Next year, we’ll definitely be going for promotion!