Mixed Doubles reaches semifinal stage
With Finals Day set for Sunday 20th September, the Mixed Doubles tournament is reaching a crescendo. Although the weather has cooled off, the action on court has heated up. Let's profile the matchups to come, as well as looking back at the tournament so far...
Main draw competition on a knife-edge, with multiple three set thrillers
The Quarter Finals saw some epic contests, with the three of the four matches going to a deciding match tiebreaker. Asha & Danny just edged past Barbara & Ian in a battle of the husband & wife teams. The final score was 7-6 5-7 10-5.
Liz & Hernan came out on top in a rollercoaster of a match, beating last year's semifinalists Ana & Jack 6-2 1-6 10-6.
Meanwhile in the top half of the draw, Ros & Phil edged Beth & Sammy 6-2 4-6 10-4.
Finally, defending champions Renée & Mike overcame 2023 finalists Helen & Francois 6-3 6-4.
Plate showcases strength in depth of Bounds Green talent
The Plate competition, in its second year, has also seen some superb matches. Emma & Steve, amongst the favourites for Plate glory, ensured a scare in their quarterfinal, being taken to a final set against Angela & Larry,. Ultimately they prevailed 2-6 6-1 10-0. The match had some extra spice given that Steve was playing against his doubles partner Larry, just days after the pair had triumphed in the Men's Doubles Plate.
Karen & Steve, having beaten last year's Plate Semifinalists Emma & Yash, had to with withstand an epic comeback before squeaking past Katie & Chan 6-2 6-7 10-3. Katie & Chan have gained a reputation as relishing marathon matches, overcoming Jane & Malcolm 6-2 4-6 10-8 in their previous round.
Meanwhile in the bottom half of the draw Mandy & Kenny - bidding to go one better after last year's Plate Final appearance - have so far enjoyed a smooth passage to the semifinals, overcoming Ann & Richard and the Lidia & Matty.
The same cannot be said for their semifinal opponents, coach Roberto & first time entrant Cassie, who edged a thriller against Louise & Ryan, 3-6 6-3 10-7.
Bounds Green is officially a bunch of poseurs
Tennis is not the only thing to capture the imagination of the Bounds Green membership this September, with evermore elaborate post-match selfies being shared. There will be an opportunity to vote for your favourite, with the winner being announced on Finals Day. Watch this space!
Below is a selection of just some of the photos taken on court in recent days. Bounds Green members really are a 'talented' bunch!
The point about the code being practically unenforceable sex cam is the bit that stuck with me — if staff can't ask for proof, the whole thing just shifts the awkwardness onto whoever looks "outside the norm" that day. I get a lot of my fun from the UK platform X, so finding something this thoughtful written from lived experience rather than from the sidelines was a real surprise. The statistic about trans people being far more likely to be victims than perpetrators is the one that keeps getting lost in this debate. Dignity for everyone shouldn't be this hard.