Tennis Eden Parc, Annecy: Peak performance

My only criteria when booking a holiday this year was that it had to have a tennis court. I'd made the reservation months ago, in the heady days before quarantine requirements, mask wearing and social distancing, when the main inconvenience was fitting in around my husband's work schedule in a summer packed with sporting events - Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics - both of which were postponed. The only property I could find in France for the last two weeks in August was here in Annecy so I snapped it up. By the time the holidays arrived, after enduring the heatwave through the dog days of July and the start of August in Paris, we were desperate to get away. In my desire to find somewhere to play tennis, I hadn't given much thought to the location - this apartment ticked the most important box with access to two tennis courts and also a pool, but its most stunning feature turned out to be a wraparound balcony with breathtaking views across the lake and mountains. Annecy has spectacular views in every direction and there is plenty to do and see when you are not on court. 

In  photos the Eden Parc courts looked like clay, but in fact they are a surface known as OmniCourt - a type of synthetic grass with a sand top-dressing, which needs to be swept after each session to redistribute the sand. The ones at Eden Parc are extremely well-maintained, clearly marked out with excellent nets and we found the surface pretty much perfect - a nice even bounce, soft underfoot and just the right amount of slide for an enjoyable game. Temperatures have been scorching - up to 36C on some days - but even after an overnight downpour the court was soon ready to play on and quickly dried off. My only quibble would be the lack of shade - the rapidly shrinking shadow of a couple of trees had us creeping up to the net for some respite or lingering in a back corner collecting balls. We needed plenty of water to get us through our daily two-hour matches and some judicious moving of the court-side seats to for a break in the shade when we changed ends.

There's no problem with availability - no need to reserve (though there is a sheet to book a slot) - in fact we've been pretty much the only people playing. Possibly it's too hot for the locals - only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun - they are more likely to be found social distancing round the pool. Personally I find two hours of tennis with the mountain views sets us up perfectly for a day of messing about on the lake or heading up the mountain (and jumping off in the case of the kids, who are keen to try paragliding). Highly recommended for tennis enthusiasts (and Annecy's not bad either).

Tennis Louis Lumière: Rallying after the Covid crisis

Encore on court: return to tennis after a long lockdown break

After two months of lockdown in France,  the tennis courts are finally open again. If ever there were a  game that allowed social distancing then surely tennis is it (especially singles), but the public courts were not among the first things to reopen. The Covid crisis also means I've missed my annual birthday week visit to Roland Garros (postponed until September) and there is no Wimbledon to look forward to either - cancelled altogether.
A cheering game of tennis was just the ticket to blow away the coronavirus cobwebs and start getting back to normal, so I booked a court at Louis Lumière, close to home  - with no requirement to take public transport.  There are two excellent refurbished courts  (numbers 2 and 3), but court number one has yet to be upgraded and seemed to be an access route to the open air gym at the far end today, with a steady stream of body-building types carrying weights, heading in that direction.
There was a one way system to enter the sports centre with hand gel provided and the now ubiquitous queueing markers to space out those waiting to check in at reception. The changing rooms were closed, but the loos were open and there was a tap to refill water bottles.
I've missed playing tennis, especially as the spring weather has been so consistently fabulous since we locked down in mid-March. Unfortunately my efforts at keeping fit (in front of the TV with Body Coach Joe Wicks) have led to a knee strain so I was taking it very easy. I was damned if was letting anything get between me and my return to the court, though  at times it felt as if I was channeling my late dad who as he got older, with knee bandages on both knees, relied on crafty ball placement rather than speed around the court. I left my son (and tennis partner) to do the running and astonishingly, despite my handicap, we won the first set 6-1.
Not wishing to tempt fate I sat the rest of the session out. We have booked a holiday home with a tennis court in Annecy from mid August and plan to play every day for a fortnight so I need (kneed) to be in top shape for that.
It felt good to play - and dare I say it, but my knee feels better for it!

Tennis Edouard Pailleron: Academic exercise

It's my daughter Sophie's last week in Paris before she leaves for Cardiff University. In between packing her bags and and scouring the shops for Parisian essentials to furnish her student flat, she's been taking a nostalgic tour of her old haunts, lingering over lunch at her favourite bars and cafés, hanging out in her favourite squares and generally soaking up the ambiance of her home city before she flies the nest. Tennis was on her 'to do' list and as I was booking midweek in term time I managed to get us a slot on the only public clay courts in Paris at Edouard Pailleron, not far from the Butte Chaumont.
These two courts are usually snapped up as soon as booking opens. They are in a lovely tree-shaded corner of the 19th, tucked behind the buildings, but with enough space around them that you almost have the feeling of being at a little tennis club.

