En Voyage_Issue#14_Flickbook

And one person who knows
that’s true is Jamie Murray.
While he’s made his name
internationally with his tennis
career, including playing mixed
doubles alongside Guernsey’s
very own Heather Watson,
he’s no stranger to padel.
Jamie said: ‘I’ve played padel
a handful of times. It’s a very
social sport. I can play it with
my friends. We can get some
good games going, some
amazing rallies. I would like to
play more. It’s a lot of fun and
it’s very competitive as well.’
That mix of fun and competition
is now being experienced in
Guernsey after three brand
new courts were opened at the
Guernsey Tennis Club site at
Longcamps. They offer single,
family and corporate memberships
as well as ‘pay and play’ options
for those who want to get a taster
and see if padel is for them.
The British Padel Tour included
Guernsey for the first time in 2018,
with a two-day tournament hot
on the heels of other events in
Essex, Scotland and London.
British stars of the sport Javier
Serrats and Jon Leach lived up
to their reputations as padel
powerhouses, cruising to a 6-0
6-1 victory over local players
Jon Young and Rob West.
Rob said: ‘These guys are another
level. It’s been really enjoyable to
play against them and hopefully
they’ll be back to play again next
year. Everyone who comes down
and plays it loves it, so our goal is
to get more people down to try it.’
While so many sports are
focused on solely the wins, padel’s
place in the Guernsey sporting
community is all about growing
both awareness and interest in it. A
top French coach visited the island
in the autumn to help players of
all abilities brush up their skills.
Kristina Clement is seen as
one of the best of them all.
British Padel veteran Barry
Coffey said: ‘Kristina has coached
me from complete novice to
tournament winner in a relatively
short time. She is enjoyable to
work with and makes learning fun.’
And judging by the feedback
from those who met Kristina
during her coaching sessions,
Barry’s far from alone in that view.
So, if you’re thinking of taking
up a new sport but perhaps don’t
THAT MIX OF FUN AND
COMPETITION IS NOW
BEING EXPERIENCED
IN GUERNSEY AFTER
THREE BRAND NEW
COURTS WERE OPENED
AT THE GUERNSEY
TENNIS CLUB SITE AT
LONGCAMPS
know where to start, why not try
something completely different?
People regularly use the words
‘social’ and ‘fun’ to describe padel.
The new courts at the Guernsey
Tennis Club are spot on, and
when you combine them with
the centre’s existing facilities
which include a steam room,
sauna, licensed bar and café,
you’ve everything you need in
one place to make your first
padel experience a positive one.
As Jamie Murray said: ‘It’s a great
sport, it’s a lot of fun, a lot of crazy
rallies. It’s a good experience.’
Find out more at
guernseypadelclub.gg
106 En Voyage | Aurigny’s Magazine