Exciting move ahead for the members of Castor and Ailsworth Tennis Club

Club members have agreed to sell their current site at Holme Close in the village and move across the road to new floodlit astroturf courts at Woodlands, the Nene Park Trust site. Castor currently play on grass courts.

Castor also intend to provide padel and pickleball courts which will be placed adjacent to the existing football and cricket facilities.

Active playing membership effectively doubled to 170 this summer despite the club not being able to offer any league matches.

The club have been delighted to see a rapid rise in the number of junior members

Internal club tournaments have operated throughout the season though and were all well contested.

The mixed doubles final involved two mother and son combinations with Lucy Li and Ethan Lee defeating Jenny Rice and Isaac Rowles 6-3 7-5.

Isaac was also involved in the final of the men’s doubles and he and Mo Malkera won 6-3 6-3 against Kevin Eccles and Lawrence Maynard.

Judy Dallas and Lisa McDonough won the ladies final for the second time defeating Tina Furlong and Lucy Li 6-2 6-4.

“At the start of the season, with all tennis clubs closed and lockdown firmly in place, there was little hope of any play,” a club spokesman said.

“However in May we were able to open under the Lawn Tennis Association’s strict guidelines and subsequently we’ve had a wonderfully successful summer of tennis despite the lack of league matches.

“This Sunday sees the final event of the grass court season with a charity session to raise funds for the Sue Ryder Hospice alongside a celebration of a very enjoyable and successful season despite the Covid-19 pandemic.”