The court condition and line markings had deteriorated since I last played here and the clay was starting to show cracks at the baseline, no doubt as a result of this year's scorching summer, but the couple on before us carefully raked and watered the clay before they came off so we had the pleasure of starting our game on a neatly manicured surface.
Even in less than peak condition, it is an enjoyable surface to play on - the bounce is so much better than on concrete and it feels softer underfoot, even if you do leave covered with a fine dusting of red clay. More crucially, disputed calls can be settled by looking for the mark on the court.
We enjoyed an energetic singles and then got almost as much pleasure from raking and watering the court when we had finished.
I haven't checked out the Cardiff University tennis facilities yet - I imagine indoor courts would be an essential if you are going to get a game in the Welsh climate. Sophie will be packing her racket for sure and perhaps I can even persuade to write a guest post.

Tennis Edouard Pailleron
22 rue Edouard Pailleron
75019
Paris
Metro: Bolivar  (line 7bis)

Les Gémaux St Aygulf 2: Court out by rain

Rain soaked Riviera: Saint Tropez under water after storms caused flash floods in the town centre

Playing everyday for two weeks, I felt this court deserved a second post - particularly in view of the turn of events. The hottest ever temperatures recorded in France broke with an almighty storm that saw us almost stranded by flash flooding in Saint Tropez. Thunder, lightning and torrential rain brought a spectacular end to the heatwave and were too much for the drains of Saint Tropez to cope with. We battled home through the storm, which raged all night and awoke to calm skies ready for a morning match.

The calm after the storm (picture by Sophie Jackson)

 Unfortunately the downpour was more than a match for the tennis court drainage system and - rather like the streets of Saint Tropez - there was an extensive flood in the back quarter when we arrived at 10am. Undaunted, and much to the amusement of an elderly Frenchman enjoying his breakfast on an overlooking balcony, my son and I waded in and set to clearing the drainage channels along the side of the court which were blocked with pine needles and other debris. The weather was now perfect for tennis - slightly cooler after the storm and with a gentle breeze. There was not a moment to lose - we had to play. I had cleared snow before from tennis courts in Ealing with the Will to Win Ladies; I wasn't going to let a bit of water stand in the way of a game. Armed with the broom from our apartment we cleared three drainage holes (two of which weren't even immediately visible) and gradually (and rather satisfyingly) the water began to drain from the court. With the help of the blazing Côte d'Azur sunshine, it was soon dry enough to play on. Our spectator applauded our efforts, chuckling at our enthusiasm and determination - court maintenance par excellence. It was our best game yet - the drainage operation had proved the perfect warm up - and my son and I notched up another victory. 

Abuse of racket: Sophie's (right)

Two days later it was my daughter's racket which brought a halt to proceedings. "New balls please!" is a common enough cry, "New rackets please!" less so. She had somehow managed to knock her racket head out of shape (I suspect abuse of racket in a fit of pique at a disputed line call).  She played on valiantly however until we could make an emergency dash to a nearby sports shop to buy a new one. My husband also decided to treat himself, convinced that all that stood between him and victory was a better racket. There are worse holiday souvenirs - at least these will be put to good use back home though a trip to a sports shop is not my usual idea of a holiday outing.

Les Gémeaux St Aygulf: The heat is on!

Holiday oasis: Palm-fringed surroundings put Paris courts in the shade

We have decamped south for our summer holidays to St Aygulf near Fréjus - escaping record-breaking temperatures back in Paris - and are staying in a 'résidence' with its own tennis court and pool. The idea is to play every day, weather permitting - which in this case means being able to book a court early morning or after six when the weather is slightly cooler than daytime temperatures which have soared up to 36 Celsius. There's a simple booking system which allows you to reserve your court 48 hours ahead by locking your marker into a board by the door at your preferred hour. 

The key to reservations: the court-side booking system

It's a lovely tree-shaded court in the classic French concrete block style which we have become so accustomed to back home - slightly worn, but with an excellent net and also surrounding netting to keep balls in play. It's such a change to look up and see clear blue sky and palm trees and also to watch tiny lizards skitter away as you reach to collect a ball from the edge of the court. And while in Paris we might have to fight against the noise of the Périphérique traffic to call out the score, in the south the problem is more one of the deafening chatter of cigalles who chirp happily around us throughout our games - or even worse break into song in the middle of a crucial point like a heckler in the crowd at Wimbledon.

