Warwickshire Tested by Strong Hampshire Side in Division Two Debut

Written by Caroline Rhodes

Warwickshire’s start to life in Division Two proved just as challenging as Division One as they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Hampshire at Warwick University Tennis Centre.

With an uncertain weather forecast threatening outdoor play, the decision was made to move the match indoors at the University of Warwick Tennis Centre. Hampshire faced a lengthy round trip in a single day, and organisers were keen to avoid the risk of rain disruption.

Despite the scoreline, Warwickshire produced some spirited tennis throughout the contest against strong opposition.

In the opening rubber, Caroline Rhodes and Jackie Sadler battled hard against Hampshire’s top pairing of Jo White and Jess Weguelin. The Warwickshire duo showed flashes of quality but eventually went down 3-6, 1-6 against opponents who proved stronger on the day.

Wendy Supperstone and Teresa Pass also found themselves involved in a fiercely competitive encounter against Veronica Higgins and Di Girling. Numerous games went to deuce as the pair fought for every point, although the indoor conditions blunted Supperstone’s trademark drop shot and Hampshire secured the win in the second rubber.

The reverse rubbers also ended in straight-set defeats, though Rhodes and Sadler came agonisingly close to forcing a championship tie-break in their second match before narrowly losing 4-6, 6-7. The tone for the contest was set from the very first point, a remarkable 20-shot rally that highlighted Hampshire’s resilience.

“It seemed that whatever we did, the ball just kept coming back,” reflected Caroline afterwards.

Although the final result was a 4-0 loss, Warwickshire took plenty of positives from an enjoyable day of competitive tennis played in excellent spirit against “lovely opposition”. There was also a special moment for Teresa Pass, who made her debut for the county side.