Forty-two players. Seven coaches. Nine courts full of drama. We served up seven rounds of lung-busting rallies, feathered drop shots, and enough “yours!” “mine!” “leave it!” to power the floodlights. The net result? A barn-stormer that went down to the very last decimals.
Team Headlines (a.k.a. the Deuce News)
Champions: Coach Matt Smith’s side — calm, clinical, and clutch at the finish on 56.19% team wins. Ace debut energy.
Runners-up: Coach Harry Clifford’s crew — right in the mix on 51.85%. One more bounce and it’s a different story.
Third: Coach Ben Coupe’s team — a whisker ahead at 50.48%, edging a very congested middle pack. (Ryan Lambert and Tom Belton both clocked 50.00%.) Tight as new strings.
If you felt the tension, that’s because nearly everyone was hovering around the 50% mark. Margins thinner than a freshly gripped handle.
Individual Podium (bring your best trophy pose)
🥇 Louise Woods — 77.78%. Ice in the veins, silk in the hands. Our overall individual winner.
🥈 Celeste — 75.00%. Laser-guided returns and highlight-reel timing.
🥉 Ethan Brooks — 69.44%. Covered more court than a groundskeeper in April.
(Shout-outs, too, to the 66-ish percent club — Matt Smith, Chris Everton, Kit Circuit — breathing down the podium’s necks. You were one hot streak from confetti.)
Farewells, Hellos, and “See-you-soons”
Ryan Lambert’s last dance. Ryan, thank you for the coaching, the calm under pressure, and the jokes that were occasionally better than our second serves. Off to pastures new — go smash it. We’ll miss you (and keep a spare racket strung for guest appearances back at ISC).
Enter Matt Smith. New coach, new chapter — and if a 56.19% team win is the handshake, we like the grip. Welcome aboard, Matt.
From Chris: “This was my last day regularly organising Sundays. I suspect I’ll be gently ‘persuaded’ into the odd one — think of me as player/organiser on a rolling, pay-as-you-go contract.” No exit fee, maybe the odd bottle of honey rum. Thank you all so much for my card and gifts (you shouldn’t have). You are a great group, seeing you enjoy my organising has always been enough.
The Vibes, the Banter, the “Did-you-see-that?”
Stat of the Day: Seven rounds, 42 players, and approximately one million “yours!” calls that were totally “mine.” (Verified by absolutely no one, but spiritually true.)
Thank Yous (because every ace needs a cheering section)
To the coaches and captains who kept the line-ups humming, the players who left it all between the lines, and the supporters who supplied applause, ordered from the BBQ, and gave unsolicited tactical advice — you’re the reason these Sundays sing.
We weren’t just swinging rackets on the tennis courts — the club was buzzing like a stringer’s workshop. Alongside a cracking padel tournament, plenty of brave souls gave pickleball a whirl on the two courts (yes, it’s real, and no, it’s not just “tennis with a frying pan”).
Add in a few fiercely contested games of cornhole — where the beanbags flew straighter than some second serves — and the main event after a few for many 🍻 , the fastest serve challenge. Seventeen players stepped up, some barefoot, some a little too horizontal in their warm-up routine. Let’s just say the radar gun saw everything… results below.
What’s Next?
Sundays will stay social, competitive, and gloriously inclusive — exactly how ISC rolls.
Want in on Sunday’s 10 am to 12:30 pm action? Easy. Get yourself on the QC WhatsApp group — that’s where the magic happens. Each week a poll goes up, you tap “Yes,” and boom: you’re in faster than a double fault on a windy day.
Not on the group yet? Just send me your number and I’ll add you quicker than you can say “new balls please.”
Until the next “game-on” (and yes, I’ll probably be back to run a cheeky one now and then)…
Game, set, much love,
Chris Dearling
