ALL FORMER AND PRESENT MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OUR FUNDRAISING EVENT OF THE YEAR!  TICKETS ARE $15 .

The ticket price is for tennis and supper, tennis only or supper only.  TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY JULY 16TH. Only ticket holders will receive food that evening.

Tickets may be purchased at the club, or by mailing a cheque to the address below and having a ticket reserved in your name for pick up the day of the event.

Our silent auction is bigger and better this year! There is something for everyone! The silent auction will close at 4pm. A raffle draw for some lovely bottles of wine will also be held that day and this will close at 4:30. Tennis will be played from 1- 5:00 pm and you may play as much or as little as you like. Supper will be served at 5pm. Come enjoy the day and reminisce with old and new members!

Stratford Tennis Club
371 Water Street
P.O. Box 21066
Stratford, ON, Canada   N5A 7V4

The third leg of the Royal LePage Hiller Realty junior grand slam, “Wimbledon”, was played this past weekend. Once again, Luke Fischer proved to be the class of the field in the boys’ event, and Ashley Humphrey took the girl’s title.

The boys event had a replay of the Australian Open final, as brothers Luke and John Fischer faced each other for the title. Younger brother Luke jumped out to an early lead before John staged a comeback. Luke finally put John away taking the championship match 8-5. This gives Luke the title in the three grand slam events played this season.

The boys consolation final was a long close match that saw Collin Rose edge Evan Moorehead 8-6 to secure the title.

The girls championship match had Ashley Humphrey take down Isabelle Thibeault 8-1 to win her first grand slam singles title. The girls consolation champion is Rachel Nash who downed Sophie Bogdon 8-5 in the title match.

The fourth and final Royal LePage Hiller Realty junior grand slam event is the “US Open”. It will be contested on Saturday, July 27th. Luke Fischer will attempt to complete a season grand slam sweep.

Bill White

(LtoR) Sophie Bogdon (consolation finalist), Rachel Nash (consolation champion), Ashley Humphrey (girls champion), Isabelle Thibeault (girls finalist)

(L to R) Evan Moorehead (consolation finalist), Collin Rose (consolation champion), Luke Fischer (boys champion), John Fischer (boys finalist)

Sophie Bogdon stretches out to make a return.

 The Stratford Tennis League held its week 5 games this past week. The early game had Snap taking on La Debonaire Hair Design. Snap took the early lead as their #1 ladies doubles team of Linda Doig and Johanna Billings took out Sandie Ennett and Heather Henke 7-5  6-2. LaDebonaire took the #2 ladies doubles as Ginny Smith and Naomi Lange doubled up Nancy Chung and Liz Yundt 6-3  6-3. Richard Bast and Grant McPherson of LaDebonaire won the #1 men’s doubles match 6-3  6-4 over Shannon Dyke and Chris Parson. The #2 men’s doubles went to LaDebonaire also as Brent Hiller and Chris Wyatt scored a 6-3  6-4 victory over Gary Henry and Stuart Arkett.

The #1 mixed doubles set went to Snap as Doig and Dyke downed Ennett and Bast 6-4. Snap also took the #2 mixed doubles with Billings and Parson scoring a 6-4 win over Henke and McPherson. Smith and Hiller took the #3 mixed for LaDebonaire with a 6-4 victory over Chung and Henry. La Debonaire’s Lange and Wyatt won the #4 mixed set 6-4 over Yundt and Arkett giving LaDebonaire an 8 sets to 4 victory on the night.

The late game saw Donkers Agri face off against Sunrise Health Services. Donkers #1 ladies doubles team of Marta Andrekovic and Maria Donkers knocked off Debbie Murphy and Nancy Rheaume 6-1  6-2. The #2 ladies doubles went to Sunrise as Marilyn Leasa and Marilyn Holmes edged Erma Weernick and Carmen Miron 6-4  7-6 (7 points to 4 in the tie-breaker). The #1 men’s doubles went to Donkers as Bob Tamblyn and Greg Vivian scored a 7-5  6-1 win over Spencer Trachsel and Pat McCarroll. There was a split in the #2 men’s doubles as Donkers’ Todd Chisholm and Bill Steele took the first set 7-5 before Jagdish Patel and Steve Fischer of Sunrise took the second set 6-2.

