More than 50 players compete in the Learning Disability National Tennis Championships
• 2 MINUTE READ
Silksworth Tennis Centre in Sunderland played host to the LTA’s Learning Disability National Tennis Championships last weekend, as over 50 players headed to the North East to compete in the 17th Learning Disability National Tennis Championships from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 November.
Comprising of both singles and doubles, competitors were entered into different divisions depending on their level of ability, playing their matches using either yellow, green or orange tennis balls.
Luke Turnbull (West Sussex), Joshua Kerr (South West), Ronan Cacace (West Sussex), Aidan Moody (West Sussex) and Oliver Beadle (Essex) were the GB National Squad players competing in the tournament.
The results from the tournament were as follows:
Yellow Ball Singles
Division 1
Oliver Beadle
Luke Turnbull
Aidan Moody
Division 2
Matthew Copley
Jack Disckson
Laura Campbell
Division 3
Jamie Kearns
Ciaran Bevan
Samuel Dale
Division 4
Greg Coultas
Paul Godfrey
Mark Cooper
Yellow Ball Doubles
Division 1
Oliver Beadle & Luke Turnbull
Matthew Brough & Ronan Cacace
Aidan Moody & Max Mundy
Division 2
Keigan Freeman-Hacker & Laura Campbell
Matthew Copley & Jack Dickson
Blake Cuthbertson & Dominic Hubner
Division 3
Ciaran Bevan & Samuel Dale
Peter Joseph Norton & Darrell Stark
Mark Cooper & Paul Godfrey
Green Ball Singles
Women Singles Division 1
Lucy Porteous
Sophie Widdowson
Emily Clarke
Women Singles Division 2
Catherine Cook
Grace Stockdale
Kathryn Tremane
Men Division 1
Aidan Bennett
Darrell Stark
Ashley Hawkins
Men Division 2
William Farrow
Alexander Hopkinson
Thomas Sewell
Men Division 3
Cameron Long
Steven Harris
Luke Dibenga
Green Ball Doubles
Doubles Division 1
Aidan Bennett & Ashley Hawkins
Alexander Hopkinson & Thomas Sewell
Lucy Porteous & Sophie Widdowson
Doubles Division 2
Emily Clarke & Grace Stockdale
Catherine Cook & Alice Carter Swallow
Cameron Long & A Volunteer
Orange Ball
Women Singles
Shannon Bennett
Emma Birley
Jane Weatherhead
Men Singles
Joseph Scott
John Byrne
Paul Griffin
Doubles
Joseph Scott & Shania Scott
John Byrne & Emma Birley
Paul Griffin & Jane Weatherhead
For a full list of results, please click here
Speaking about the event, LTA Tournament Director Christine Randall-Klee said:
“The Learning Disability National Championships were a joy to be a part of.
“The matches were competitive, and the players all displayed such great sportsmanship throughout. I’d like to thank them, along with Silksworth Tennis Centre, the team of Officials and volunteers who made the event run so smoothly.
“The National event, as well as Regional events throughout the year, shows how fully inclusive tennis can be. I hope that it encourages others to pick up a racket and join in. The event means so much to the players taking part where they can not only test themselves in a competitive environment, but also meet old and new friends alike.”
Learning disability tennis is part of the LTA’s Open Court programme, which is one of the biggest disability-specific sports development programmes in the country.
The programme is delivered at a local level made up of a collaboration of key partners actively promoting and delivering opportunities for disabled people to get involved in tennis through a customer focused approach.
The main option provided is disability specific sessions such as; learning disability tennis, wheelchair tennis, visually impaired tennis and deaf tennis. To find out more, please click here.
