Tennis News:

 
Haverfordwest Tennis Club players brought home not one but two titles from Wimbledon in August as Val Alder and Jeremy Cross were competing in the singles and doubles competitions at the British Masters Grass Court Closed Championships at SW19.
 
Seeded third in the women’s over 75s singles, Val enjoyed a superb 6-2 6-2 victory against Gillian Clayton to set up a quarter-final against Rosemary Wilson.

Val edged the first set 7-5 before dropping the second by the same scoreline, and after the best part of four hours on court in 38 degrees, triumphed 6-4 in the third.
 
Number one seed and eventual winner Marjory Love awaited in the semi-final, with Val defeated 6-1 6-2, but she would enjoy revenge in the doubles.

 

Val is victorious in the doubles

 

Val again teamed up with Rosemary Hursell, with whom she won the British Open Masters Clay Court Championships doubles title in Bournemouth earlier this year.
 
The pair backed up a convincing 6-0 6-0 win over Sandra Ayres and Sally Parsonage with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Jane Ling and Rosemary Wilson to secure their place in the final against number one seeds Marjory Love and Christine Windmill.

Val and Rosemary lost the first set 6-3 before fighting back to claim the second 7-5. They then stormed to the over 75s title by winning the championship tie-break 10-1.

“Rose and I were buzzing for days after,” said Val.
 
“It was an unexpected win against the top seeds, both Great Britain players, especially after we saved three match points in the second set.”

Val’s outstanding season will see her travel to Crete in October having been selected to represent Great Britain.

 

Jeremy misses out in singles final . . .

 

Jeremy headed back to the All England Club as the reigning singles and doubles champion, but was this year playing in the over 50s in singles and over 40s in doubles.

Seeded number two, he began his singles campaign with victory over Richard Evans (who was forced to retire) before beating Terry Coles 6-3 6-4.

He then edged Laurent Wels 6-4 6-4 before coming up against Great Britain team mate and top seed Nick Adams in the final.

Nick won 6-2 6-0 to end Jeremy’s singles hopes for 2026, but like Val, success was to follow in the doubles.
 

. . . But bounces back in the doubles

 

Playing down two age groups, Jeremy partnered Adam Popowicz and the pair endured a tough opening round, having to beat Gavin Mason and Stephen Wright 11-9 in a third set tie-break to progress.

The drama continued in the semi-final with another championship tie-break needed to get past Ricki Foster and Adam Tapp.

Number one seeds Peter Hall and Jordan Miles awaited in the final and Jeremy and Adam enjoyed a much more comfortable victory with the final scoreline 6-2 6-2.

“It was lovely to win another doubles,  I can say I’m British champion again and in two age groups down, which is great,” said Jeremy.

“It was a complete surprise because I hadn’t planned doubles. At the last minute my friend Adam, who I know from my Leicestershire county days 20 years ago, asked me to play and I thought it would be fun.

“We were unseeded so we had no expectations. We saved a match point in the first round, and then beat the top seeds in the final, which was great.”