Once again heat and sunshine dominated at the 125th Framlingham Tennis Tournament today, writes Chris Clarke.

The Suffolk Men have reached the semi-final stage with none of the four players now involved having been very stretched at all as yet.

The next matches, due to be played today, could be a different story with first seed Matt Hough playing Harper Mills, seeded third, with second seed Ryan Lambert against Asa Sumner-Keen, who prevailed against his father in the quarter-finals.

The Ladies final on Thursday will be experience versus youth as ten times winner Katie Tassell, who beat young Isabelle Eaton in a well fought match yesterday, plays Maddie McLoughlin who is still in the 14 and under age group.

Maddie is about the same age as Katie when she won her first Championship and it promises to be an interesting encounter.

One of the most closely fought matches of the day was in the Men’s Open between Harvey Mills and Tomi Farkas with Mills just coming through in the championship tie-break.

There is a good entry in this event, and David Dean is top seed in both this and the boys 18 and under event which brought two matches of note – William Donsworth beating number three seed Benjamin Stanford in three sets and Tom Skinner winning against Regan Bessey in a particularly hard-hitting game.

The other junior competitions in the 16, 14 and 12 age ranges are progressing well too in both boys and girls events. These are well supported and have reached the quarter or semi-final stages.

Framlingham College Head of Tennis and Tournament Committee member Richard Daynes is running the mini tennis events which commence today with ten and under followed by eight and under tomorrow and nine and under on Friday.

This is the joy of Framlingham – we will be seeing Joan Hassell in her 60th tournament, whilst other competitors can just see over the net!

Selected Results

Suffolk Men’s Singles

Quarter Finals - M Hough bt H Wilson 6-2 6-1. H Mills bt C Lambert 6-3 6-1. A Sumner- Keens 6-1 6-0. R Lambert bt M Mitev-Wood 6-1 6-2.

Suffolk Ladies Singles.

Semi Finals- M McLoughlin bt H Petley 6-0 7-5. K Tassell bt I Eaton 6-4 6-2

Men’s Open Singles.

Second Round - D Dean bt G Eaton 6-3,6-1. A Roberts bt S Holland 6-2 rtd. J Blunden bt C Lambert 6-2, 6-2. C Whiting bt B Mowles 6-0, 6-2, D Chamoun but A Jacobs 6-2, 6-0. H Mills bt T Farkas 6-2, 6-7, 1-0(7). R Bessey bt J Crossley 6-3, 6-3, A Smith bt D Chaplin 6-0,6-0, T Skinner bt B Buxbaum 6-0, 6-0,M Mitev-Will bt A Robertson 6-0, 6-3, C Newman bt S Horrex 6-1, 6-2, F Withers bt J Knight 7-5, 6-2. H Ketteringham bt M Holland 6-1, 4-6, 1+0(5), P Hope w/o T Glossop, B Stanford bt K Buxton 6-0, rtd.

Ladies Open Singles.

First Round - K Brown bt M Hendin-Walker 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (6). T Senah bt L Cruickshank 6-4, 6-4. M McLoughlin bt A Brown 6-4, 6-2. E Smart bt I Charlton 6-1, 6-4.