Simon Bonham capped his call-up for Essex duty at County Week by winning the men's singles title at the Southend and District LTA finals.

He showed why he is one of the seven Essex players competing in Eastbourne by defeated Nick Plappert 6-1 6-2.

Nick had earlier dumped Simon Chesher out in the semis, but Bonham displayed his superiority over local opposition.

Kirsten Warner beat Tracey Chesher 3-6 6-2 7-5 to take the ladies' singles championship. It was the first time Kirsten had beaten the former district champion and mum-of-three, who will be representing Essex in the inter-county over-35 championships later this year.

Tracey turned the tables on Kirsten by beating her in the doubles. Tracey and her partner Fiona Stone defeated Kirsten and Chloe Taylor 6-3 7-5. Both players displayed wonderful touches in and around the net and consistent baseline play off the ground.

In the men's doubles Simon Chesher and Lance Owen had a 6-7 6-3 6-4 win over John Handelaar and Jeremy Harvey in a lengthy and enjoyable match which saw some beautiful net interceptions from Owen.

The mixed doubles saw Roger Peters and Karen Poole beat Steve and Hazel Wynn 4-6 6-4 6-4. In a match of great exchanges, Peters' strong service proved productive although the husband-and-wife Wynn pairing proved more than capable opposition.

Graham Goodale beat Bryan Rivers 7-6 6-4 in the men's over-45 final. Then they teamed up to take the veteran men's doubles 6-2 6-4 by overcoming Trevor Stone and John Harris.

Rayleigh's Steve Higgens and Ryan Wilson met in the men's plate with Higgins winning 7-5 6-1.

In the doubles plate Danny Perham and David Barham vanquished Mike Watson and Graham Byford 6-7 6-3 6-2.

Brenda Corlett conceded two finals due to an injury she picked up playing at Chigwell. Trevor Stone and Sue Blackshaw were also forced to concede their veterans' over-40 mixed doubles to Anne Johnson and Graham Goodale because Stone suffered an Achilles tendon injury.

Among the spectators at the event - organised by Steve Wynn and hosted by Thorpe Bay LTC - were Southend West MP Teddy Taylor, who presented the prizes, and Southend and District LTA president Frank Pike.

Chairman Bob Hammond had to leave the finals early to compete with the Essex team in the national inter-county over-55 championships at Connaught club in Chingford.

Essex - who were division one champs last year - lost 4-1 to Kent and now need to beat Middlesex with Kent losing to Yorkshire in order to avoid relegation to division two.

Simon Bonham - is the new Southend and District LTA men's singles champion

Nick Plappert - defeated in the men' singles final

Pictures: ANDY PALMER

Tough for local pair

Southend players Simon Bonham and Richard Barham lost all their matches in men's round two of the LTA inter-county cup at Eastbourne yesterday.

Essex lost 7-2 to Devon with Bonham and Barham going down 4-6 6-2 6-3 to D Ahl and G Drake, 6-4 6-3 to J Bartlett and S Wood and 7-5 6-2 to T Hand and P Russell.

Sophie Cockell is representing Essex in ladies' division two at Cromer where Essex beat Kent 8-1 on Monday.

School holiday coaching on offer from leading duo

A tennis summer camp for children is to be launched at Thorpe Bay LTC by two of the club's top players.

Coach Jon Lee and current club men's singles champion David Tubbs will be running the tennis days between August 2 and mid-September on weekdays from 10am.

They will provide four hours of coaching a day plus an hour of other sports for £12 per day.

Contact Jon on 01702 610696 or David on 01702 588959 for more details.

Tennis for free

Youngsters aged between four and eight or nine and 14 can get a chance to play tennis for free at the David Lloyd Leisure Centre at the Festival Leisure Park in Basildon on Sunday, August 1.

As part of the Sunday Telegraph/Diet Coke Roadshow can get a chance to be coached and play between 11am and 4pm at the centre in Cranes Farm Road.