The #1 mixed doubles went to Donkers as Andrekovic and Tamblyn took out Murphy and Trachsel 6-2. The #2 mixed doubles also went to Donkers as Donkers and Vivian edged Rheaume and McCarroll 6-4. Sunrise won the #3 mixed doubles 6-2 as Leasa and Patel defeated Weernick and Chisholm. Holmes and Fischer of Sunrise won the #4 mixed match 6-4 over Miren and Steele. The match ended with Donkers taking 7 sets and Sunrise winning 5.

After 5 weeks of play La Debonaire Hair Design increased its lead in the overall standings, while Sunrise Health Services holds off Donkers Agri for second place and Snap continues to chase the pack. Week 6 has Donkers face Snap in the early game and Sunrise takes on La Debonaire in the late game.

Bill White

Shannon Dyke hits a forehand winner in the men’s doubles match. 

JULY E  NEWS from the Stratford Tennis Club

June was a busy month at the STRATFORD TENNIS CLUB! Greg, Bill, Claire and Steven were kept busy instructing and supervising the many area schools that took advantage of the fine tennis program we offer at the club. In July, the courts will be less busy with school classes but hopefully still busy with our members booking court times and getting out on our great clay surface.

The ladies and mens’ night remain very popular and the morning group is experiencing record numbers this year, with players having to rotate onto a court on some days! On July 1st there is a potluck lunch in the park for all players following the morning round robin. Start time is between 11:30am and noon. Bring your favourite salad or dessert. Spouses are welcome to share the meal as well.

The Super Set Tournament for adult club members takes place this month. The singles for men and ladies is set for July 13th and the doubles is July 14th. Players are guaranteed 3 pro set matches and there is no entry fee. Sign up at the clubhouse if interested.

Tennis League is moving along well. The standings still have La Debonaire Hair Design in the lead, with Sunrise Health Services a close second. Donkers Agri is in third place and Snap remains in fourth.

The Royal LePage Hiller Realty tournaments for our junior membership of which there are “Wimbledon” and the “U.S. Open remaining, are a great way for both girl and boy juniors to play in competitive but fun matches. Players of all levels may participate and they play off against each other in various games. It is a great opportunity to meet other juniors in the club with whom future matches could be arranged. Circle July 6th and July 27th on your calendars and sign up at the club!  This event is generously sponsored each year by the Royal LePage Hiller Realty company in Stratford.

Our Saturday Kids Tennis Program has now finished, but Junior TENNIS CAMPS are available and a few weeks still have some openings. Camps run the weeks of July 1st, 8th,15th,22nd,29th and Aug.5th. It costs $65/week for members and $75 for non members. Please contact Bill at the clubhouse for availability.

Optimist Junior Tennis Day saw over 50 enthusiastic youngsters participate in a fun filled day of tennis and games. All participants enjoyed a hot dog lunch and prizes. The club is very grateful to the STRATFORD OPTIMIST CLUB for their generous contribution to our youth program each year.

The monthly ladders offer another opportunity for both adult and junior members to meet other players in the club and further develop their tennis skills in a game situation. Juniors who have not played many games, should feel free to ask any of our knowledgeable staff for a quick lesson in scoring. The new ladders begin July 15th so sign up soon.

We are hoping that work will begin shortly on the new concrete foundation surrounding the practice wall. Weeping tile will also be installed to combat some of the water issues we have been experiencing on our courts.

Just a reminder that our Pro, Greg Vivian, offers private tennis lessons by the half hour, hour and series of sessions. Please speak with him if you are interested.

