Tennis: Nail-biting promotion for CI Ladies in County Cup

Monday 29 July 2024

The Channel Islands ladies tennis team will play at a higher level next season after being promoted from their group in the LTA Summer County Cup.

Competing in a doubles-based week-long competition on the grass courts of The Northern Lawn Tennis Club in Lancashire, they topped Oxfordshire, Shropshire and Bedfordshire in the standings.

Team member Sonia Smith said: “It was a fantastic event, we had a really great experience and everyone contributed to the team’s efforts”.

The ladies began by securing a 5-4 victory over Bedfordshire, before losing 4-5 to Devon.

Oxfordshire came next on day three, and again one match separated things, but this time it was in the CI team’s favour.

The final day saw the CI team come up against Shropshire knowing that a win would guarantee promotion.

The contest came down a tiebreaker in the final match.

Antonia Sokic and Jo Dyer were felled 10-8, the marathon match finishing in just under two hours.

However, the heartbreak was not to last long for the CI squad as they were informed that based on the results of the other team’s matches, they had secured promotion.

Speaking of the success, Smith continued: “We’ve got a really strong team at the moment.

“Last year was the most successful year ever for ladies tennis on Jersey, we won the inter-insular competition against Guernsey, and then we topped the medal tables in the Island Games.

“Five of our eight competing players in this county cup were part of that Island Games team, we then had some of the best Guernsey players and some new blood to bolster the team.”

“I think, the last time we got promoted was when Heather Watson, who’s now a professional tennis player, was playing for us, so that shows you the level we have right now.”

She also attributed their promotion to the positive team culture: “It’s not just individual performances , they are important of course, but we’re all good friends.

“Most of us train together, and even the Guernsey girls, we see them regularly in the inter-insulars and other events like this.

“So we are all very bonded, and I think that helps as a team.”

CI Ladies: Natasha Forrest (Jersey), Eva Hurst (Jersey), Antonia Sokic (Jersey), Joanna Dyer (Guernsey), Sonia Smith (Jersey), Emily Frost (Jersey, Imogen Wegerer (Guernsey), Noel Hurst (Jersey).