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Eighty competitors from twelve islands will compete across the seven events in an exciting week of tennis at the Natwest International Island Games.
The draws have now been released, giving an indication of how the medals will be decided.
Medals will be contested in men’s and ladies’ team, men’s and ladies’ singles and men’s, ladies’ and mixed doubles.
Each island may put forward a team of up to five players for the team event. They can also compete in up to two of the open events each.
Pictured: Jo Dyer.
The week will begin with the team contest.
There will be 22 rubbers played across the men’s and ladies’ draw to decide the champions.
They will consist of two singles matches, with a deciding doubles to be played if the score is level.
In a format similar to the Davis Cup, a nominated Team Manager may be courtside during those games to coach and encourage his or her players. Islands must nominate their competing players half an hour before the start of each tie.
In the individual events, which will begin on Monday, there are around 150 matches to be played across the six courts, with an additional plate competitions running alongside for competitors who lose in the first or second rounds. Play will begin each morning at 9am and is expected to conclude around 9pm.
Pictured: Pete Robinson.
Guernsey has a strong history of success in tennis at the Island Games winning 39 medals since the sport’s debut in Aland in 1991.
Five of Guernsey’s team members for 2023 are already medalists, providing an experienced set of shoulders to sit alongside exciting newcomers such as Lauren Watson-Steele. The former medalists are Patrick Ogier (14), Rob West (6), Jo Dyer (4), Pete Robinson (2) and Lauren Barker (1).
Guernsey will hope to have a strong chance of winning medals across all events, especially in the mixed doubles where Rob West and Jo Dyer, who won gold in Gotland in 2017, will pair up again and are the top seeds.
Men: Rob West (Captain), Patrick Ogier, Pete Robinson, Chris Freeman, Marcus Thomas.
Ladies: Jo Dyer (Captain), Lauren Barker, Lauren Watson-Steele, Lauren Coutanche, Jenny Hutchins
Guernsey play Aland in the quarter final of the men’s team event, while Jersey will play either Gotland or Gibraltar.
The islands are in opposite halves of the draw.
They have also been kept apart in the Ladies’ Team event.
Jersey play Aland while Guernsey face Cayman Islands in the quarters.
Action in the team event begins at 9am on Sunday 9 July with the final on Monday morning.
Guernsey’s Pat Ogier is the third seed in the men’s singles, while Jersey’s Stuart Parker goes in as number one.
Both have byes in the first round.
Guernsey’s Chris Freeman will play P.Dahl from the Faroe Islands in the second round, while Peter Robinson will face number nine seed C.Theaker from Cayman Islands.
In the women's singles, Jo Dyer enters the competition as number two seed and Lauren Watson-Steele as number four. Both have byes to the second round.
Singles matches begin on Monday 10 July, with the men’s doubles first round also opening up that evening and the women’s doubles the following afternoon.
Jersey’s men’s doubles pairing of Stuart Parker and Scott Weaver are number one seeds in that event, with the Guernsey pairing of Rob West and Patrick Ogier ranked four.
West and Ogier will face Brekku and Dahl form the Faroe Islands in their opening match.
Guernsey have two unseeded pairings in the Ladies’ Doubles.
Coutanche and Hutchins will face the Isle of Wight pairing of Bateman and Stephenson in the opening round. Barker and Watson-Steele have a bye and have been drawn against Aland’s Friman and Ringbom in the quarters.
Guernsey have the top seeds in the mixed doubles in West and Dyer and their opening opponents will be from Cayman or the Isle of Man.
The men’s and women’s singles finals are at 9am on Friday 14 July.
The doubles finals take place at 11.30am and the mixed doubles finals at 2pm.
All tennis matches are being held at the Guernsey Tennis Centre, Longcamps. It is free to attend.
Pictured top: Rob West.
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