This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

JO DYER and Megan Hearse nearly completed a remarkable achievement at Mini Wimbledon.

Held at St Martin’s Tennis Club over the same two weeks as the Wimbledon Champion-ships, the girls, who represented Guernsey at last summer’s Island Games in Rhodes, were entered into the open doubles event.

Competing against boys, the pair made it all the way to Saturday’s final but they could not quite make the last step to take the title as they narrowly lost to Oliver Shier and David Butler, with the match going to a tiebreak in the deciding set.

‘It was a brilliant, really close match that could have gone either way,’ said Dyer, 16 (pictured). ‘I’m glad we kept up with the boys.’

Played in a good spirit, Dyer and Hearse claimed the first set 7-5 before their opponents took the second 7-6.

Shier and Butler then held their nerve to win the third 9-7. Earlier in the day, Dyer had won the girls’ open singles title when she defeated Hearse 7-5, 6-2.

Shier was named the boys’ singles champion.

A total of 103 players entered Mini Wimbledon and one of the best  finals was the under-13 boys’, which went to Xander Barnes after he managed to get past Charlie Denton.

Barnes won the first set 6-5 before Denton hit back to claim the second 7-6.

Barnes bounced back to grab the decider 10-5.

‘That was a cracking game because the standard was very good,’ said organiser Geoff Martel.

‘Their serving was superb.’

Article posted on 7th July, 2008 - 2.29pm