Four Southend tennis players have made it through to the regional finals of a major national tennis tournament sponsored by a luxury car maker.

Sue Blackshaw, Pat Townsley, Linda Vaughan and Sue Hookway will represent the area at the regional final of the Lexus Tennis Championship 2000 at Queens Club in London.

They fought their way through at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre yesterday in an American doubles tournament where all players enter as individuals and play rotate partners.

The local event was sponsored by Hadleigh Lexus and involved local players, customers of the Eastern Avenue centre and members of local tennis clubs.

If the local quartet make it through to the regional finals, where they will be representing Hadleigh Lexus, they will play in the national finals at Queens Club in April.

It is the first time that the Japanese car manufacturer has organised the championship and Lex are hoping to make the tournament an annual event.

Linda Vaughan - played her way through to the regional finals at Queens Club in London

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Junior event set for return to Southend

The popular Southend Winter Series Junior Tournament could be making a return to the town this year.

Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre had hosted the event in 1996/97, 1997/98 and 1998/99, but the tournament was switched to Essex LTA's headquarters at Redbridge this year.

This week the LTA confirmed plans to return the competition to Garons Park and possibly expand it to include Redbridge and Earls Colne in north Essex.

"We intend to bring it back to Southend," said county development officer Colin Clay. "We want it to go ahead because it is a great tournament."

Mr Clay said Essex LTA had been in contact with Tony Connolly, who organised the first three tournaments, with a view to staging the event at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in 2000/01.

"It is certainly possible that the tournament will return to Southend - perhaps as part of an increased series - but nothing is definite yet," said Mr Connolly.

He claimed the original switch to Redbridge came after the centre raised court fees and it was decided these were too high, despite negotiation.

However, the county LTA claimed they offered to finance the whole tournament if Mr Connolly was willing to continue to organise it. Essex claimed Mr Connolly declined the offer.

The tournament was designed to give youngsters ers from beginners to experienced players the chance to play in the normally barren winter months and gain LTA rating points.

Elsewhere, Westcliff players Ian Pitt and John Drum will be joined by Charles Hassell And Derek Croll to represent Essex in the National Inter County Over 60 Tournament at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on March 14.

Thorpe Bay's junior first team beat the club's seconds by eight events to nil in the Essex Junior League.

The winning team consisted of Nima Sadar, James Bourne, Alan Bell and Matthew Reid.

Thorpe Bay coach John Lee praised both teams for a good performance in appaling weather conditions.

One commentator said the fact the juniors were playing in heavy rain emphasised the lack of indoor tennis facilities available nationally.

Westcliff Lawn ladies hosted their counterparts from Westcliff Hardcourts in Division One of the Essex Winter League.

Tracey Chesher, Fiona Stone, Stephanie Rodrigues and Brenda Corlett made up the Hard team which drew 2-2 with their local rivals.

Lawn were represented by Diana Carradus, Hazel Wynn, Karen Rivers and Lindsay Watt.

Basildon tennis player Helen Crook has just returned from playing in America and is in action this week in the $15,000 event being held at Redbridge.

Helen failed to get through qualifying for the singles but is still competing in the doubles with her regular tennis partner Veronica Davies.

Hockley's Kevin Eley has teamed up with All England Club member Ann Driver to contest The Times Open Mixed Tournament.

The pair - who also belong to a Surrey-based club - will compete in the semi-finals at Telford on February 27.

Leigh and Westcliff League

Triumph gives Invicta a welcome boost

Invicta came up trumps in Men's Division Five when they beat second-placed Westcliff Hardcourts 4-0.

The win moved Invicta three points clear of Westcliff Lawn, while the division's leaders Thorpe Bay picked up a maximum when Wickford were unable to field a team.

Men's results

Division One: Westcliff Lawn v Thorpe Bay 4-0.

Division Two: Thorpe Bay 2 v Westcliff Lawn 2 4-2, Invicta v Thorpe Bay 2 2-3, Hockley v Wickford 4-0.

Division Three: Southend Lawn v Westcliff Hard 3 4-1.

Division Four: Wickford 2 v Thorpe Bay 3 2-3.

Division Five: Invicta 3 v Westcliff Hard 4 4-0, Thorpe Bay 4 v Wickford 3 4-0.

Division Six: Hadleigh Park 2 v Thorpe Bay 5 3-2, Rochford v Hadleigh 2 4-1.

Hardcourts' soft cushion

Westcliff Hardcourts kept a three-point cushion over Kent Elms in Ladies' Division One after both recorded victories.

Thorpe Bay moved to within three points of Westcliff Lawn after beating the Westcliff team 4-1.

Ladies' results

Division One: Thorpe Bay v Westcliff Lawn 4-1, Kent Elms v Hadleigh Park 4-0, Westcliff Hard v leigh 4-1.

Division Two: Rayleigh v Westcliff Hard 2 4-0.

Division Three: Westcliff Lawn 2 v Thorpe Bay 2 2-4, Hadleigh Park 2 v Invicta 1-4.

Division Four: Hockley 2 v leigh 3 4-0.

Flatt's not on!

Invicta's second team fielded an ineligible player in Barbara Flatt when they played Kent Elms' thirds.

Barbara had previously played four times in the higher divisions, but the walkover handed to Kent Elms made no difference to the result as Barbara and her partner, John Matthews, had already lost in straight sets.

It was the first time out this year for the whole of the Southend Lawn third team in Division Five and they performed in style to beat Westcliff Hard 4-1.

Mixed results

Division Three: Westcliff Hard 2 v Westcliff lawn 2 4-0, Leigh 2 v Thorpe Bay 2 0-4, Kent Elms 3 v Invicta 2 4-1 .

Division Five: Southend lawn 3 v Westcliff Hard 4 4-1.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.