The Isle of Man Veteran’s Closed Tennis Championships attracted its best entry for a number of years when it took place at Castletown recently.

The tournament, involving a total of 50 matches, was played over one week with a mixed bag of weather to contend with, ending with 16 title matches on finals day.

Of the 16 different categories, five were played as round-robins while all others were contested as straight knockouts. For the third consecutive year, Rob Comber took the men’s singles 35-and-over title by beating Steph Joyce 6/0, 6/1, before also claiming the 45-and-over title against Craig Blackwell 6/4, 6/2.

In the 55-and-overs, Peter Dunworth retained his 2019 title when defeating Andy Murray 6/0 6/3, but the men’s 65-and-over singles unfortunately saw Phil Bannan forced to concede, giving Alastair Montgomerie the title.

In a repeat of last year’s men’s singles 75-and-over, Roy McLean clinched a very competitive two sets 6/4 6/3 win against Graham McFarlane.

The women’s singles was well supported, with three age categories taking place. Kirree Ronan won the first of her three titles when beating Michaela Duchonova 6/4, 7/6 in the 35-and-over category.

In the 45-and-over, Kathy Yamasaki beat Tania Thomas in a very competitive match 6/3 6/3, while the 55-and-over grouping saw Jenny Foy get the better of Sharon Jamieson 6/0 7/5.

The men’s and women’s doubles saw all three age categories contested. In the men’s 35-and-over Comber and Joyce beat 2019 winners Rob Mason and Neil Ronan 6/3 6/4.

In the 45-and-over, Comber teamed up with Blackwell and proved too strong for Dunworth/Montgomerie, winning 6/1, 6/1.

A new partnership of Murray and Peter De Carte took the 55-and-over, beating Bannan/Montgomerie 6/0 7/5.

The women’s doubles 35-and-over class was won by Kirree Ronan and Nicola Skillicorn, beating Seraphina Batty and Tania Thomas 6/1 6/4, but the latter pairing then went on to clinch the 45-and-over category with a 6/0 6/0 victory over Jenny Foy and Amanda Munro.

The 55-and-over title was won by Helen Brooks and Cathy Tsitsos 6/3 6/2.

In a well-supported mixed doubles 35-and-over category, siblings Kirree and Neil Ronan took the win against Kathy Yamasaki and Nerijus Gricevicius 6/1 6/3, while Charlotte Walker and Craig Blackwell beat Caroline Davies and Adrian Edwards 6/1 6/0 to take the 55-and-over mixed title.

At the conclusion of around seven hours of finals play, the awards were presented by tournament organiser Neil Ronan.

veteran’s Championship Results

Men’s singles - 35-and-over: Nerijus Gricivicius beat Jabrane Moutiq 6-1, 6-0; Rob Comber bt Nerijus Gricivicius 6-1, 6-0; Steph Joyce bt Will Watterson 6-1, 6-1; Rob Comber bt Steph Joyce 6-0, 6-1. 45-and-over: Will Watterson bt Peter Skelton 6-1, 6-1; Craig Blackwell bt W. Watterson 6-0, 6-0; Rob Comber bt Peter Dunworth 6-0, 6-1; R. Comber bt C. Blackwell 6-4, 6-2.

55-and-over: P. Dunworth bt Paul Coppell 6-0, 6-0; Andy Murray bt Peter De Carte 6-0, 6-1; P. Dunworth bt A. Murray 6-0, 6-3. 65-and-over: Alastair Montgomerie bt John Taylor 6-0, 6-0; Phil Bannan bt Graham McFarlane 6-1, 6-0; A. Montgomerie bt P. Bannan 6-0, 6-0 (walkover). 75-and-over: Roy McLean bt Graham McFarlane 6-3, 6-4.

Women’s singles - 35-and-over: Michaela Duchonova bt Nicola Skillicorn 6-1, 6-0; Kirree Ronan bt N. Skillicorn 7-5, 6-2; K. Ronan bt M. Duchonova 6-4, 7-6. 45-and-over: Tania Thomas bt Amanda Munro 7-5, 6-3; Kathy Yamasaki bt A. Munro 6-1, 6-1; K. Yamasaki bt T. Thomas 6-3, 6-3. 55-and-over: Belinda Pilling bt Sharon Jamieson 6-4, 0-6, 10-6; Jenny Foy bt B. Pilling 7-5, 6-4; J. Foy bt S. Jamieson 6-0, 7-5.

Men’s doubles - 35-and-over: Neil Ronan/Rob Mason bt Nerijus Gricevicius/Rob Colquitt 6-2, 6-0; Rob Comber/Steph Joyce bt A. Murray/Jabrane Moutiq 7-6, 6-0; Comber/Joyce bt Ronan/Mason 6-3, 6-4. 45-and-over: Alastair Montgomerie/Peter Dunworth bt Chris Butler/Peter Skelton 6-0, 6-2; Rob Comber/ Craig Blackwell bt Butler/Skelton 6-0, 6-0; Comber/Blackwell bt Montgomerie/Dunworth 6-1, 6-1. 55-and-over: Alastair Montgomerie/Phil Bannan bt Graham McFarlane/Roy McLean 6-3, 6-0; Paul Coppell/Les Gale bt Kevin Drewry/John Piekaln 6-0, 6-0 (walkover); Andy Murray/Peter De Carte bt Coppell/Gale 6-0, 6-1; Murray/De Carte bt Montgomerie/Bannan 6-0, 7-5.

Women’s doubles - 35-and-over: Kirree Ronan/Nicola Skillicorn bt Tania Thomas/Seraphina Batty 6-1, 6-4. 45-and-over: T. Thomas/S. Batty bt Jenny Foy/Amanda Munro 6-0, 6-0. 55-and-over: Sharon Jamieson/Charlotte Walker bt Barbie Carter/Belinda Pilling 6-0, 6-0; Helen Brooks/Cathy Tsitsos bt Barbie Carter/Belinda Pilling 6-2, 6-2; Helen Brooks/Cathy Tsitsos bt Sharon Jamieson & Charlotte Walker 6-3, 6-2.

Mixed doubles - 35-and-over: Kirree & Neil Ronan bt Amanda Munro/Peter De Carte 6-0, 6-0; Ronan/Ronan bt Peter Skelton/Jenny Foy 6-0, 6-0; Tania Thomas/Jabrane Moutiq bt Nicola Skillicorn/Will Watterson 6-1, 6-2; Kathy Yamasaki/Nerijus Gricivicius bt Belinda Pilling/Chris Butler 6-1, 6-0; K. Yamasaki/N. Gricivicius bt T. Thomas/J. Moutiq 6-0, 6-3; Ronan/Ronan bt Yamasaki/Gricivicius 6-1, 6-3. 55-and-over: Caroline Davies/ Adrian Edwards bt Linda Faragher/Paul Coppell 3-6, 6-3, 10-7; Charlotte Walker/ Craig Blackwell bt Helen Brooks/Kevin Drewry 6-3, 6-3; C. Walker/C. Blackwell bt C. Davies/A. Edwards 6-1, 6-0.