Thrilling one-point win decides 2016 Republic Bank Inter-club Tennis Championship

This year’s thrilling climax to the Republic Bank Inter-club tennis competition seemed to signal a return to the glory days of tennis as one of the most exciting and keenly competitive sports in Barbados.

Champions Summerhayes held their nerve and their serve to record their second victory in a row by a margin of just one point, playing in the final against the highly fancied Barbados Yacht Club team.

This followed their semi-final triumph over defending champions Paragon, in what was also a one-point nail biter.

In his congratulatory remarks following the action at the Wildey Tennis Centre, Darrell Wilson, Manager Retail Services, Speightstown & Limegrove Cluster of Republic Bank said while only one team could be crowned champion, tennis in Barbados was the clear winner in 2016.

The Barbados Yacht Club, a big-name from the heyday of tennis in Barbados, started as firm favourites having swept all before them – including Summerhayes – in the round robin phase en route to the final. It was however Summerhayes who, despite winning only three of the seven matches, prevailed on the points system by winning 43 games to their opponent’s 42.

After a day of thrilling tennis, it was the mixed doubles which would decide the championship. Summerhayes’ Preshant Nebhani and Kim Brandford came up against Yacht Club’s Joshua Worme and Donna Gibbs. Needing to win seven games from this set to give their team the title, Brandford and Nebhani started well, but faltered after Worme smashed his way to a break of serve to bring Yacht Club to within one game of the championship at 8-6. Worme had an opportunity to serve it out but Nebhani and Brandford held on to give Summerhayes the crucial seventh game.

In the lead-up to the decider, Summerhayes was propelled by outstanding performances in the men’s doubles from Martin Frost and Michael Date, and Kyle Frost and partner Russel Jones, while in the women’s doubles Ilana Blackwood and Marie-Jeanne Symmonds were outstanding for Summerhayes. Though losing their sets Sean Eteen, Judith St. John, and the team of Jane Steinbok and Caryl Pearson all gained crucial points for Summerhayes.

Summerhayes’ Llana Blackwood was named MVP of the tournament for her undefeated record in all eight matches played this season.