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Clean sheet for Loughborough on US tennis tour

Posted on 21/04/2008

Loughborough University’s top student tennis players kept a clean sheet during their first ever tour to the USA.

The team, comprising six men and six women, were in action in 12 fixtures against American athletes from nine Florida Colleges and Universities over the Easter break.

Playing six individual and two doubles matches against each institution, Loughborough kept up an impressive record to win all 12 encounters.

Head Coach Jon Pankhurst was delighted with the success of the tour, which will now become an annual feature of the University’s tennis programme.

“The tour was a massive success,” he said. “For a University to be able to organise an overseas tour of this kind is unique. The level of competition in eight of the 12 matches was very high which gave our players a good test. And because of the Americans’ strength in depth it meant that, in the majority of cases, all six players in a team were of a good standard which gave our students a run of competitive fixtures.

“The environment was massively different to what our players experience here. All the matches were outdoors and they were playing in heat which meant they had to adapt their preparation. Six team fixtures in nine days is more than what they’re used to in England too.

“One of the main purposes of the trip was team building. When athletes spend a lot of time together it helps bring the team closer. Not only did the players do outstandingly well in competition, but they proved their quality off the court too. We look forward to returning next year.”

Results

Men

Scott Dickson

Dave Culshaw (C)

Jack Hartman

James Henderson

Harmindar Mashiana

Chris Holton

Jon Pankhurst

Tour Record: P: 6 W: 6 L: 0