Kent men’s tennis team have retained their National Champions title after winning the County Cup Division 1 - while the women win promotion.

The men’s title was won at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, remaining unbeaten to take the title. The women missed out on the Division 2 title but go up as the second placed team.

The men defeated Hertfordshire 9-0 on day one of their competition and followed that up with another 9-0 win over Suffolk on day two. As they moved into the third day Kent were tested before they defeated the East of Scotland 5-4.

Day four saw the Kent men forced to dig deep against Surrey as they found themselves 4-2 down with three matches left to play. They had to win all three to complete the win. The Kent men did not disappoint the many spectators that had travelled from the county to cheer on their team.

Kent came through one match in straight set but found themselves down a set in the other two matches. The Kent men managed to hold their nerve in increasing tension and turned the tables on Surrey to clinch a closely fought 5-4 victory. The final match outcome ended on a tie-break that eventually went in favour of Kent.

The following day saw the Kent men take on the last of their competitors, Essex. They were in outstanding and at the end of the second round the men had moved into an unbeatable 5-1 lead and it was decided there was no need to continue the rest of the match with only the last three matches remaining.

Kent men had retained their title from 2019. The men’s team consisted of captain Andy Burgoyne, Alistair Filmer (vice captain), Matt Summers, James Davis, Nick Brookes, Sean Thornley, Lewis Burton, James Markiewicz, Francis Sargeant, Pat Brady and Hugo Coquelin.

Meanwhile, the Kent Ladies team were at the East Gloucestershire Club, Cheltenham in Division 2.

Day one saw the ladies get off to a great start when they defeated Essex 6-3. Day two saw the ladies come through a closely fought contest to defeat Warwickshire 5-4.

Day three witnessed the Kent ladies victorious again against Nottinghamshire 6-3 but day four prove tough. They were forced to dig deep against Northumberland and lost out 6-3.

They bounced back on day five and although the title was beyond them they beat Lancashire to take second spot and win promotion to Division 1.

The Ladies team consisted of Captain Holly Richards, Jacqueline Darby (vice captain), Sarah Wray, Gabby Chidwick, Natasha Munday, Sofia Johnson, Phoebe Watton, Alaia Rubio Perez, Phoebe Ecuyer-Dale.

Kent will now have Mens and Ladies playing in the premier Division 1 group at Eastbourne in 2022.