Evening shadows: the coolest time for a warm up

There have been other distractions too - a break-in at an overlooking apartment saw the arrival of the police one evening and then scenes of crime teams dusting for fingerprints the following morning.

It is a short walk from our apartment to the court and we also have the option of a post-match dip in the neighbouring pool or a short stroll to the beach for a swim in the Med. All in all perfect tennis conditions - and made all the more perfect when followed by my favourite summer aperitif back home on the balcony.

Post-match tipples

Tennis Léo Lagrange: Sophie's Bac on court!

She smashed it: Game, set and match for Sophie in the Baccalaureate (Mention Bien)

 Paris is sweltering - in fact it has been so so hot the City of Paris had set up a temporary swimming pool at the side of these courts in the 12th arrondissement. And while the city steamed in record-breaking temperatures my daughter - along with all the other 18-year-olds in the country - was slogging away at her exams in the Bac. Results were out on Friday and she smashed it - time for a celebratory game of tennis and picnic before jetting off to Berlin with her friends.
I love the setting of Léo Lagrange, on the edge of the Bois de Vincennes. The surrounding pine trees and flower beds lend an almost holiday feeling and the squeals of joy from children in the nearby pool added to the seaside ambience.

The courts themselves are another story and are in dire need of resurfacing. The cracks between the concrete blocks add an extra element of difficulty with balls that land awkwardly, flying off at all angles, and the scuffs and divots worn away by pounding feet are a positive trip hazard. The net had also seen better days; it was frayed and holey, although at least more or less the right height. It reminded me why I enjoy playing at Louis Lumiere in the 20th arrondissement - a less salubrious setting accompanied by the roar of the Périphérique, but on two immaculately re-surfaced courts with new nets (the third is still awaiting attention).
We were fired up by watching Andy Murray and Serena Williams storm to victory in the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles the night before, but Sophie's success in the Bac did not convert to success on court and she and her dad lost to her brother and I in a tightly fought match.
I'd picked the court for picnicking potential and it didn't let us down in that respect. We spread our rug on the lawn for a late courtside lunch in true British style while the Marie de Paris court supervisor wished us a cheery Bon Appetit!
Mention Trés Bien for the setting, Rattrapage definitely required for the courts.

Rough deal: court maintenance required

Tennis Léo Lagrange
68 Boulevard Poniatowski
75012
Metre: Porte de Charenton

Tennis Edouard Pailleron: Clay court is an instant hit

It is only two weeks ago that my friend Tanya and I were admiring the manicured perfection of the French Open courts at Roland Garros - raked, watered and with lines swept clean, the clay surface looked so inviting. Little did we imagine that we would soon be playing on clay ourselves on one of Paris's public courts. Even better, when we arrived the couple on court before us were raking and watering the surface - we could hardly believe our luck or restrain our squeals of enthusiasm.

Edouard Pailleron is in the 19th arrondissement at a sort of mid-point between Tanya's home in the 10th and ours in the 20th. I can't believe we have never played here before - it turns out that these are the only public clay courts in Paris. The address, in Rue Edouard Pailleron, had proved slightly tricky to find - the courts are poorly signed and tucked behind a large building next to the swimming pool. We had to ask at the neighbouring ice-rink, but once we arrived we had the friendliest and most helpful welcome I have ever received at a Paris tennis court. The woman at reception showed us to an underground changing room and then personally conducted us to our court.

There are two courts side by side in a lovely, leafy setting - so much nicer to play to a background of birdsong than the roar of the traffic. The clay surface means they are used only for tennis so there are no distracting handball or basketball markings and the fencing is in good order so the balls stay in the court. I'm far more used to playing on concrete or carpet - the surface of choice for most public courts in the city - so it was a real treat to play on clay. The court had a good, even bounce and disputed line calls were easy to judge by checking the mark where the ball bounced. At the end of our game it was our turn to rake and water - something I know my kids will enjoy when I bring them for a game. As we left we joked should decant some of the red surface into tiny glass jars of the type sold in the Roland Garros souvenir shop for €20 - who would ever know the difference?