Parents must accompany children under the age of 12 and participants must bring a packed lunch or have cash to buy food at the club.

Every child taking part receives a goody bag and there will be prizes to be won too.

Call 01705 233798 for more information.

Centre hosts finals

The finals of the county LTA summer term junior league will be held at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre on Saturday.

The event starts at 10am with the boys' semi finals when Great Baddow play Hutton & Shenfield and Old Chelmsfordian take on Walthamstow. The final is due to be played in the early afternoon.

Great Baddow's girls will take on a combined team from Old Chelmsfordian and Grove, Chelmsford, in the girls' final.

The new season is due to begin in September and the league is still looking for south Essex teams interested in forming a league in the area. Contact Ray Jones on 01245 601131 for details.

Hard crowned champs after 6-0 romp

Westcliff Hard enjoyed a 6-0 win over Rayleigh which secured them the Men's Division One championship by eight points.

Bernard Horwood and Bob Hammond got the ball rolling with a 6-3 6-2 win over Roger Chambers and Phil Alderton.

Martin Jeffrey and Terry Hooper kept up the 100 per cent record by defeating Gary Coombes and Steve Thorrow-good 6-1 6-2.

Keith Brohl and Barry Tite wrapped things up by overcoming Aaron Flack and Neil Arends 6-2 6-3.

Other men's results:

Division One - Leigh v Westcliff Lawn 5-1, Kent Elms v Hockley 5-1.

Division Two - Southend Lawn v Westcliff Hard 2 4-2, Westcliff Lawn 2 v Invicta 3-3, Thorpe Bay v Kent Elms 2 5-1.

Division Three - Leigh Road Baptist v Thorpe Bay 2 4-2, Invicta v Leigh 2 1-5, Wickford v Westcliff Lawn 3 6-0.

Division Four - Westcliff Hard 3 v Thorpe Bay 3 2-4, Westcliff Lawn 4 v Hadleigh Park 3-3.

Division Five - Wickford 2 v Rayleigh 2 1-5, Crowstone v Kent Elms 3 6-0

In a nail-biting match between the top two in Ladies' Division One, Kent Elms got the win they needed to secure the championship from Westcliff Hard.

Mandy White and Dawn Collins got Elms off to a flying start be defeating Sue Jackson and Sally Garvey 6-3 6-2.

Mary Moxom and Gail Webster ensured victory for Elms by seeing off Nicky Dickens and Julia Mousley 6-1 6-4.

Linda Vaughan and Sue Levy got two consolation points for Hard by beating Sue Lemaire and Cezara Dane 6-3 6-2.

Other ladies' results:

Division One - Hadleigh Park v Leigh 4-2,

Division Two - Rayleigh v Hockley 2-4

Division Three - Westcliff Lawn v Hadleigh Park 2 4-2, Hockley 2 v Westcliff Hard 3 0-6, Thorpe Bay v Hockley 2 6-0

Kent Elms added to their ladies' title by winning the League Division for the fourth year on the trot and nine titles in all.

They faced third-placed Leigh and lost 4-2, but the two points were enough as Westcliff Lawn scored a 4-2 win over Westcliff Hard to force the Hard Courts into the runners-up spot.

The League results:

Division One - Southend Lawn v Rayleigh 0-6, Leigh v Kent Elms 4-2, Westcliff Lawn v Westcliff Hard 4-2.

Division Two - Westcliff Hard 2 v Hockley 1-5, Hadleigh Park v Kent Elms 2 2-4, Thorpe bay v Invicta 5-1.

Division Three - Kent Elms 3 v Wickford 6-0, Hockley 2 v Westcliff Lawn 2, Invicta 2 v Thorpe Bay 2.

Division Four - Hockley 3 v Crowstone 4-2, Leigh Road Baptists v Wickford 2 2-4, Rayleigh 2 v Southend Lawn 5-1.

Division Five - Thorpe Bay 3 v Hadleigh Park 2 4-2, St Peters v Rochford 2-4.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.