Stephanie Cornish from Billericay won a hat-trick of titles when the finals of the Tiger Turf Essex Open Junior tennis tournament were held on Saturday.
The finals represented the conclusion of a week of hectic tennis action for the hosts Billericay Tennis Club.
Some 265 young players converged on the club in Blunts Wall Lane during the week in which over 400 matches were played on the eight courts.
Play started daily at 8.30 in the morning and sometimes finished under the floodlights.
Saturday gave the players in the finals an additional burden as they battled out in stifling heat with temperatures over 30 degrees.
Stephanie who lives in Billericay but plays at the Little Cowbridge Grange Club, showed her pedigree and great promise by winning the girls' 14 and 18 singles and then adding the 14 mixed.
On Monday she was competing in the 15 and under national championships in Bournemouth where she lost out to Amanda Cunningham from Kent
Stephanie had not expected to win and so entered the Essex Open from Tuesday. In the event she nearly caused an upset, only losing out 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
In Saturday's 14 singles' final, Cornish beat Lereesa Easterbrook from Buckinghamshire 6-2, 6-1. Then in the 18's final she was leading Cara Alexander 5-0 when her opponent retired.
The third title of the day came in the 14 mixed when she teamed up with Chris Gardiner from Leigh to beat Simon Weatherup (Gidea Park) and Alice Dickens (Westcliff Hard) 6-2, 6-4
Published Monday August 16, 2004
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