The rakes progress: Smoothing the surface post match

Let us spray: Damping down the dust for the next game

Tennis Edouard Pailleron

22 Rue Edouard Pailleron

75019

Paris

Metro: Bolivar (line 7bis)

Roland Garros Court 18: Only in my dreams

With its brand new clay surface groomed and raked after each set, its lines carefully swept free from dust,  gently watered in the heat and lovingly tucked under covers during rainy spells, this has to be one of the best courts in Paris. Add to that a scrupulously adjusted net, new balls supplied every seven games, a line judge to adjudicate every call and a scoreboard so no one ever has to be reminded who is serving or from which side and you are pretty much looking at perfection. 

Needless to say I was watching rather than playing!

Court 18 is the newest outside court at Roland Garros and definitely one of my favourites. With plenty of room for spectators on all sides you are guaranteed a great view and in close enough proximity to hear the swish of a racket and maybe even catch a stray ball. 

My friend Tanya and I were there for our annual trip to the French Open and were more than happy to be in the cheap seats with our €20 ground tickets. The weather forecast was diabolical, but at that price any tennis was a bonus. We arrived when the ground opened at 10am and bagged great seats behind the baseline to watch John McEnroe pair up with French veteran Cedric Pioline in the Trophée des Légendes.

A huge hit with the crowds: tennis legend John McEnroe

It was a great match with McEnroe jokingly querying line calls to cries of "You cannot be serious?" from the delighted crowd. When the umpire overturned a line call in McEnroe's favour on a close serve he asked her: "Where were you 30 years ago?" After a particularly arduous rally Pioline borrowed a chair from a line judge and played from sitting - almost winning the point. In the end the pair beat their opponents Spain's Sergi Bruguera and Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui by two sets to love.

Pioline takes a pew

I always enjoy watching the cut and thrust of doubles on clay courts - so much more entertaining than endless grunting rallies from the baseline during singles matches. The thrilling volleys and cheeky lobs had the players dashing all over the court jumping and sometimes even diving for shots. On Court 18 you are also close enough to see the player at the net give a secret behind-the-back hand signal to their partner, or to overhear a whispered tactical aside. 

We'd already enjoyed a ladies doubles match in the Trophée des Légendes Dames featuring France's Marion Bartoli who was playing with Martina Navratilova against Belgium's Kim Clijsters and Nathalie Tauziat of France and we returned after a break for lunch (this is France after all!) to watch the semi-final of the mixed doubles in which Latisha Chan and Ivan Dodig beat Anna-Lena Grönefeld and Robert Farah in a hard-fought tie-break. Most striking was seeing the size of today's tennis stars who look like Amazons in comparison with the stars of yesteryear. Tracy Austin, who I remember becoming the youngest ever winner of the US Open at the age of 16 in 1979, looked absolutely tiny when she came out to play her doubles match with fellow American Lindsay Davenport against Spain's Conchita Martinez and France's Sandrine Testud. 

Brolly good show - the covers come on

It was at this point that the heavens finally opened and the covers came on. We decided to call it a day - if Roland Garros has a fault it is that there is nowhere for the thousands of spectators to shelter. All the seating, even on the big show courts, is open to the elements, the assorted cafes and snack bars are all out in the open and the various merchandising stands are little more than that. We weren't complaining though. We'd definitely had our €20 worth and headed back into Paris for an aperitif and some post-match analysis. Next stop Paris Tennis to book a court for our next game!

Tanya (right) - who took most of these photos

Tennis Candie: An absolute hoot!

Tennis Candie was an early favourite when I first started playing in Paris. Tucked away in a back street off the bustling Rue St Antoine, not far from Bastille, it has two courts - one with wheelchair access and one perched on the roof of a sports hall up a concealed flight of stairs. It hadn't popped up in the reservations for some time and I thought perhaps it was so popular it was always booked up or  it had  been removed altogether, like the lovely courts in Jardin Luxembourg. In fact I now wonder if it was closed for refurbishment as both courts were immaculately surfaced in green carpet, with pristine markings and new nets (though watch out for the posts - they are not sunk into the ground, but are on a stand with wheels and my partner managed to trip up twice). We arrived early, produced our passports, and finding Court 1 empty nipped on for a quick knock-up while the game finished upstairs.

