Warwickshire U9 Boys Impress at County Cup Qualifying Event

Written by Brian Heathcote

Edited by Warwickshire Tennis

Warwickshire U9 Boys Impress at County Cup Qualifying Event

Venue: Graves Health Centre, Sheffield

Date: 1 March 2026

Captain: Brian Heathcote

Vice Captain: Tom Barnes

Warwickshire’s Under-9 boys team delivered a superb performance at the County Cup Qualifying event in Sheffield, finishing an impressive third after a day of highly competitive tennis against strong regional opposition.

The Warwickshire squad consisted of Xander Turner, Marc Ralph, Maxwell Alger, Ranvir Shah, and Sebastian Lazarus-Howe, representing the county against teams from Shropshire, Staffordshire, Hereford & Worcester, and South Wales.

The team arrived in Sheffield on Saturday evening, meeting for dinner ahead of the competition. With many of the boys only knowing each other from county training sessions, it was a valuable opportunity to build team spirit. By the end of the evening they had already formed strong friendships, setting a positive tone for the weekend.

The competition was played across four courts using a Fast4 format, with a tie-break at 3–3. Each county contest consisted of four singles matches and two doubles matches.

Strong Start Against Hereford & Worcester

Warwickshire opened the tournament against Hereford & Worcester and made an excellent start.

In the singles, Maxwell Alger delivered a standout performance, winning without dropping a game, while Xander Turner and Marc Ralph also secured strong victories to give Warwickshire a 3–1 lead heading into the doubles.

Warwickshire continued their momentum in the doubles, with Xander Turner & Maxwell Alger and Marc Ralph & Ranvir Shah both producing confident performances. Between them they dropped just two games, sealing an excellent 5–1 team victory.

Clean Sweep Against Staffordshire

In the second round Warwickshire faced Staffordshire and delivered an emphatic performance, winning 6–0 against a strong and competitive side.

Sebastian Lazarus-Howe produced one of the most exciting matches of the round, battling his opponent all the way to a tie-break before keeping his composure to secure the win. With victories also coming from Xander Turner, Marc Ralph, Maxwell Alger and Ranvir Shah, Warwickshire completed a dominant clean sweep.

Tough Battle with Shropshire

The third round saw Warwickshire take on Shropshire, one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Xander Turner produced a superb result against a national-level opponent who appeared both bigger and stronger. Showing great determination and resilience, he battled his way to a 4–2 victory.

Marc Ralph also played outstanding tennis, creating impressive angles and pushing his match all the way to a tie-break. Both doubles matches — Turner & Alger and Ralph & Shah — were fiercely contested and went to tie-breaks, but Warwickshire narrowly lost the overall tie 4–2.

Final Round Against South Wales

The final round brought Warwickshire up against a very strong South Wales team, whose top player is ranked in the UK Top 10 for Under-9s.

Warwickshire fought hard in every match. Ranvir Shah produced a particularly impressive effort, pushing his opponent to a tie-break in a determined performance. Several matches were closely contested, including both a singles and a doubles match that went the distance, but South Wales ultimately secured the win.

A Proud Third-Place Finish

At the end of the competition South Wales were crowned overall winners, Shropshire finished runners-up, and Warwickshire secured an impressive third place.

Throughout the event the Warwickshire players demonstrated fantastic effort, teamwork and sportsmanship. The boys supported each other throughout the day and showed real pride in representing their county. Even after their matches had finished, they were keen to get back on court and continue hitting.

Well done to Xander, Marc, Maxwell, Ranvir and Sebastian — Warwickshire is incredibly proud of you!