DORCHESTER Tennis & Squash Club celebrated two first-time singles champions at a high-quality club championships.

In the men’s singles, two first-time finalists in Ethan Robinson and Ellery Ford battled for glory.

Ford’s tactics were to mix up the pace and not allow Robinson to play his normal game and it worked as he frustrated Robinson to win 6-1, 6-1.

In the women’s Singles, first-time finalist Milly Sidaway was up against 21-time champion Sarah Skidmore.

Sidaway had a good game plan but was a bit daunted by her opponent’s record in the tournament.

It was a battle of the big forehands, each trying to punish the other’s backhands.

Sidaway won the first set quite convincingly and at the start of the second set it looked like Skidmore’s experience would enable her to get back into the match as she was leading, but in the end Sidaway managed to overcome her and claim her first singles title in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

In the men’s doubles, defending champions Ed Keegan and Ethan Robinson were up against last year’s finalist Hal Cazalet, playing with new partner, Connor Townsend.

The first set was close, with some exciting rallies from the baseline but once again Keegan and Robinson proved too strong for their opposition and retained their trophy 6-4, 6-1.

The women's doubles final was the last match on court and the skies were looking threatening.

Defending champion, Sally Dinham-Scott, teamed up with Skidmore this year and they faced Rebecca Hambleton and Jess Kennedy.

Dinham-Scott and Skidmore showed their doubles experience and raced away with the first set, but Hambleton and Kennedy grew into the match and managed to make the second set closer than the first, but Dinham-Scott and Skidmore convincingly won 6-0, 6-2.

The mixed doubles final was a repeat of last year’s final, with defending champions Skidmore and Robinson again facing Sidaway and Ford in one of the best matches of the day.

Sidaway and Ford looked like they were the better-prepared team as they raced through the first set 6-0 with the champions looking sluggish.

The title holders managed to turn things around in the second set, with Robinson much more active at the net and eked out a lead, serving for the set at 5-2, only to have their serve broken.

Skidmore and Robinson did manage to take the game into a deciding match tie-break by winning the next game and it always looked like the title was theirs in the match tie-break.

They duly held on to win the title for the third year in a row. Skidmore has now won the mixed doubles 26 times with ten different partners.

Skidmore and Robinson both won two titles in the main events and were therefore jointly awarded the coveted Rod Skidmore Cup, named in memory of Sarah Skidmore’s husband.

This cup is awarded to the winner of the most events in the main draw. Rod Skidmore was a Royal Navy pilot who lost his life in a helicopter crash in 2002.

The tournament was sponsored by Pengillys and at the presentation ceremony, club chairman Al Clark said: “It’s great to have a local firm sponsoring us and promoting local sport in our community.

"We’ve had a wonderful tournament and it’s great to see the courts full of our best players and the club full of spectators enjoying our renowned hospitality.

"It’s also very encouraging to see so many juniors, who’ve come through the DTSC tennis coaching programme competing for senior trophies.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about joining the club can visit www.dtsc.org.uk or e-mail: admin@dtsc.org.uk or phone 01305 268103 from 9-11am on weekdays for more information.

Results: Men's singles – Ellery Ford beat Ethan Robinson 6-1, 6-1; Women's singles – Milly Sidaway beat Sarah Skidmore 6-3, 6-4; Men's doubles – Ethan Robinson & Ed Keegan beat Connor Townsend & Hal Cazalet 6-4, 6-1; Women's doubles – Sally Dinham-Scott & Sarah Skidmore beat Rebecca Hambleton & Jess Kennedy 6-0, 6-2; Mixed doubles – Sarah Skidmore & Ethan Robinson beat Millie Sidaway & Ellery Ford 0-6, 6-3, 10-6; Men's singles plate – Joe Slowther beat Dugald Lockhart 6-3, 6-2; Women's singles plate – Jess Kennedy beat Sophie Perry 6-1, 6-0; Men's doubles plate – Pete Notley & Tim Toogood beat Daniel Smith & Henry Theobald 6-1, 0-6, 10-8; Women's doubles plate – Julie Nash & Lorraine Slowther w/o Trisha Holden & Jane Jones; Mixed doubles plate – Lorraine & Joe Slowther beat Lynn Ramsell & Alister Millar 6-2, 6-2.