14U Girls County Cup Report
LTA County Cup Tennis Report – 14U Girls – Nationals Qualifying Group 1B, Lymm
Team: Evie, Sophia, Mya, Lois, Maely
Captain: Laura Mineards
Vice Captain: Connor Bush
This year, the Northants 14U Girls Team qualified for the National Qualifying, earning a spot in the prestigious Group 1B hosted in Lymm. With high-level opposition ahead, the girls were ready to embrace the challenge.
Day 1 vs East of Scotland
After a long wait for our turn on court, the girls were ready to go. Lois and Mya were first up, facing tough opponents who already had match experience that day. Despite a few early nerves, both girls found their rhythm and produced some impressive tennis, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect their efforts.
Sophia and Evie followed, showing great determination in their singles matches. Both contests were closely fought, but we found ourselves 0-4 down after the singles round.
In the doubles, Maely teamed up with Mya, and Sophia with Evie. Both pairs battled hard from the back of the court, but the East of Scotland teams’ net play proved just enough to edge them out. A solid effort across the board, and the girls left the day feeling more confident and ready for Day 2.
Day 2 vs Yorkshire
A fresh day brought fresh determination. Maely and Mya opened the singles with excellent court coverage and long rallies, but couldn’t quite convert their performances into wins. Sophia played a strong match, pushing her big-hitting opponent all the way, while Evie earned our first victory of the weekend with a commanding performance.
In doubles, Sophia and Evie narrowly missed out in two tight tie-break sets, while Mya and Lois showed excellent teamwork and creative point construction. Although the overall result was a 5-1 loss to the eventual group winners, Yorkshire, the girls took real positives from their play.
3rd Place Playoff vs Warwickshire
With energy high for the final match, Evie, Mya, Lois, and Maely all hit the singles court ready to fight. Lois and Maely played incredibly well against consistent opposition, showing real grit. Evie and Mya both bounced back from a set down to force tie-break deciders but were edged out by narrow margins.
In the final doubles round, we mixed up the pairings. Mya and Evie teamed up, alongside Lois and Maely. The latter duo fought well, showing improved aggression at the net and strong baseline play.
Our weekend highlight came in the final match: Mya and Evie rallied from 0-4 down in the first set to take it to a match tie-break, both girls with some impressive big hitting secured the victory for us! A fantastic way to close out the weekend.
Despite 5-1 losses to both Yorkshire and Warwickshire, the girls showed incredible determination, skill, and sportsmanship throughout the weekend. Competing at this level is an achievement in itself, and every player should be extremely proud of their development, effort, and unwavering support for each other.
Well done girls!
– Laura
