Channel Island teams struggle in County Cup

Tuesday 28 November 2023

Both the men’s and women’s Channel Islands Tennis sides were drawn in a strong group in the LTA Winter County Cup.

The men lost all three of their group matches, against Sussex, Northumberland and Bedfordshire, while the women fell to Cornwall, Wiltshire and Cumbria.

First up for the men, playing in Yorkshire, was the challenge of Sussex.

Louis Keenan’s straight sets defeat of Lemuel Cassidy (6-4, 6-2) proved the only silver lining for the Channel Islands, as Sussex claimed the remaining eight rubbers.

CI might have had a couple more points on the board, but James Faudemer fell 2-1 in a deciding set, while Keenan and Scott Weaver lost their doubles rubber in a champions tie-break.

Things only got slightly better against Northumberland, as Keenan again won his singles rubber, this time 7-5, 6-3.

Jonathan Le Feuvre also grabbed a straight sets singles win (7-5, 6-4) but they would be the only two points won by the CI team, losing the other seven matches in the contest in straight sets.

James Faudemer grabbed his first singles win of the County Cup against Bedfordshire, with a straight-sets win.

Meanwhile, Keenan made it a clean sweep of singles wins for the weekend, coming from a set down to win in a deciding set.

Ben Ferbrache might have added a point for the Channel Islands, after drawing level from a set down. However, he was convincingly beaten in the decider.

Elsewhere, the doubles tandem of Chris Freeman and Nico Robinson fell in a champions tie-break, having led their rubber 1-0.

Meanwhile, in Newport, the youthful women’s team were also up against it.

Cornwall beat them 7-2 in the opening contest, as Lauren Barker and Giulia Rihoy were the only players to put a point on the board.

Lauren Coutanche was a set up in her rubber, but ended up falling in a decider.

Wiltshire came next and the match proved a tighter affair.

Jo Dyer won her match in straight sets (7-6, 6-0), as did Triona O’Callaghan (6-4, 7-5).

Dyer then teamed up with Barker in the doubles to win 6-0, 6-3.

CI might have had a fourth point, after Chloe De La Mare clawed her way back from a set down, but was defeated in the final set.

Improving every match, the young CI team were only narrowly beaten in their final group game against Cumbria.

Dyer, who proved reliable all week, won in straight sets, while De La Mare was able to fight from a set down to win hers also.

When O’Callaghan won her singles in straight sets and Barker and Dyer did the same in the doubles, CI had a 4-3 lead, with just one more point needed.

However, Cumbria claimed the final two doubles rubbers, to send the Channel Island team home winless across both the men’s and women’s.

The Winter County Cup is a one-off three-day weekend event, taking place at venues around the nation every year. 

The 44 counties are placed in 22 groups of four counties per gender. These groups are placed in order of the previous year’s results with Group 1 being the "premier league". 

Final positions are based on how each county performs within that particular group – with top teams getting promoted to the next group and bottom teams relegated to the group below.  

Pictured top: Jo Dyer competing at the Island Games.