​Crowds enjoy show-stopping Rostrevor Tennis Club Finals in Kilbroney Park

​Sunday July 20 saw the finals of the Rostrevor Tennis Club tournament with plenty of scintillating tennis on display in Kilbroney Park.

Ladies Plate

In the Ladies Plate final, Rostrevor’s Gill Capocciama and Anne Greer battled hard against Rathfriland’s Kate Butler and Anne Heslip. They took the first set 6-4. They had chances in the second, but it went to Kate and Anne, 6-4. The Rostrevor pair held their nerve and took a nail-biting championship tie-break 10-8.

Ladies Final

In the Ladies main final, Warrenpoint veterans, Alison Dunne and Deidre Dinsmore, took on Newry’s best rising stars in Jennifer McGuinness and Beth McEvoy. Jennifer and Beth were hitting the strongest baseline forehands and serves but they were not as experienced as their opponents as a doubles team and Deidre and Alison played to their strengths – Deidre hugging the net and Alison the baseline. They were happy to play defensive tennis until they drew an error or until Deidre could put away a short ball. Great ball striking on both sides of the net. Deidre and Alison won 6-1, 6-1.

Men’s Plate

In the Men’s Plate, Rostrevor’s Chris Gibbons and Phil Jeffries faced off against Newry’s Michael Reynolds and Russell Patterson. It was a tight match with Chris and Phil taking the first set 6-4. The Newry duo took an early lead in the second 3-0. They were pegged back to 3-2 and defended several breakback opportunities to go to 4-2 and to see out the set 6-2. They grew in confidence in the third and the error count was too high from Chris and Phil. Michael and Russell won, taking the final set 6-1. Russell claimed his first piece of silverware as champion. Newry Tennis Club will be hoping he doesn’t reconsider his leadership of the Club in favour of more silverware!

Men’s Doubles

The main final saw the Rostrevor brothers, Ardghal and Patrick McMahon take on Newry’s Giby Vettiankal and Shane McAteer. Giby and Shane are part of Newry’s All-Ireland Division A Champion’s team, 2025. They rarely play together but they are a formidable team. Patrick was always going to be the weak link. Having recently celebrated the birth of his third son, he is busy and sleep deprived. Brother Ardghal is one of the best county players but works in Dublin and spends more time on the Gaelic pitch than the tennis court. It was always going to be a challenge for the McMahon brothers. They had chances and there were some terrific and highly entertaining rallies but Giby and Shane won 6-2, 6-1. The victory today for Giby represents a staggering 100 amateur tennis titles. No one else comes close.

Kilbroney Cup

The most competitive match was the Kilbroney Cup final, between Newry’s Michael Sands and Alex Staselovich, against Gary Hanratty and Conor Flannagan. All four hit the ball well and technically the best is veteran Michael Sands. An earlier life as an All-Ireland Gaelic player means court movement is not quite the same as the others, but Sands hits terrific serves and forehands and Alex is solid at the baseline and deadly at the net. Gary and Conor are baseliners and they lost the first set 6-2. They changed tactics in the second, Gary going for more angles and Conor braving some overheads as well as grinding down his opponents from the baseline. They took the second 6-1. A lead of 4-1 in the third was pegged back to 4-3, but they brought the trophy home with a final set victory 6-3.