Biggest title win moves Team Bath Tennis ace Alicia Barnett and doubles partner Olivia Nicholls into world’s top 90 for first time
Team Bath Tennis ace Alicia Barnett and doubles partner Olivia Nicholls recorded the best win of their careers to date as they secured their first ITF title in Poland.
A 6-1 7-6(3) win over top seeds Vivian Heisen and Katarzyna Kawa in Saturday’s final of the W100 Grodzisk Mazowiecki tournament moves the British duo into the WTA doubles top 90 for the first time, Barnett hitting a career-high ranking of 87.
Having survived a three-set clash in the opening round, Barnett and Nicholls – who reached the second round on their Grand Slam debuts at Wimbledon last month – didn’t drop another set on their way to clinching their second title win of an impressive season.
Barnett is coached at the Team Bath Sports Training Village by Ian MacDonald, while new Team Bath Tennis coach Tiernan Brady – who had previously studied Sports Performance at the University of Bath – was the pair’s travelling coach in Poland.
There were Team Bath Tennis players on either side of the net in the men’s doubles final at the M25 Nottingham tournament, the last grass-court competition of the summer.
Luke Johnson and partner Charles Broom – in their first tournament together – came out on top against Ben Jones and Joe Tyler, winning 6-1 7-6(1).
Team Bath Tennis coach Lauren English represented Great Britain at the ITF Masters World Team Championships in Lisbon, helping to secure a fifth-placed finish out of 15 nations in the Women’s 35s competition.
The indoor and outdoor tennis courts at the University of Bath are available for public hire throughout the year. Click here to find out more.
Pictured: Alicia Barnett (left) and Olivia Nicholls with travelling Team Bath Tennis coach Tiernan Brady