Last but not least, our fundraising tournament the WOODS and WHITES takes place on July 20th. Tickets are now on sale at the clubhouse. All tennis participants need to purchase a $15 ticket. A meal of assorted meat and veggie hors d’oeuvres and homemade desserts is included with your ticket purchase. Past and present members are all welcome to pay and play or just come and enjoy the day and bid on our silent auction items and take part in the raffle draw. Round robin tennis occurs from 1-5:00pm and the silent auction ends at 4pm. Supper will be served at 5pm. Community response has been positive thus far. The committee is still in need of donations from our membership. We would really appreciate your consideration of a small donation to help us make this day a successful one for the club. Donations may be given to the staff at the clubhouse or  Marilyn Holmes and myself.

The club strives to meet the needs of all its members. If you have any suggestions for improvement or ideas that you might like to see implemented, please feel free to email us at news@stratfordtennisclub.com

Play Tennis More!
Nancy Chung

 In Week 4 of the Stratford Tennis League, Sunrise Health Services and LaDebonaire Hair Design continued their winning ways.

The early game saw a close match between Sunrise Health Services and Snap. The men’s doubles matches were dominated by Sunrise. The #1 men’s doubles had Sunrise’s John Noble and Spencer Trachsel take down Snap’s Chris Parson and Brent Hiller 6-4 , 6-3. Pat McCarroll and Jagdish Patel of Sunrise took the #2 men’s match 6-2, 6-0 over Snap’s Murray Schiedel and Stuart Arkett. The ladies got Snap back into the match. The #1 ladies doubles saw Linda Doig and Johanna Billings of Snap score a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Claire Scott and Nancy Rheaume. The #2 ladies doubles split sets with Snap’s Nancy Chung and Noella Schiedel taking the first set 6-4 , while Sunrise’s Marilyn Leasa and Annette Garneau took the second set 6-2. 

 The mixed doubles began with Snap’s #1 team of Doig and Parson winning 7-6 (7 points to 5 in the tie-breaker) over Scott and Noble. The #2 mixed match also went to Snap as Billings and Hiller downed Rheaume and Trachsel 6-4 . Sunrise took the #3 mixed as Leasa and McCarroll edged Chung and Schiedel 6-4. Sunrise clinched the week’s win by taking the #4 mixed 6-3 as Garneau and Patel defeated Schiedel and Arkett. This gave Sunrise Health Services a 7 sets to 5 victory.

The late game was a match up of LaDebonaire Hair Design and Donkers Agri. The match began with a split of sets in the #1 men’s doubles as Donkers’ Bob Tamblyn and Greg Vivian took the first set 6-4 and LaDebonaire’s Richard Bast and Grant McPherson won the second set 7-5. LaDebonaire took the #2 men’s doubles 6-3, 6-4 as Jim Wilson and Cameron Kramer defeated Mike Furlong and Bill Steele. The #1 ladies doubles went to LaDebonaire’s Krista Plociennik and Sandie Ennett 6-4, 6-4 over Marta Andrekovic and Lise Couture. The #2 ladies doubles split their sets. The first set was a 6-1 win for Donkers’ Erma Weernick and Naomi Lange while LaDebonaire’s Ginny Smith and Sandra Hofing took the second set 6-3.

The #1 mixed doubles saw Plociennik and Bast of LaDebonaire ease past Andrekovic and Tamblyn 6-2. Ennett and McPherson won the #2 mixed set for LaDebonaire 7-5 over Couture and Vivian. Donkers scored a 6-3 win in the #3 mixed as Weernick and Furlong downed Smith and Wilson. Lange and Steele of Donkers defeated Hofing and Kramer 6-4 to win the #4 mixed match. The final result was an 8 sets to 4 victory for LaDebonaire.

After week 4 LaDebonaire remains in first place as Sunrise Health Services holds onto second place. Donkers Agri is in third place and Snap trails the field. Week 5 will see Snap take on LaDebonaire Hair Design in the early game while Donkers Agri faces Sunrise Health Services in the late game.

