Duo retain Woolton Hill tennis championships after thrilling final

Hermione Sheldon and Ollie White claimed the final trophy of Woolton Hill Tennis Club’s Covid-delayed 2020 club championships by winning the mixed doubles final against Alison Whitehorn and Roland Gardner last Sunday.

Whitehorn and Gardner were conceding several years to their more youthful opponents and were very much the underdogs going into the match. The first set was competitive, and a strong start by the holders was matched by a succession of close games going the way of Whitehorn and Gardner as they reduced a 4-0 deficit, but only to end up losing the set 6-4.

The second set was over much more quickly as the class of Sheldon and White shone through, and if the 6-0 score did not do full justice to the efforts of Whitehorn and Gardner, it was indicative of the gulf in class and a fair reflection of Sheldon and White’s superiority throughout the match, as they retained the trophy they won in 2019.