Leagues & Tournaments

The Club is very committed to providing competitive opportunities for Members at all levels through both in-house tournaments and participation in inter-club league programmes as well as a range of social tennis events (see the descriptions at the bottom of this page).

LEAGUES
Winstanley Tennis Club has been affiliated to the Warrington and District LTA (WDLTA) for many years and has entered as many as 4 Ladies’, 4 Gents’ , 3 Mixed and 1 over-45s teams in the Adult section of the Warrington Tennis League, according to demand; the League comprises 16 clubs based in Lancashire and Cheshire and mounts a weekly programme of mid-week fixtures which start in April and run through to the end of August; WDLTA also runs a Winter League in which we compete. Guidance for all players about match nights is outlined here  Matchnight arrangements for players and captains  while selection for the Gents’ teams is described in the following document as one illustration of club practice : MEN’S SELECTION POLICY 2024

The Club currently enters Junior teams in the Bolton League for competition at weekends; our Junior section is involved, too, in the AEGON Team Tennis and/or HSBC Road to Wimbledon series promoted by the LTA (see our Coaching page for additional details).

Our under-18 Junior team crowned their 2017 season as Winners of Division 1 in the Bolton League, while 3 of our Adult teams finished as Champions of their respective divisions in the Warrington League in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons; in the 2023 season our Mixed winter team, our Ladies 1st team and our Gents o45s team all topped their respective divisions; among notable earlier highlights was 2004 when our Ladies 1st team won the National Club League County Competiton. With our new facilities, the Club was honoured in being chosen as the venue for the 2014 and 2018 Finals of the JL Ardern Knockout Cup (run under the auspices of WDLTA).

TOURNAMENTS
The Club is very active with in-house tournaments for Adult and Junior Members across the tennis year in a range of formats, as can be seen from the schedule of short tournaments listed below for the spring/summer period of 2026.

While most of these events are based upon ‘doubles’ play in Sunday afternoon social tennis time, there are also opportunities for ‘singles’ competition in the main Winstanley Championships which run across the year or as an end-of-season series, according to demand; also, singles ‘ladders’ or ‘box leagues’ may be arranged between interested Members. American tournaments are also held throughout autumn&winter on every third Sunday of the month.

We have also entered teams in the WDLTA J L Ardern Knockout Competition; in addition, WDLTA organises the annual ‘Warrington Open’ and ‘Warrington Junior Open’ Tennis Tournaments which Members from Clubs such as ours enter and which offer a wide range of tournament opportunities across various age-groupings and competition formats.

WDLTA’s guidance to players regarding match-night hospitality and conduct is expressed in this document : Guidance and etiquette for matches

Our own Junior section mounts tournaments often in connection with barbecues, buffets, quizzes and the like, as well as providing regular fun and serious competition for both its mini-tennis section and older Junior players; see the Coaching page for details of the Junior ‘Open’ competitions available at the Club.

What is a Social Tennis Sunday Afternoon Event?
The main focus of the Social Tennis Sunday Afternoon is all about enjoyment and meeting
new players: new to tennis and new to the club. Just come along at 1.30pm. You don’t have
to book.
We strive to make new players and beginners welcome and wherever possible will pair them
with more experienced players and to this end there is always a long- serving member of the
club in attendance to organise the matches.
Friendly competition is encouraged, but social play takes priority over winning.
What is the format of the afternoon?
Doubles matches are preferred to maximize participation, but that will depend upon who
turns up on the afternoon. However, the great thing about these afternoons is that you are
guaranteed a number of matches.
Players mix in and change partners every five games (depending on attendance).
If possible, players should avoid playing consecutive matches with the same partner to
ensure everyone plays with, and partners, different players.
Scoring
In order to speed up play, when the score gets to deuce for the first time, the next point is the
last point of that game (often referred to as ‘killer deuce’) with the receiving pair choosing
who will receive the serve.
The format will vary depending on how many people turn up, but the organiser will try and
ensure that all players get a variety of play. We usually play no more than 5 games per
match so if we have odd numbers nobody sits off for very long.
Finally, please remember that these afternoons are for ALL players, regardless of their
ability.

What is a Sunday Afternoon American Tournament?
This is a mixed doubles tournament but depending upon the number of men and ladies who
attend, there may be some same sex pairings. You don’t have to book to enter- just turn up.
The organiser on the day will determine the initial pairings.
What is the format?
5 games are played for each round, with each player recording the number of games won
individually e.g. if you and your partner won 3-2, you and your partner will each record 3
games for that round. You will then move to the next court and split up. Your playing
opponents will stay on the same court and split up, having recorded 2 games each.
Throughout the afternoon the format continues with individuals recording the number of
games they have won in each match with the organiser, who will keep a tally sheet for the
whole competition.
Changing partner every round is a great way to meet other Club members.
When all the rounds have been completed, usually 5, the number of games won by each
individual man and lady will be totalled and the winners will receive a small prize.
How do we start the match?
A match begins with a racket spin to determine serve.
How do we score?
In order to keep the games moving, a ‘killer/ sudden death deuce is used.
For those unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that when the score gets to deuce, the
next point is the last point of the game. For fairness, if the pairs are mixed and a lady is
serving, she should serve the last point to the lady and likewise if a man serving, he should
serve to the man.
Sportsmanship and Fair Play
Players must respect their opponents and call their own lines fairly.
Disputes should be resolved by replaying the point.
Enjoy the social aspect of the tournament as it’s meant to be fun and competitive!
The organiser will be there all afternoon. They will explain the format and rules before the
competition starts and be there during the afternoon to help if anybody is unsure