Gallant women's tennis team win silver
Monday 18 March 2013
The venue for this occasion, Chingford’s Connaught Club, the setting, four US Open style hard courts ready to witness to UEL’s very first taste of cup final competition. Royal Holloway, who compete in two divisions higher than UEL, were the overwhelming favourites for this cup final especially being an institution steeped in tennis and sporting tradition. Despite the odds being heavily in the favour of the opposition this was not going to spoil what was already a historic day for the University of East London, with 6 teams competing in BUCS Cup finals across the England’s south east region.
To the match it’s self, play got under way with the four singles matches and the early signs were ominous, barely an hour gone and in three out of the four singles matches UEL were already a set down. The pre-match favourites Royal Holloway were in rampant mood but on court 3 an epic encounter was brewing, with an hour gone the first set was still in the balance going all the way to the lottery that is the tie break. This tie break ebbed and flowed throughout but some inspired attacking net play from UEL’s Melissa Mussington saw her take the tie break 8 points to 6 with the first set lasting an hour and a quarter. Into the second and it was clear that the outcome of the first was crucial with Mussington growing in confidence finishing points with thunderous forehands and elegant net play. She went on to earn UEL their first rubber of the day wrapping up the second set comprehensively, 6-2.
The other matches had yielded no success for UEL, with the overall score at the halfway stage being 6-2 with just the doubles to play. The girls from UEL needed to pull something big out of the bag needing to win both doubles matches to put the scores level and force the cup tie into a shoot out. With the first doubles match underway the heavens opened and halted play, after some tactical discussions with UEL tennis coach Tony Brown and the match moving indoors the ladies were all set for play to try and save the tie.
It was a valiant effort buy the ladies captain Charlie Wyatt-Lown and her partner Emily Green but Royal Holloway were ultimately just too strong and ran out convincing winners 6-2 6-1. This result gave the opposition an unassailable lead and meant Royal Holloway were the 2012-13 BUCS Conference cup champions. This was the UEL tennis team’s first taste of championship match experience and considering their opposition were two divisions above them they could certainly claim to have been ‘Triumphant in Defeat’.
Important News
Useful Links
For information on UEL student and staff membership prices click here
