Tennis: Vijay League-Women and men in separate leagues |07 May 2005

Instead of just one league, the competition is being played in two different championships – men and women – bringing more excitement to the game this year.

One of the reasons for the change is that most of the time female players failed to come for matches, leaving their teams to lose important points.

“We want to bring more excitement to the championship after teams suffered greatly with their female players not turning up for matches. We hope to have a much tighter men’s league and because the ladies will be playing in a separate league, it is very likely that they will follow the schedule or else the ladies’ championship won’t be that exciting,” said a Seychelles Tennis Association spokesman.

The five men’s teams involved in this season’s league are El-Nino Blues (captained by André Hissen), Club 2000 (captained by Charlie Ng), Spitfire (captained by Antoine Hip-Waye), Side-Out (captained by Mervyn Laporte) and Grand Slam (captained by Tim Horpinitch).

The El-Nino Blues team is a merger of El-Nino and The Blues who finished before last and last in last year’s six-team championship won by Spitfire for their second consecutive title win and third in four years. Spitfire registered their other two championship wins in 2001 and 2003.

As for Side-Out, winners of the championship in 2002, they are back in the league after not participating last year.
In one men’s encounter, there will be three singles and two doubles matches.

The first match of the championship has been won by Club 2000 over Side-Out on a 4-1 score.
In the three singles matches, Club 2000’s Stephan Romain beat Shane Pothin 2-0 (6-3 6-0), newly elected Seychelles Tennis Association chairman Philip Brioche edged Side-Out’s captain Mervyn Laporte 2-1 (6-3 4-6 7-6) and veteran André Derjacques whitewashed 18-year-old Darryl Nourrice 2-0 (6-2 6-1).

In the doubles, André Derjacques and Stephan Romain were too strong for the Side-Out pair of Mervyn Laporte and John Adam whom they beat 2-0 (6-2 6-3).

Side-Out’s only win came through Shane Pothin and Darryl Nourrice who beat Philip Brioche and captain Charlie Ng 2-0 (6-1 6-2).

The women’s league comprises four teams – Roxy Champs (captained by Gloria Lauro), Deeply (captained by Linda Samson), Unknown (captained by Betty Rath) and Gotcha Girls (captained by Julie Fayon) – who will vie for the first title.
Each ladies’ encounter will comprise two singles and one doubles matches.

Roxy Champs and Deeply will be the first two women’s teams in action on Friday May 13 at 4.45 p.m.
Both the men’s and ladies’ leagues will be played over two rounds.

Because the ladies’ league has only four teams, they will all qualify for the cross knockout semifinals while one of the five men’s sides will miss out on reaching the last-four stage for a place in the final.
All matches will be played at the Roche Caïman tennis courts.

Meanwhile the finals of the Franky Jean Construction Junior Tournament have been scheduled for this morning, starting at 10.30 at the Roche Caïman courts.

G. G.

The past Vijay League champions
Challengers winners in 1999
Tennis Club 2000 winners in 2000
Spitfire winners in 2001, 2003 and 2004
Rovers Side-Out winners in 2002