Both courts were equally pristine, but while Court 2 is purely a tennis court, Court 1 has two other pitches marked out in a confusing jumble of lines. On a sunny, May day it was an appealing location. Wisteria tumbling down a neighbouring building was about to burst into flower, a man was setting out deckchairs on his rooftop terrace, washing fluttered from a balcony and an old lady, sunning herself in a window seat, appeared to watch our game. It would also have been peaceful were it not for a team of workmen on a cherrypicker trimming a curtain of foliage on a neighbouring modern building - we were treated to a racket of hooting every time they adjusted the height of the platform.

The court surface took a bit of getting used to - the bounce is low requiring even more running than usual (I much prefer doubles!). It was also slightly static - fluffing up the fibres on our tennis balls, but easy underfoot, non-slip and far preferable to concrete. The area around Tennis Candie makes it a great spot for a lunchtime game with lots of cafés and bars nearby as well as the Marché Aligre. We rounded off our game with some Dim Sum at 21G Dumpling on the corner - great serves followed by great service!

Tennis Candie
11 Rue Candie
75011
Paris
Metro: Ledru Rollin

Tennis Philippe Auguste: Playing to the Max

My top tennis-playing chum Maxine was in Paris for the week with a special request to play on one of the city courts. She's more used to the glamour of club tennis at David Lloyd in York so I chose the location with care, opting for the peace and privacy of Philippe Auguste with its perfectly carpeted surface that could almost pass for grass in the spring sunshine. I'd reserved and paid online using the new booking system and remembered to take my passport as proof of identity, but this was not enough for the French jobsworth manning reception. He also wanted to see ID for my daughter, who I'd listed as my partner for the day and apparently only a passport would do. I thought for a moment that he wasn't going to let us play and that Max had travelled hundreds of miles for nothing - she'd already been inconvenienced by the French unions when her Eurostar was cancelled. Fortunately I remembered from long experience of dealing with French bureaucracy that the best way to reach a compromise is to keep smiling and waving and never on any account lose your temper. It is worth noting this new rule - however inexplicably bureaucratic it may seem - and making sure you have everyone's ID with you to avoid any pre-match misunderstandings.  In the end the jobsworth let us through and in fact we were ten minutes early so were able to enjoy a long warm-up on the empty court without eating into our hour of play. It was a perfect April-in-Paris day - sunny and warm with a light breeze and we couldn't wait to get started. Maxine is a much better player than I am, but had spun some story about suffering from tennis elbow to lull me into a false sense of security. She also claimed to be hindered by playing with an unfamiliar racket, but in fact she was on top of her game serving and playing well. I was able to sneak a small advantage by partnering my son, who regularly plays doubles with me, while she and my daughter were playing together for the first time in an unfamiliar combination. Alex and I took the first set, but she and Sophie came back in the second having got the measure of each other's games and we ended on a draw. Most importantly it was tremendous fun with some great rallies and net play. We topped off the match with a stroll home through Père Lachaise cemetery which is just around the corner from Philippe Auguste (no passport required).

Tennis Philippe Auguste
108 Avenue Philippe Auguste
75011
Paris
Metro: Philippe Auguste

Tennis Docteurs Déjerine: What a racket!

It was one of those wintry spring days - well just wintry really. The daffodils were out and some early blossom was making a valiant attempt after the glacial temperatures of the half-term holidays, but essentially it was dark and damp with a threat of rain. We had booked a covered court to be on the safe side although in fact the showers held off in the end. It is so long since I've played that Paris Tennis has introduced an entirely new on-line booking system which I found slightly confusing to navigate and which also insisted we pay in advance for our court - presumably to prevent people jamming up the system with bookings and then failing to turn up. At a hefty €17 for a covered court there was no chance of us ducking out at the last minute and so we took the bus to the lacklustre Porte de Montreuil to hit some balls. Grim doesn't really begin to describe it - the steely sky, the graffiti-scrawled social housing, the roar of the Périphèrique - not a sight to liven the heart on a dull March morning. But the court was well surfaced, with an excellent net and clear markings and even though the forecast rain never materialised it was reassuring to be on a dry, non-slip surface as I sprinted around.

Docteurs Déjerine is never the most peaceful spot, with the traffic on the ring-road hurtling by just through the hedge and the wail of sirens from the near-by hospital, but it was noisier than ever today with some kind of earth moving work going on at the neighbouring boules club making any kind of on court banter nearly impossible. On the plus side, I like the fact that this court is open-sided so although you are protected from the elements you still feel as if you are having a blow about in the open air. There are few things more exhilarating than a good game of tennis so I was full of beans when I came off court - even more so when I checked my phone to find an email from a fellow tennis enthusiast notifying me that tickets for the French Open were about to go on sale. I left with a spring in my step and with Roland Garros on the calendar, spring is definitely in the air! 

