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RAOC Gazette - page 158

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Publication date 1981
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Transcription THE CORPS
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
H r: 1981 Corps Tennis Championships were held at the Royal
; rrshot Officers Club. Following so closely after Wimbledon
n is fervour was high and the number of entries was double
tat of 1980. It was pleasant to welcome Sergeants Davies and
L nderson who had come over from Northern Ireland, Sergeant
nijlh from BAOR who came back, yet again, to defend his
>pen Singles title, and to say hallo once more to Colonel Man
ntl Colonel Spackman from DSCS.
On the first day, and in glorious sunshine, the first and
;cond rounds of the Mens Open Singles and Doubles Cham-
ionships were played. With twenty players in the Singles and
i rteen pairs in the Doubles the eleven grass courts booked
the occasion were well utilised.
By lunch-time the Handicap Committee had completed its
>nerous (!) task of assessing individual performance and
lotential in preparation for the Mens and Ladies Handicap
)ouble events to be played during the afternoon. The number
T matches which subsequently went to three sets testified to the
ceuxacy of the handicaps. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Roach
nd Major John Rose, holders of the Mens Handicap Doubles
;up, were soon battling hard to defend their title and eventually
imaged to reach the final. Meanwhile Mrs Jean Roycroft and
/ s Jill Furness-Gibbon very closely beat Mrs Sheila Bruce
; J Mrs Fiona Dennison seven six, six four to reach the final of
h^ Ladies Handicap Doubles.
On the second day there was much excitement, with Sergeant
imith asserting his dominance in the Mens Singles semi final,
ind a hard fought match in the Open Mixed Doubles between
Jeutenant Colonel John WoodlifTe and Miss Jenny Woodliffe
tgainst Sergeant Smith and Mrs Fiona Dennison, which the
atter pair eventually won seven six, one six, six two. Staff
Sergeant Orszewski, in the Plate Competition, showed the
.•onsistency which he has developed during the season while
- aying for the Corps, by reaching the finals to be played
uainst Staff Sergeant Coulbeck. With nine competitive events
ra the go most players were well occupied throughout the day
out nevertheless some were able to take a brief respite from the
:ourts, in the club's open air swimming pool.
The newest recruit to the Corps side Staff Sergeant Orszewski
receiving his prize for winning the Plate Competition from Mrs
Stanyer with the Tournament Secretary Maior Noel Turner in
attendance.
On finals day the spectators started to arrive at 9 am. It
was pleasant to see so many present and past members of the
Corps there and in particular Major Bill Howard, who retired
some nineteen years ago and still did very well this year in the-
Handicap Singles and Doubles events.
After some excellent play in the Mens Open Singles Final
Sergeant Smith beat Lieutenant Colonel John Woodliffe six one,
six three. In the Ladies Open Singles Final Mrs Jane Futrell
beat Mrs Jean Roycroft six two, six one but Mrs Roycroft soon
had her revenge in the Ladies Handicap Doubles Final with her
partner Mrs Jill Furness-Gibbon, by beating Mrs Futrell and
Miss Jenny Woodlitfe six one, six four.
We were privileged to have Major General and Mrs Stanyer
and Brigadier and Mrs Carter as our official guests on finals
day. At the prize giving the Chairman of Corps Tennis, Colonel
Andrew Paviour, after welcoming them in his opening address,
said how delighted he was that so many people had turned out
this year. After commenting on the high standard of play he
mentioned that, with the Committee's approval, he had agreed
that the Ladies events would become open in 1932 to encourage
more wives and members of the WRAC to enter, also that
consideration was being given to staging the championships over
a weekend in future.
Mrs Stanyer then very kindly presented the prizes. The
prize winners were: Ladies Open Singles Event—Winner Mrs
Futrell and runner up Mrs Roycroft; Ladies Handicap Singles
Event—Winner Mrs Roycroft and runner up Mrs Bruce; Ladies
Handicap Doubles Event—Winners Mrs Roycroft and Mrs
Furness-Gibbon with runners up Miss Woodliffe and Mrs Futrell;
Open Mixed Doubles Event — Winners Mrs Dennison and
Sergeant Smith with Mrs Futrell and Captain Noutch as runners
u p ; Officers Handicap Singles Event—Winner Major Ham and
runner up Major Jamieson; Officers Handicap Doubles Event
—Winners Lieutenant Colonel Roach and Major Rose with
Lieutenant Colonel Woodliffe and Sergeant Burke winning the
Mens Open Doubles Competition.

{Continued on inside back cover.)
129 —
Book number R0250