Colchester and District individual tennis tournament finals take place

On the hottest day of the year, when even professional tennis players would be struggling, Karina Cordero embarked on an exhausting day's play where she contested all of the Open finals.

In the Ladies doubles, the teenage partnership of Lizzie Thompson and Amber Taylor proved too strong for Cordero and Musa Diaz, winning 6-1 6-1.

Cordero then went back on court for the Open ladies singles and in a game of long rallies and hard-fought points, she emerged a 6-3 6-1 winner over Shiho Main.

Next up was the Restricted Mixed doubles and Cordero was again victorious with her partner Robin Oakley, defeating Graham Pullen and Kajsa Birch 6-2 6-4.

Cordero then went on to partner Fungai Mvududo in the Open Mixed doubles, finishing after the trophy presentation with a 6-3 6-4 victory against Tom Perry and Isabella Snell.

Another player who was on court for much of the day was Steve Watchorn.

He started with a fine win in the Over 40s men's doubles partnering Peter Cook, who was contesting a final for the first time since 1994.

They beat Paul Kirk and Simon Reeves 6-2 6-2.

Watchorn then went on to defeat Graham Pullen 6-4 6-2 in the Restricted men's singles before winning the Married couples trophy with his wife, Edge, in a tight 6-4 6-4 victory over Adam and Helen Gadenne.

In the Open men's singles, 17-year-old Scott Bowman played some sparkling tennis to defeat Murray Lane 6-1 6-2 after earlier winning the Under 18 boys singles against Louis Gannon, 6-2 6-2.

Another notable achievement was that of Kate Evers who, driving from the New Forest, was caught up in a major traffic incident and arrived at 4.30pm.

After eight hours in the car she was straight on court to play Noriko Kelly and Takako Woods.

With her partner, Catherine Karr, she finally won in the fading light 6-4 5-7 6-4.

The longest match of the day was the Under 18 girls singles between Millie Davidson and Isabella Snell.

Lasting more than three and a half hours, Davidson came out on top, 5-7 7-5 7-5.

Andrew Knights and Pierre Smith were successful in the Open men's doubles beating Tom Perry and Daniel Cotton 6-2 6-4.

There were also victories for Christopher Frost in the over 40s men's singles and Katerina Novotna in the over 40s ladies singles.

Shiho Main and Soozi Moffat defeated fellow Frinton club members Natalie Grover and Julie Hamlet 6-4 6-1 in the over 40s ladies doubles.

In the Over 55s events, Fenella Pearey was successful with Anne Cosby and Colin Minter in the ladies and mixed doubles and Minter also won the men's doubles with David Binns.

The Restricted men's doubles was won by Ryan Mead and Sam Taylor and Joseph Villagordo came from a set down to beat Razvan Bulancea 2-6 6-2 6-2, in the under 16 boys' singles.