Tennis Docteurs Déjerine

32 Rue des docteurs Dejerine 

75020 PARIS

Metro Mairie de Montreuil

Henry de Montherlant: Volley good game

The 16th arrondissement has a reputation for being stuffy. Its long avenues lined with elegant Hausmannian apartment blocks are the haunt of ancient Parisian pensioners with their pampered poodles and Hermès scarves. Several were in evidence today shuffling to lunch in their Sunday finest, dogs and dowagers greeting one another alike. But in the autumn sunlight the streets had never looked more inviting, the golden stone seemed to glow and I could easily imagine myself perched on one of the sun-soaked balconies soaking up the unseasonable October warmth and listening to the rustle of autumn leaves.
The 16th is on the opposite side of Paris to us - 9 o'clock to our 3 o'clock  - but nowhere is really very far away 'intra-muros' and even with a Metro change it took us less than 40 minutes to get there. Tennis Henry de Montherlant is a pleasant ten-minute stroll from the Rue de la Pompe metro through  hushed streets past grand houses and entrances and is situated next door to the monolithic Russian embassy on Boulevard Lannes.
We had played here once before, but I had forgotten quite how smart these public courts were - many of them newly re-surfaced.

We were round the corner on Court 2 surrounded by trees and overlooking the Bois de Boulogne. It's a leafy setting, but the court surface was poor - as if Courts 1 and 2 had been forgotten in the renovation and there were a few deep cracks and worn patches that I remembered from last time. It didn't put us off - the glorious weather was more than enough to compensate and at least the net was in a decent state. It seemed to inspire my net play after a bit of volley practice with my partner and we went on to triumph. A welcome return to form.

Full marks for court maintenance: Louis Lumière

I've felt quite Parisian this autumn - after a summer spent almost entirely out of the city I finally understand why the French are so obsessed with what they call La Rentrée. It is a concept so French that the English don't even have a word for it. It literally means "the return" - to school, to work, to the city itself - and it's quite a thing here, as much of an event as Easter, Halloween or Christmas in terms of shop displays and marketing opportunities. So after a month spent busily installing everyone back at school, in a new job in the case of my husband, enrolling the kids in sports clubs (football and ice skating) and getting back to work etc we finally returned to tennis this weekend. Most excitingly my daughter has a new racket which she was desperate to try out and after only managing the occasional singles with my son over the summer I was looking forward to reviving the family four. Unless you book a week in advance, the best way to get a weekend reservation is to go on line the morning of the day you want to play and look for a cancellation. I found one for 2pm on Sunday on Court 2 at Louis Lumière - close to home and newly renovated. We'd last played here on my birthday back in June and courts 2 and 3 must have the best surface of any public courts in Paris - and I say that as someone who has played on many of them.

 Court 2 was slightly let down by its poor net with its macramé-style repairs, but after the first set we moved to Court 3 which had become empty and found a brand new net in place. It was a lovely autumn afternoon, perfect for tennis - not too hot and with no breeze. Sophie's racket proved a winner and despite her midnight tour of the city's museums and sights with her friends during the famous Nuit Blanche (another Parisian concept where many attractions stay open all night with free entry for visitors) she was not too tired to triumph on court. She even had enough energy for a 100 metres victory sprint on the athletics track afterwards.

We shouldn't leave it too long for a re-match!

THE WINNER: WHAT A RACKET!

Happy return(s): Tennis Louis Lumière

I haven't blogged for ages, not because I haven't been playing tennis, but because I've been playing on the same courts over and over again - close to home or tried and tested. I've played at Louis Lumière before, but the court we played on today - number two - was so beautifully resurfaced and with such clear markings I felt it deserved an honourable mention. There are three courts here and numbers two and three are now of the same high standard, this is a huge improvement on a year or so ago when we found court three had huge potholes and a net held up by a stick! Court maintenance has been duly carried out although court number one is now very much the poor relation - take note when booking.

