TWENTY Pershore Tennis Centre juniors returned with a haul of trophies and prizes from the County Closed Championships.

The players, many on the club’s futures programme, competed in events from under eights to 18s in singles and doubles.

Madeline Walsh and William Billings made the semi-finals in the under eights girls’ and boys’ sections respectively.

Alfie Mills won the boys’ under nines while Ben Stanley and Jack Bulbulia reached the last four in the same age group.

Jack and George Kirkham claimed the under nines doubles.

Caoimhe Guppy won the girls’ under 10s and with club-mate Ruth Teale also triumphed in the doubles.

Guppy also finished runners-up in the under 12s and received the award for the best girl player in the county.

In the boys’ under 14s Max Hingley and Samuel Rayner reached the semi-finals.

Hingley and his partner won the doubles.

At boys’ under 16s level Matthew Sime reached the singles semi-finals and the doubles too with club-mate Antony Fordham.

Sean Randle and Jack Hingley reached the doubles last four as well.

Georgie Jeynes-Cupper was fourth in the girls’ 18 and under singles, third in the women’s singles and runner-up in the women’s doubles.

Imogen Looker and Lucie Palmer won the girls’ under 16s doubles.

Looker and Sime claimed the under 16s mixed doubles.

At the other end of the age scale in Pershore one of the centre’s longest-serving members Derek Humberstone celebrated his 89th birthday.

He was presented with a cake at the weekly Saturday tennis social to celebrate more than 60 years of playing tennis.

A club spokesman said: “The award was also to recognise that in his 90th year Derek continues to demonstrate remarkable accuracy, poise, finesse and competitive savvy on the court.

“We are all blessed to have such a fine gentleman to inspire us to continue playing tennis for many years to come.”