A Sunday morning knock-up on the banks of the Seine in the 16th arrondissement sounded rather appealing. It was a very long journey by metro - more than 26 stops - but it was the only court available that didn't necessitate an 8am start. Tennis Niox is not far from Porte de Saint-Cloud, home of the Parc des Princes and the Paris St Germain football team (we even had three footballers in their official tracksuits in our carriage on the metro ride there). Unfortunately its riverside setting must be the least scenic stretch in Paris - home to a builder's yard with its accompanying piles of sand, JCBs, cranes and concrete mixers. It's more Manchester ship canal than Les Amants du Pont Neuf.
The grim aspect was compounded by the fact that many of the surrounding roads were closed off for a road race so that the road along the Seine was bumper to bumper with Parisians all sitting with their hand on the horn - their instinctive reaction to any slowing of traffic. It was deafening and, combined with the almost constant wail of sirens, it made keeping score tricky at times. The court surface was one of the worst we've played on with a positive trip hazard on one of the joins between the concrete blocks. There are three courts in total - two with an open-sided cover and one fully in the open which we played on. Interestingly, and somewhat unusually, there was a Pelote court next door - the Basque game played with scoops rather than rackets - so if anyone fancies a game you know where to go.
We managed two good sets as no-one came to take over when our hour was up. It was just as well because we were all agreed that while any tennis is better than no tennis, it was rather a long way to travel for the privilege.
Tennis Niox
12 quai Saint-Exupéry
75016 Paris
Metro: Porte de Saint-Cloud
