Disclaimer

This blog reflects the personal observations of a parent watching junior tennis from the sidelines. It is not a coaching report, an official match record, or an LTA-sanctioned technical analysis. Scores may be misremembered, emotions occasionally mismanaged, and opinions are offered strictly in hindsight, with coffee

Another Sunday, another competition, another early start involving optimism, caffeine, and the quiet belief that this time everything might align nicely.

Yesterday’s stage was the impressive sports hall at University of Bath, hosting 16 U9 tennis gladiators all fighting for the fabled Golden Ticket to a Grade 2 tournament in Bournemouth next month.

As with all linked tournaments, only the top 16 nationally ranked players made it into the draw. That alone already felt like an achievement—especially as four Somerset boys were among them:
Charlie Tackle, Austin Carroll, Monty Carroll, and our son.

By Somerset standards, this felt borderline historic.

Seeding: Official, Necessary, and Largely Theoretical

Our son entered as the highest-seeded Somerset player at 11, followed by Charlie at 13, and the Carroll twins bravely holding seeds 15 and 16. As has been demonstrated repeatedly at this age, seeding provides comfort rather than certainty. Still, some sort of structure must exist, otherwise parents would be left with nothing to argue about before the first ball is struck.

A genuinely classy touch from the organisers was splitting players from the same county into different groups. With Somerset and Avon well represented, no one had to eliminate a training partner before lunchtime. Sensible, fair, and surprisingly thoughtful.

Group C: Hope, Fear, and Basic Arithmetic

Our son landed in Group C, alongside Stefan Boffin, widely regarded as the favourite to win the group. First up, though, was Will Goodson from South Wales—one of two Welsh players at the event, seemingly supported by a single Welsh coach covering both. Efficient. Economical. Very Welsh.

Normally, our son needs a set or two to wake up properly. Not this time. To our surprise, he took the first set 7–4.

Could this actually be his first group-stage win at this level?

Naturally, the second set went the other way: 5–7. Reset. Deep breath.

At 1–4 down in the deciding set, I exercised peak parental maturity and walked away, unable to watch—not because he was playing badly, but because the tension had become unreasonable.

When he later approached the arbiter with his opponent, I braced myself for disappointment, only to hear he’d won 7–4. Six points in a row. Match secured. His first-ever group-stage win at this level.

A proper milestone.

Reality, Arriving Promptly and Unannounced

Next up was Stefan Boffin. Yes, that Stefan—previously associated with a Bath-based controversy involving “creative” line calls. This time, none of that mattered. Stefan is simply a very strong player with solid technique. Court manners remain a separate discussion.

Result: 2–7, 2–7. Clear. Fair. Educational.

The Match That Will Be Recounted Many Times

Final group match: Hugo Yee.

At this point, qualification suddenly looked possible, which turned out to be significantly more stressful than inevitable defeat.

Our son lost a tight first set 5–7, then bounced back convincingly 7–2. Final set. Everything on the line.

I kept score. Carefully. Religiously.

I was convinced he was 6–5 up and won the next point. Match done. Progress secured.

Except… they kept playing.

Somehow, reality diverged. It transpired he was actually 5–6 down at that point. I would still bet a month’s salary that this was incorrect—but tennis does not accept parental appeals.

He lost 6–8.

Post-match explanation was disarmingly simple:

“My opponent told me it was 5–6, so I believed him.”

Reader, I was baffled.

My wife handled the situation diplomatically. I did not. The phrase “you bottled it” was deployed. Tears followed. Shortly after, the standings confirmed the damage: third in the group, missing out on qualification to Will due to games won.

It wasn’t losing that hurt.
It was how it happened.

At this level, awareness matters. Counting matters. These are not optional extras.

Back to Familiar Ground: The Loser Draw

Back to known territory.

First match: Zander Watkins. A tight contest, but ultimately a 6–8, 4–7 loss. The residue of the group-stage disappointment still hung in the air.

Next up: Charlie Tackle, Somerset teammate and frequent opponent. As always when those two meet, it was long, tense, and emotionally expensive.

This time, our son edged it:
5–7, 7–5, 7–4

No last-place playoff required. Small victories matter.

Final match of the day was against Leone Merzi. My wife watched closely and was unimpressed with attitude and behaviour after a long day of tennis. The match slipped away 7–9, 5–7, accompanied by some… questionable calls. We will leave it there for everyone’s benefit.

The Drive Home

Quiet. Heavy. Educational.

The post-tournament debrief delivered by my wife was German in both structure and intensity. Even I felt it was robust. That said, the underlying message is sound: if he chooses to play these tournaments—and we do discuss them with him beforehand—then he needs to turn up and try his best.

If the best isn’t good enough because the opponent is simply better (see: Stefan), that’s fine.
If the effort isn’t there, then perhaps tennis doesn’t need to be the chosen activity that weekend.

Principle matters.

It was harder to watch this time around. Somehow, it always is when both parents are present—each armed with different philosophies, thresholds, and emotional toolkits.

The Technical Elephant in the Room

There is also, inevitably, some technical housekeeping to be done. The backhand needs work, but more pressingly, the serve requires attention. At present, the serve is a little too polite for competitive tennis.

It was taken advantage of on numerous occasions, with opponents stepping in early and immediately putting him under pressure. At this level, a weakish serve is not just a starting shot—it is an invitation.

If he genuinely chooses to pursue more competitive tennis, this is an area that needs focused improvement. Not perfection, just enough solidity to stop giving points away before the rally has even begun.

Somerset Round-Up

For completeness:

• Charlie Tackle finished 15th, beating Hugo Yee to avoid last place
• Monty Carroll won one group match, finished third in his group, and placed 10th overall
• Austin Carroll had an excellent tournament: second in his group, quarter-finalist, then “rewarded” with a match against the No.1 seed. After a three-set loss, he won his final match to finish 7th overall

A strong showing for Somerset overall.

So… What’s Next?

If our son wants to play, he is entered into the Taunton Grade 4 tournament on Sunday 1 February.

Whether he plays—and how he plays—is another story entirely.

And like all good junior tennis stories, it will almost certainly involve maths, emotions, and at least one parent questioning their life choices.