It took a long time but Samantha Fearnley’s second ladies singles championship at Dalkeith tennis club was well worth waiting for.
The left-hander, who last won the title as a teenager in 1989, emerged victorious from one of the finest ladies’ matches in recent memory at the Eskbank Road courts when she beat defending champion Lorna Lettice 6-3, 6-2 in a high tempo final.
Despite the score the number of points won was almost identical for each player in the first set and the close confrontation continued.
High quality tennis was served up by both players who kept striking the ball from corner to corner with astonishing accuracy, creating a succession of long rallies. Lorna’s sliced forehands and backhands were not quite as powerful as Sam’s, with the new champion also making her opponent race to cover drop shots and acutely angled drives.
The result carried on a proud family tradition. Sam’s father Bill is a former men’s singles champion at the Club and is now its Honorary President.
There is a new name on the men’s honours board after 27-year-old Gareth Stewart from Gorebridge beat last year’s seniors’ winner David Dowell 6-1, 6-3 in the final.
Off to a flyer with a 5-0 lead, Gareth cruised through the first set and led 2-0 before David levelled things at 2-2, then 3-3, before the younger man stepped up a gear to take his first DLTC title. This was only the second season at the club for Gareth, who works in environmental health for Borders Council.
Many times men’s doubles champions Graeme Forbes and Phil Richardson were toppled in the final by Bill Fleming and Dowell 6-4, 6-3.
In the mixed doubles final, Sam Fearnley made it a daily double by teaming up with Grahame Forbes to retain their title with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Michael Roarty and Lorna Lettice.
