By Luke McEwen

Fishbourne Tennis have recently played Southsea Tennis Club in some friendly matches.  It was a diplomatic start with one win and one loss but the third contest proved more decisive with a Fishbourne win by 77 games to 50.

Fishbourne and Southsea men pictured after their recent friendly.

The matches have been great fun, being evenly matched.  The banter was very sociable and we are now competing for who can provide the best after match snacks! Thanks to Paul at the Bull’s Head for laying on a Sunday buffet after our most recent encounter.

The good news is we are arranging a number of additional fixtures with other clubs in men’s, women’s, mixed and singles formats.  Please contact the club secretary if you are interested in taking part. Don’t worry if you haven’t played in a match before you can warm up on the new ladder or simply join us at our club sessions. 

We can’t promise you prize money and trophies, just bravado, good team camaraderie, a little excitement, good social interaction, and principally a bit of fun.  It will of course give members an excellent chance to show off at home, “Sorry guys, I’ve got a match tomorrow.” said casually of course.

Having a match to look forward does focus the mind on improving those rusty tennis skills. So why not prepare for the match by joining in one of Generation Tennis’s group coaching sessions at Fishbourne?

Perhaps when you were at school you were on the school netball or cricket team and would travel to take on the other schools.  Do you remember the excitement of the preparation, picking the team, planning your strategy?

Now you have that chance to relive those days again.  And of course if you are team captain the opportunity to give the pre-match pep talk, perhaps a bit of ‘Richard the third’? 

The trip for an away fixture, fun on the people carrier, meeting up with a bunch of people that share your passion for the game.  The post-match warm down.  A chance for a social event, a bit of networking, or just a cup of tea and a biscuit if you’re recovering after a hard match! 

Not forgetting, of course, the return trip with the after-play analysis of “you poached my ball”, “the ball was on the line!”  Reliving the glory in the clubhouse.

For more news about forthcoming friendlies keep an eye on the club noticeboard.