Eastbourne serves up warm welcome for German tennis ace

Larissa, who works as a pharmacist in Germany, plays at a high level at the TEC Waldau Stuttgart club and is in England for a few weeks studying English at St Giles Language School.

Keen to keep in training Larissa was delighted when ladies’ first team player Lucy Parkin invited her to play a singles match.

Larissa said: “I was so pleased to be able to play at such a beautiful club.

“I am really enjoying my time in Eastbourne. Everyone has been so friendly and the English lessons I am having are very helpful.”

The two players produced some high-quality hitting despite the unpredictability of the English weather, with Larissa claiming victory just as the rain set in.

Lucy said: “It was a pleasure to provide Larissa with some practice and it’s great to know that she will return to Germany with some very happy memories of her time in Meads.”

Hailsham tennis

The second final of Hailsham Tennis Club’s protracted tournament finals took place and this time it was the mixed doubles final taking centre stage.

Holders and three time winners Neil Downer and Chris Packham took on Johan Jooste and Sam Noakes.

Jooste and Noakes are themselves previous winners albeit while playing with different partners.

Downer and Jooste have won the past four men’s doubles finals together, but this time they were on opposite sides of the net, so the two pairings seemed to be well matched.

This year it was Jooste and Noakes’ turn to come through in straight sets, with Downer and Packham putting up a brave fight.

The next match on the horizon at Hailsham will be the men’s doubles final, in which Downerand Jooste are the four time holders.