County Week

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

County Week

Kenneth · Lower Club Player

It's a strange one is County week. Think they should do it but not in its current and quite outdated format. Should definitely have singles in there and maybe less counties as some are ridiculously week, especially in the women's groups.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

If they put singles in, it would be just like the winter county cup and why have 2 competitions in one year which are just the same. I think what attracts the players is that it is just doubles, weather permitting it is on grass, is very traditional and so is different from their 'everyday tennis life'. Counties find it much harder to attract players for the winter indoor format than this summer jamboree (but maybe that's just the weather..). I agree some counties are very weak but I doubt any of them would want to be diluted by being lumped in with another one. A lot depends on the wealth of the county rather than the talent within it. Much easier to get a team out if you are paying for meals, hotels and transport than if your players have to fund themselves in any or all of those categories.

I mentioned in the Dublin thread (it did sort of fit in with the conversation - honest!) some of the women taking part who might otherwise have been expected to show up in pro events. The equivalent names for the men are Ryan Peniston, Nick Nugent, Ben Draper, Mark Whitehouse, Tom Hands, Matt Storey, Joe Woolley, Dominic Beesley, Barnaby Smith, Piers Foley, Vinny Gillespie, Jonny O'Mara, Dan Bennett, Pierre Luiggi, Jamie Praditngam, Marcus Walters plus as mentioned above a good smattering of the recently retired, juniors and college players.

seagull · Hall of fame

West Worthing club is just round the corner from me so popped down after work yesterday. Didn't expect to see Jonny O'Mara there playing in Div 4!

Kenneth · Lower Club Player

I suspect some counties even pay some of the players

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

hmmm I'm not sure if they pay, otherwise there would be more guys like Jonny playing. The players I know from a few different counties don't get paid.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Nice to Oli Golding playing tennis winning some and loosing some. A couple of the US college girls doing well both having had success this year at very different institutions Emily Arb + (NCAA team runner up) and Jasmine Ashgar + (US community college champion) both unbeaten in all their rubbers in group 1. Their teams Hertfordshire and Surrey play each other today.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Thursday 27th of July 2017 07:13:37 AM

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Thursday 27th of July 2017 07:14:30 AM

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Thursday 27th of July 2017 07:14:53 AM

the addict · Tennis legend

Final results are starting to come in.
Some ladies results

Group 1 Kent ahead of Hetfordshire. Emily Arbuthnot/ Amanda Elliot were 12/12 and Jasmine Ashgar was 11/13. But Naomi Cavaday 10/12 and Nell Miller 10/13 were top scorers for Kent

Group 2 Norfolk and Essex both promoted to Group 1. Top players - Aimee Gibson (Essex) 14/15, Olivia Nicholls (Norfolk) 13/13, Eden Solva (Essex) 11/11
Group 3 Northumberland and Sussex. I don't recognise many of the names, but Lisa Whybourn (Cambs) 11/14
Group 4 Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. Sarah Wright 12/12, several won 12/15
Group 5
Group 6 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Alicia Barnett/Laura Eales combining for 15/15
Group 7 Northamptonshire and Cumbria.

Edit - Group 1 added

-- Edited by the addict on Friday 28th of July 2017 08:00:16 PM

paulisi · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
West Worthing club is just round the corner from me so popped down after work yesterday. Didn't expect to see Jonny O'Mara there playing in Div 4!

Jonny's team were promoted.

the addict · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
seagull wrote:
West Worthing club is just round the corner from me so popped down after work yesterday. Didn't expect to see Jonny O'Mara there playing in Div 4!
Jonny's team were promoted.

Not surprisingly, Jonny was 12/12, playing with Vincent Gillespie who was 15/15 (partnered by Jason David Barnett today)

seagull · Hall of fame

Shame. I went down yesterday and their team were by far the most annoying.

The Realist · Junior player

There have been rumours of a few counties paying players but believe this is the exception rather than the rule. Tennis can be a lonely intense sport and most players I know love the more relaxed ( but still extremely competitive) atmosphere of team competition and have pride in representing their counties, as well as a chance to play on grass. The LTA used to allocate an amount to each county to cover expenses for all County Cup competitions, both senior and junior, but am not sure if this is still the case. Most counties will pay the players accommodation and travel expenses and some, but not all, also pay for evening meals. There are now some ranking points available, but all the players that I know simply play County Week for the love of the game

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

It's everything that is hard to find for aspiring players in British tennis; the pressure of performing for a team, the encouragement and support of a team environment, a big social side to the week, physically really demanding (3 x 3-set matches for 5 consecutive days), the chance to rub shoulders with players from a variety of career stages (other juniors, coaches, recently or longer retired players and those still plying their trade). I can really understand why so many block it out in their diaries.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

seagull wrote:
Shame. I went down yesterday and their team were by far the most annoying.

In what way??

seagull · Hall of fame

The Optimist wrote:
seagull wrote:
Shame. I went down yesterday and their team were by far the most annoying.
In what way??

Chatting to team mates on court next to them, screaming at the top of their voices, moaning about bad bounces and the strong wind and basically acting like jerks.