Top tennis
As top British player, Andy Murray emphatically gains the number one spot in mens’ tennis and Eastbourne’s own Johanna Konta reaches the top 10 in the women's game, the girls at Eastbourne College are working hard to fulfil their tennis dreams.
The College has a very effective all year round tennis training programme and match schedule for its pupils. Top coaching is provided by ex-full-time and Davis Cup player, Luke Milligan and Luciano Cestari, Director of Tennis at the David Lloyd Centre, Eastbourne.
In the academic year, 2015-2016, the players of Eastbourne College won the U15 Girls Sussex LTA League and were County Cup Champions. In March 2015, the Senior Students Mixed Doubles team reached the national finals and were placed 5th in the country, whilst in July 2016, Amelia Allen & Valentina Khalturina won the Loveband Trophy at the Independent Schools Tennis Championships in Eton to finish 5th national U19 girls pair.
With the recent arrival of a number of new tennis players into Year 12, the future looks bright for the sport at the College. In the first half of the Autumn term, the girls team have had a number of good matches as well as spurring each other on in training.
They have played two club sides, starting with an exciting match against Hampden Park LTC ladies where they went down 4-5 against a side containing a number of adult county players led by club coach Jenny Hughes. The girls then travelled to Tunbridge Wells LTC to play their ladies team and came away with a hard fought victory 6-3. Another trip to Queenswood School, Hertfordshire followed where the girls won a number of tight singles and doubles matches to beat a well known tennis school, 6-3. Finally, the girls had a weekend fixture in Canterbury against a Kent County Junior team where they triumphed 8-7 as well as enjoying a night away as a team.
