Favourite Minter triumphs at Frinton (From Gazette)

Favourite Minter triumphs at Frinton

10:04am Tuesday 15th July 2008 in Tennis news

Home favourite Colin Minter was among the winners at the 33rd international veterans tournament in Frinton.

He triumphed in the men's singles over-55s category with a one-sided 6-1, 6-1 success against Australian Laurence Le-Roy.

It was a special moment for the Frinton ace, who also won the men's over-55 doubles in tandem with Graham Goodall.

Fellow Frinton player Ken Bate battled through to the final of the over-70s category but went down 6-3, 6-3 to Suffolk's Dave Garman.

However, the pair joined forces to win the men's over-70s doubles.

Frinton club manager Kim Willetts told the Gazette: "The courts played amazingly well, despite all the rain that had gathered on them in recent weeks.

"At one point a while back there were big question marks about whether our competitions could take place this summer, but thankfully there were no problems and we managed to complete every event - with the finals taking place on Saturday."

There was plenty of high-quality tennis as 194 players from 12 countries competed in the prestigious event at the Holland Road ground.

The stakes were high as ITF world-ranking points were up for grabs and American James Slonac beat defending champion and number one seed Danny Ward in the men's over-35s event, 6-3, 6-2.

Nigel Mann beat Gary Payton 3-6, 7-6, 10-5 in a men's over-45 thriller, while Essex player Neil Taylor - the number one seed - enjoyed a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Brian Roberts in the over-50s.

Cambridgeshire's number two seed Bob Harrower won the over-60s, beating Graham Birch 6-2, 6-2, and American Richard Klein, from New Mexico, was victorious against Brian Brown in the over-65s (6-0, 6-4).

In the men's over-75s, Charles Hassell squeezed past Derek Croll 6-7, 6-3, 11-9, while Hampshire's Brian Coyne won the round-robin event for over-80s.

Local favourites reached the latter stages of the ladies' events.

Colchester's Julie Sexton made it to the over-40s final, but lost out to Jo Bond.

Jill Crown, also from Colchester, won the over-50s competition after a 6-3, 6-3 success against Gwyneth Hartnett, while Jill Felstead - from Frinton - lost 6-2, 7-6 in the final to Willy Baks, from the Netherlands.

Anne Williams, from Kent, beat Pauline Barnett in the over-70s event, 7-5, 6-1.

Crown enjoyed a second success in the over-50s mixed doubles when she triumphed alongside brother Nick.

Next up at Frinton is the men's $15K and ladies' $10K Futures event, which will take place this week, with the finals being staged on Saturday.