Bill White

Linda Doig of Snap hits a forehand in the ladies doubles match.       

Over 50 young tennis enthusiasts took part in the annual OPTIMIST JUNIOR TENNIS DAY at the Stratford Tennis Club this past weekend. With their free t-shirts, the kids participated in tennis skills and games before a draw of fun door prizes. A barbeque with hot dogs and drinks was enjoyed by all the participants who  ranged in age from 4 to 13 . Everyone had a great day and we very grateful to  our sponsor, the Optimist Club of Stratford who helps to make this event happen each year!.

The first 80 youngsters to register will receive a free T-shirt!

                      Racquets are available to borrow. Registration begins at 10:00am.

Week 3 of the Stratford Tennis League was played this week. The early game saw the two teams tied for first place face off. Going into play LaDebonaire Hair Design and Sunrise Health Services had each won 16 sets, with LaDebonaire holding the tie-breaker edge in games won/lost differential. The match began with LaDebonaire’s #1 ladies doubles team of Krista Plociennik and Sandie Ennett sweeping Claire Scott and Debbie Murphy 6-4 6-1. The #2 ladies doubles was a split as LaDebonaire’s Sandra Hofing and Jolanda Vandereijk took the first set 6-4 while Sunrise’s Nancy Rheaume and Marilyn Holmes scored a 6-1 win in the second set. The #1 men’s doubles went to Richard Bast and Grant McPherson of LaDebonaire as they downed John Noble and Spencer Trachsel 7-5 6-3. Sunrise rebounded to take the #2 men’s doubles as Jagdish Patel and Steve Fischer scored a 6-2 7-5 over Jim Wilson and Cameron Kramer. 

The #1 mixed doubles was won by LaDebonaire as Plociennk and Bast edged Scott and Noble 6-4. Sunrise took the #2 mixed doubles with a 6-4 win by Murphy and Trachsel over Ennett and McPherson. Rheaume and Patel took the #3 mixed set for Sunrise with a 6-2 win over Hofing and Wilson. The #4 mixed had Holmes and Fischer of Sunrise top Vandereijk and Kramer 6-4. This left the night’s match tied at 6 sets each. The teams remain tied for first in sets won, while LaDebonaire maintains the tie-breaker advantage.

The late game was a battle between Snap and Donkers Agri. The #1 ladies doubles went to Snap as Linda Doig and Johanna Billings defeated Marta Andrekovic and Maria Donkers 6-3 7-6 (7 points to 5 in the tie-breaker). Donkers took the #2 ladies doubles as Lise Couture and Erma Weernick took out Nancy Chung and Noella Schiedel 6-3 7-6 (7 points to 5 in the tie-breaker). Donkers’ Bob Tamblyn and Greg Vivian won the #1 men’s doubles 6-3 7-5 over Shannon Dyke and Chris Parson. Murray Schiedel and Gary Henry of Snap won the #2 men’s doubles over Mike Furlong and Bill Steele 6-3 6-3.

The #1 mixed went to Donkers as Andrekovic and Tamblyn downed Doig and Dyke 6-4. Billings and Parson won the #2 mixed for Snap with a 6-3 victory over Donkers and Vivian. Snap’s Chung and Schiedel took the #3 mixed 6-4 over Couture and Furlong. The #4 mixed went to Donkers as Weernick and Steele took out Schiedel and Henry 6-3. This meant the late game also ended in a 6 set tie.

The standings remain the same after this weeks match ups. LaDebonaire Hair Design holds the tie-breaker edge to remain in first place with Sunrise Health Services in second. Donkers Agri holds a slight lead over Snap for third place. Week 4 will have Snap facing Sunrise Health Services in the early game and Donkers Agri taking on LaDebonaire Hair Design in the late game.

          Spencer Trachsel  hits a backhand during week 3 of the Stratford Tennis League.

The Stratford Tennis Club hosted the second leg of the Royal LePage Hiller Realty Junior Grand Slam this past weekend.

