New champions at Barnet tennis tournament (From Times Series)

New champions at Barnet tennis tournament

1:21pm Wednesday 18th July 2012 in Sport

Barnet Lawn Tennis Club have two new young tennis champions who both scooped top honours at the annual summer tournament on Sunday.

Louise Rice, 22, won both the ladies’ singles and doubles events, becoming one of the Gloucester Road club’s youngest winners. She has been playing tennis at the club since she was nine.

Rice, who  attended East Barnet School, narrowly beat Jane Crowley 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 in the singles before teaming up with Linda Lumb-Evans to win the doubles 6-4, 6-2.

The new men’s champion is 20-year-old Luke Barker. The Derwent Avenue resident was thrilled by his success having previously only ever won junior titles at Under-14 and U-16 level.

Barker, who is studying for a sports degree at the University of Hertfordshire, has been playing tennis since he was 11. He beat Adrian Smith 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, before teaming teaming up with Hannah Czuprysnki to win the mixed doubles title.

Nearly 100 people watched the Championships which lasted for over six and a half hours.