Cumberland ladies end 100-year wait for place in Team Tennis National Finals
Left to right: Cumberland's Naomi Cavaday, Anne Keothavong, Becky Llewellyn, Kate Green, Frances Hendry, Lena Keothavong - Credit: Archant
Andy Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years on Sunday – but that’s nothing.
Cumberland Tennis Club in West Hampstead have waited a century for one of their teams to reach the Team Tennis National Finals – and their ladies achieved that feat at the weekend, giving them the chance to be crowned the best in the country.
It is the first time in Cumberland’s history that the women’s first team have qualified for the finals.
There were 1,000 original entries when the competition started in April, and Cumberland played seven group matches in the National South East Division.
They finished second to secure a play-off spot and went on to convincingly beat Lady Bay Tennis Club from Nottingham to qualify for the finals.
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Now only eight teams remain – the four national division winners from the north, the midlands, the south-east and the south-west alongside the four teams who came through the play-offs – and they will battle it out for the title at the West Hants Club in Bournemouth this weekend.
Several British stars will be competing alongside a number of aspiring, current and former professionals – and Cumberland have some familiar faces in their own ranks.
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Anne Keothavong is the former British No1 and was in action at Wimbledon this year, while Naomi Cavaday is the former British No4, appearing at Wimbledon between 2006 and 2010.
They will join their team-mates Harriet Dart, Frances Hendry, Rebecca Llewellyn, Kate Green and Lena Keothavong as Cumberland fight for the national crown.