The “French Open” saw a familiar name take the title. Luke Fischer, who won the”‘Australian Open” earlier in the season, took home the championship. Luke defeated Collin Rose 8-4 in the ‘A’ final. The ‘A’ consolation winner was Matt Vandewiel who downed Noah Redfern 8-6 for the title. The ‘B’ final saw Stefan Andrekovic double up Michael Vandewiel 8 games to 4. The ‘B’ consolation champion was Ethan Misener who won the title with an 8-1 victory over Ben Wyatt.

“Wimbledon”, the third leg of the junior grand slam, will take place on Saturday, July 6th. All junior players of all levels are encouraged to sign up, to gain experience playing in a competitive, but casual tennis event.

French Open ‘A’ finalist Collin Rose , French Open ‘A’ champion Luke Fischer

French Open ‘B’ finalists Michael Vandewiel , French Open ‘B’ champion Stefan Andrekovic 

The second week of the Stratford Tennis League was held Tuesday, June 11th. After close games in week 1,  this week the games saw one team dominate their opponents. 

The early game had Sunrise Health Services take on Donkers Agri. The men’s doubles saw splits happen in both the #1 and #2 match ups. In the #1 match, John Noble and Spencer Trachsel of Sunrise took the first set 6-2 , while Bob Tamblyn and Todd Chisholm of Donkers won the second set 6-2. Sunrise’s Pat McCarroll and Steve Fischer skunked Mike Furlong and Bill Steele 6-0 in the first set of the #2 match, but fell 6-2 in the second set. The ladies doubles is where Sunrise started to dominate the match, sweeping all four sets. In the #1 match up Claire Scott and Debbie Murphy defeated Marta Andrekovic and Lise Couture 6-0 7-5, then the #2 had Marilyn Leasa and Marilyn Holmes take out Erma Weernick and Michele Thomson 6-2 7-6 (7 points to 3 in the tie-breaker).                                                                

Donkers took the first set of the mixed doubles as Andrekovic and Tamblyn scored a 6-2 victory over Scott and Noble. After that it was all Sunrise as they swept the other three mixed sets. Murphy and Trachsel downed Couture and Chisholm 6-4. Leasa and McCarroll doubled up Weernick and Furlong 6-3  and Holmes and Fischer took out Thomson and Steele 6-2.

With their 9 sets to 3 win Sunrise scored their second straight victory and are in first place in the season’s standings.                                                               

The late game was not as close as the early game. LaDebonaire Hair Design walked all over SNAP winning 10 sets to 2. It began in the men’s #1 doubles as Richard Bast and Grant McPherson breezed through Chris Parson and Murray Schiedel 6-1 6-1. The #2 men’s doubles was a 6-3 6-1 win for LaDebonaire’s Paul Coates and Cameron Kramer over Gary Henry and Stuart Arkett. LaDebonaire swept the ladies #1 doubles as Krista Plociennik and Sandie Ennett downed Linda Doig and Johanna Billings 6-1 6-4. The #2 ladies doubles was a split of sets as Ginny Smith and Jolanda Vandereijk won the first set for LaDebonaire 6-4, but Snap won their first set of the night when Nancy Chung and Noella Schiedel took the second set 6-3.

The #1 mixed set went to LaDebonaire as Plociennik and Bast beat Doig and Parson 6-2. Snap took the #2 mixed set 6-4 as Billings and Schiedel downed Ennett and McPherson. The #3 and #4 mixed sets were easily won by LaDebonaire as Smith and Coates cruised past Chung and Henry 6-1, and Vandereijk and Kramer defeated Schiedel and Arkett by the same 6-1 score.

LaDebonaire’s 10-2 victory moved them into a tie with Sunrise for first place in the standings. This sets up a great match up for next week as these teams meet in the early game. Donkers and Snap will try to get back on track when they face each other in the late game.  

The league’s youngest participant,Grant McPherson, cracks a forehand winner in the men’s doubles.