Tennis: the Glanvill Cup

Thursday 10 July: our last day at Queenswood, where compared to the last 4 days, it's practically a day for tanning, as surprise of all surprises it's NOT raining! The irony in all this, is that the tournament organisers have put our match indoors today!

We had Donald Crawford coming in at number 4 against Cheltenham College! After losing the 1st game, Donald managed to get his nerves and his game under control and ran out to a 3-1 lead before his much taller opponent withdrew. Next up Patrick Baker at number 3, who raced to a 6-0 lead. The fast indoor surface suiting his big serve and volley game, Patrick's confidence grew with every point and he was able to close out the second set 6-3! 2-0 Merchiston. It was now time for the Jasper show! What a show of power hitting it was too! Jasper used his big forehand to destroy his opponent's game. At times, unfortunately, he was unable to find the court often enough going down 6-4 6-2.

The Cheltenham team, obviously intimidated by the size of our number 1 player, Stewart, came up with an excuse of not being able to see the ball indoors and requested that the match be played outside on the slower clay courts in an attempt to negate his big game. The referee eventually made the call that the match be played indoors. After another 40 minute delay the referee again changed his mind and said the match should be played outside. What a frustrating waste of time... Anyway, Stewart needed no further motivation to go out, and in a completely one sided affair Stewart won 6-2 6-2 and dealt Merchiston another ace to lead the match 3-1. Patrick and Stewart then teamed up at number 1 doubles with Jasper and Donald at number 2. Jasper and Donald went down 6-0 7-5 making a very good fight back from 5-2 down in the second set once again putting all the pressure on the number one pair. Having pulled through in tough matches under pressure the whole week, Stewart and Patrick were well up to the task once again in closing out the rubber 7-6, 5-7, 10-4. It was a well deserved win in a match with so many momentum swings it was difficult to call a winner. So with 11th place well and truly secured it was off to the airport and back to Edinburgh.

Wednesday 9 July: Just when we thought the weather couldn't possibly get worse...it did! We woke to a constant steady drizzle and cold biting wind! Not conducive to tennis. The miserable south African coach had to find an umbrella for himself while the players warmed up for the delayed start match! Jasper, Patrick and Hamish playing 2,3, and 4 respectively fought hard against tough opponents but all went down in the end! Only Patrick, who started slowly in the match, had any real chance with 4 set points in the second set but could not take any! Stewart then put on the big show hammering his opponent 6-2 6-0, instilling much needed confidence in his younger team mates! With a few tweaks and changes from the utterly frozen and now wet and grumpy coach, the doubles combinations went on to attempt a come back from 1-3 down in the match. Stewart, playing with Hamish, put on a masterful display of power and court craft to win 6-4 6-2. Hamish played very well when needed and often set up the points for Stewart to finish them off 3-2 down with Jasper and Patrick on the court alongside gaining ascendency in the 2nd set having lost the 1st after squandering yet another set point! The match tie break turned out to be a tightly fought affair but ultimately the Merchiston boys went down 10-7. It was a well contested day in atrocious conditions and the boys have a lot to be proud of today. Looking forward to the 11th and 12th play off on the last day with a cheery weather forecast lined up. Maybe the coach won't be so grumpy!

Tuesday 8 July: On another miserably wet morning, the 'heavy cavalry' rode  into town on the 10.23 from Stevenage! This was no mean feat, with Stewart having begged or borrowed money to join his peers in Queenswood! Nonetheless, in cheerful spirits and bright yellow hair he turned up to post a crushing victory at number 1 against Loughborough Grammar 6-2, 4-6, 10-5! This win levelled the match at 2-2 after the singles! Patrick Baker had earlier won playing very crafty attacking tennis at number 3 for Merchiston, while the Gonella brothers both struggled for intensity and lost against their respective opponents at number 2 and 4. The brothers then teamed up in the doubles going down 6-0 6-1 in quick time. This placed all the pressure on the shoulders of Patrick and Stewart playing on the court alongside! Having lost the 1st set 6-4, the boys upped their intensity and focus to win the 2nd set  6-3! They then went on to win the match tie break 10-7 to level the tie at 3 matches each! Loughborough Grammar made a tactical change to combat the aggressive serve and volley strategy of our doubles players which played right into Merchiston's hands. Our boys lept to a 6-3 lead in the first to ten point match tie break shoot out! At 8-6 Patrick played an amazing return point from the deuce court to all but seal the victory for Merchiston! Stewart put the finishing touches to a nerves of steel performance from the two boys with a well placed bomb of a serve to finish off 10-6 winners!

Monday 7 July: Jasper and Hamish Gonella, Patrick Baker, Donald Crawford played against Millfield in the first round of the Glanvill cup on a very wet rainy first day of competition! Donald, playing number 4, battled well going down 6-1 6-0 against a much bigger older opponent. Hamish played solid tennis from the baseline but went down 6-3 6-1 also against an older Millfield boy!

After yet another rain break, Jasper and Patrick went on for their matches! Jasper playing at number 1 lost 6-2 6-0 against a 2.1 rating player, which was a great experience for him. Patrick, at number 2 played a great match losing the 1st set 4-6 after leading 4-3. An untimely rain interruption broke his momentum and he was unable to capitalise on his slight lead. Patrick then exploded into the 2nd set ripping passing shots from all parts of the court to lead 5-2. His older opponent with a 3.2 rating wisely changed his game which upset Patrick's rhythm and he was unable to close out the set, despite having 3 set points, losing it 7-5.

Despite going down 4-0, the merchiston boys were heartened by their performance on the day and look forward to the arrival of the heavy cavalry in the form of Stewart Crerar!

Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh, James McKie beat the number 4 seed at the ITF event in Edinburgh.