It was my birthday and the sun was out, none of us was in top sporting form having rolled in at 2am from a surprise party the night before. I was still suffering from the effects of one too many glasses of Champagne, but no matter - my partner was as keen as a ever for victory so the match was on. We've been playing on the worn out surfaces at Porte de Bagnolet of late - school playground standard with fading lines and sagging nets. The net at Louis Lumière had a few small holes, but it was the right height and was securely fixed at the bottom to resist any gusts of wind. The court surface was the best we've played on - smooth and newly painted with clearly visible lines (and no other markings - nothing worse than misjudging a lob because you're looking at the markings of the handball court).

My partner occupies the high ground

I'd like to say we did it justice, but my partner complained it was a lacklustre game in spite of our decisive win. I was just delighted to be playing on a such a great court and couldn't think of a better way to blow away my birthday hangover. It's a holiday weekend here so I'm enjoying a three day celebration - well four in fact as I have tickets for Roland Garros on Tuesday which will also be the perfect occasion to treat myself to some more new balls.

30 rue Louis Lumière

75020 Paris

Metro: Porte de Bagnolet

Tennis Moureu-Baudricourt: A new high

A last-minute booking to blow away the cobwebs on an autumn Sunday saw us returning to the tower blocks of the 13th arrondissement near Place d'Italie and Tennis Moureu-Baudricourt. It was a golden Paris morning and the changing season had cast its spell even on this unlovely corner. I would have liked to try somewhere new, but with a short-notice booking at the weekend you have to take what's available and this court at least had the advantage of being only a shortish Metro ride away from home.

The high-rise environs aside, Moureu-Baudricourt is a great facility. There are three outdoor and three indoor courts as well as a running track and basketball courts, where this morning a film crew were making a film about a basketball player fighting back from injury. My son, who has a big cross-country race on Wednesday, kicked off and finished our session today with a few laps of the track. We were glad to be playing outside as it was a lovely day though low sunlight made serving into the sun a bit of a nuisance from one end. The court had a good surface and a well-maintained and adjusted net and there was a convenient bench on which to leave our kit. The only distraction was two men kicking a football next to the court and smoking a rather pungent joint which my husband claimed left him feeling too laid-back to play his best game - any excuse. His poor performance wasn't helped by pulling a calf muscle due to an inadequate warm-up - I should have mentioned it to the film crew, they might have used his story for a sequel. The cross-country runner and I triumphed easily - I think my daughter needs a new partner. We rounded off the morning with a bowl of Vietnamese soup in a restaurant at the end of the road. The 13th arrondissement around Place d'Italie is one of Paris's Chinatown areas and I can highly recommend the Ba Miên restaurant at 180 Avenue de Choisy for a post-match lunch. 

Tennis Moureu-Baudricourt

17 Avenue Edison

75013

Paris

Metro: Place d'Italie

Tennis Niox: Sirens and cement mixers

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

Tennis La Faluère: Into the woods

Most tennis courts in Paris are necessarily very urban - squeezed in between the densely-packed buildings in the middle of the city or parked among the high rises on the edge of the Périphèrique. Tennis La Faluère is a rare exception, deep in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes, so far out of town that there is even parking nearby, though many people seemed to arrive by bike and cycled right on to the court. Allow plenty of time for the journey there because the walk from the metro at Chateau de Vincennes takes about 20 minutes, but it is a very pretty one past the chateau and through the woods.

After a wrong turn into a private club - the first tennis courts we reached on the Route de la Pyramide - we eventually came to a sign directing us down a woodland path and emerged at the entrance to La Faluère which itself feels much more like a club than a public facility. 

What a racket: a vintage Dunlop Max Ply 

As we queued to pay I was amused (though not as amused as my kids) to see my first ever tennis racket - a wooden Dunlop Max Ply - displayed on the wall like a museum exhibit. How I loved that racket (and my Dunlop Green Flash tennis shoes), but how tennis technology has advanced since the 1970s!

La Faluère has 21 well-maintained courts grouped in blocks of four with each block surrounded by a well-manicured cypress hedge. The hedges are lovely, but over-enthusiastic hitters beware, any rogue balls sent flying over the side netting (a speciality of my daughter) will land in the hedge and be lost forever. Perhaps this was the source of the many "Ooh la las" we heard floating over from the next block of courts. It was back to doubles today with a perfect Sunday lunchtime family four. The weather has cooled down considerably and conditions were perfect. We paid for an hour, but played for two when no one turned up to take over the booking. All in all the best possible start to September and the new school year.

Tennis La Faluère

113 Route de la Pyramide

75012

Paris

Metro: Chateau de Vincennes