THERE was cause for a triple celebration at the finals of the big Kent Messenger Winter Tennis tournament on Sunday.

Organiser and referee Alan Mole was celebrating his 25th year in charge, Bearsted tennis club was hosting the finals for the 21st time, and the weather was the best it has ever been for the popular and long-established event.

Hundreds of players throughout the county enter the KM tournament and play their knockout matches over the winter months culminating in the finals in late April.

There were some great matches and the good crowd was entertained by some sparkling tennis.

This year, for the first time, an under 12 boys competition was played and finalists Matthew Brown, 9, from Maidstone and opponent 11-year-old Steven Blythe, from the Dragons Club, put on a tremendous show, Matthew eventually winning 6-7, 7-5, 6-2.

Matthew's older brother Jamie made it a family double with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Folkestone's Tom Samson in the under 16 boys final.

Maidstone players completed a hat-trick of junior titles when Francesca Faulkes beat Nicole Daisley from Meopham 6-3, 6-2 in the girls singles final.

One of the best encounters of the day for the purists was the men's singles final which saw Horsmonden club coach Zane Cheeseman beat Maidstone's Dan Betts 6-1, 7-5.

In the ladies singles, young Holly Cheeseman from Maidstone completed a hat-trick of titles with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Maidstone's Christine Lewis.

Tunbridge Wells club coach Vincent Oliver and Giles Davey proved too strong for club colleagues Tom Hayden and Alan Wilmshurst in the men's doubles, while Margate's Gaynor Mayer and Wendy Munday edged out Sally Holmes and Ann Gibbs from Herne Bay in the ladies' doubles.

Brian Mileham and Wendy Munday (Margate) took the mixed doubles crown.

Dave Balow won the men's vets singles as well as the men's vets doubles with Alan Wilmhurst, while Wilmhurst and Sarah Van Doren took the mixed vets title.

The ladies' vets crown was taken by Holmes and Gibbs.