Derby joy for Ryde Mead against Lawn… Rowlands Castle prospects denied by experienced JEM

The opening rubbers of the Portsmouth & District Tennis League match went to three sets, with Mead winning both by the narrowest of margins. Ben Urquart and Josh Pietak then sealed the match for Mead with a straight sets win over James Smith and Laurence Harding.

Jeremy Tung and Rick Spink made the score look a little more respectable for Lawn.

Fielding two promising teenagers, Harri Rowley and Aaron Butcher, as their first pair, Rowlands Castle had high hopes only to find JEM Tennis seconds drafted in first team regular Andy Long as a last-minute injury replacement. His experience, backed up by the power hitting of David Bray, was enough to secure JEM two rubber wins. And although Rowlands won both match ups against JEM’s second pair, JEM edged to a win by just one game on countback. The rubbers were shared 2-2 and the sets 4-4.

League newcomers Denmead seconds announced their presence as they beat Canoe Lake 3-1.

Alverstoke first team beat the second team in men’s division four. But the second team’s Chris Titterington and Gordon Gutteridge surprised George Smith and Luke Bridge, taking that rubber in three sets.

Avenue’s ladies seconds also started their season brightly, with a similar 4-0 win over Lee seconds, though Avenue’s Denise Simper and Tracy Teasdale had to win no fewer than three tie breaks to win their two rubbers.

The newly-formed Canoe Lake second team gave a debut to 15-year-old Grace Saunders and with the team boosted by the presence of Fiona Goode, formerly from Portsmouth Tennis Academy, they proved to be far too strong for newly-promoted Stubbington. 

The mixed division also got under way at the weekend. Rowlands Castle’s Simon Welch and Lynne Foster managed to win a three set, two-and-a-half hour marathon rubber against Seacourt’s Jack Dodgson and Charyl Medlow but by then they were too tired to effectively challenge Richard Perkins and Sue Edwards, who backed up their opening rubber win enabling Seacourt to win the match 3-1.

Midweek action saw Fishbourne ladies beat Canoe Lake ladies thanks to two match tie break victories in the reverse rubbers, while Canoe Lake’s midweek mixed team also went down, this time by 3-1 to Chichester. And to round up the week’s results, Rowlands Castle finished the week on a positive note with a comfortable 4-0 win in their mixed division two match up with Southsea.