* Category B Open Championships (Level Singles for Handicaps 10-19) 2023

Group 1 fell into order according to handicap, although Chris Aley was playing superbly and Vaughan Hamilton worried for the best part of their set. Mike Henman pulled off some memorable shots and may have done better if his legs matched his talent, and Jack Josephs has proven he has the potential to be a top player with the help of Nick Wood’s tutorage.

Group 2 was a different matter. Henry Henman won it comfortably (on paper, although his opponents didn’t let him have it all his own way. Ben Hudson, visiting from Boston USA looked like a quality player, but in his first match, he was taken by surprise by Alexander Hume who played out of his skin. Ben went on to win two out of his 4 games but his fate was left in the hands of Josh King. Alexander Hume a nail-biting match against Alex Machin, which Hume narrowly lost after taking a tumble. He came back on Sunday a little bit sore and Josh King put in his best performance of the tournament to send Ben through to the finals of the 15-19 Final.

In the 15-19 Final, Ben Hudson played the runner-up from 2022, James Medlow, who had put in solid performances throughout his group, notably pushing Henry Henman close in their rubber. Ben settled down the quickest, and for the first time in the tournament, we saw some of the quality that he was capable of. He won the first set 6/3. James fought back though and narrowly won 6/5 in the second. Ben had put all his effort into winning in two straight sets. A combination of momentum and fitness saw James take the final set, but both players can be proud of the exhibition they put on for the crowd.

Runner-up of the 10-14s in 2022, Henry Henman, played the 2022 winner of the 15-19s, Vaughan Hamiton. Vaughan was the favourite according to handicap and recent form, but he didn’t look as relaxed as he had been last year when he was the underdog. Henry, who can sometimes play like a 16-year-old, was focused like I have never seen him before. He was relentless in his retrieval, his shot selection showed a mature combination of composure and controlled aggression; he played like a champion. Vaughan will be disappointed to have lost in two sets, but nobody would have envied playing Henry in that form.

Congratulations to Henry and James, our two champions; they both played incredibly well and deserved to win. Thank you to all of our entrants… we always appreciate the effort it takes to get to the deepest darkest Dorset. There was barely a match that didn’t feel close thanks to the superb standard of Tennis and the effort that went into every rest. And finally Thank you to the T&RA for all their support and for sponsoring the Category B.

Jez Brodie