Experience counts as Warsash thrash Avenue in Portsmouth Tennis League

Top match, in terms of standard, was the mixed division one clash with Warsash hosting Avenue.

The home team - Ian Udal, Victoria Pine, Martin Wilkinson and PG Udal - have played together in countless matches, winning most of them. And their experience showed as they won all four rubbers with relative ease.

Warsash’s second mixed team travelled to Carlton Green in a game that was almost the exact opposite of their first team’s.

The first round of rubbers was shared, with both the second-string pairs beating the nominated top pairs.

Carlton started the reverse rubbers with a two-game advantage, but that was negated after the first sets, leaving the match all square.

A single game to the losing pair in the final set would have given their team the winning points.

But Carlton’s Cheryl Goater and Russell Lewis whitewashed Janet Armitage and Nigel, only for Warsash’s Anne Dinneage and Michael Harrold to respond with a 6-0 win against Gwen Isaacs and Chris Weatherill.

That left the game tied with the rubbers shared 2-2, the sets 4-4 and the games 34 each!

Chichester opened their mixed one season in style with a 4-0 victory over Fishbourne.

There were also 4-0 wins for Active Academy, against Avenue 3, and Southsea who overcame Rowlands Castle.

The clash between Canoe Lake and Avenue 2 was an closer affair. Lake took

both the opening rubbers, but only after match tie breaks in both cases.

Phil Tusler and Helen Weekes salvaged some pride for Avenue by taking the final rubber, again after a match tie break, but Fiona Goode and Terry Lawrence were too strong for Phil Broad and Nicolette Lock as Lake won 3-1.

Alverstoke 2 and Wickham shared their mixed rubbers 2-2, with the former claiming the extra winning draw point thanks to the set that Tara Creasy and Earle Stanner managed against Peter and Janet Eade.

Men’s league action was limited to Portsmouth Tennis Centre’s 3-1 over Avenue 2.

The decisive rubber saw PTC’s John Taylor and Wilson Neaves defeat Paul Skipp and George Bentley in a match tie break.

A limited ladies league programme saw only one match played, Avenue 3rds sharing the rubbers with Wickham but claiming the winning draw point 5-4 on sets.

Becky Howarth and Anne Treagust took a crucial set off Maggie Allan and

Rona Thurston.

The Midweek Masters leagues are also getting underway, with Avenue 1 beating David Lloyd WE 43 games to 39, having shared the rubbers and the sets.

Wellow won both the mixed rubbers en route to beating Warsash 3-1.

The final masters match saw five of the eight sets finish with the winning pair scoring seven games, but the crucial one was when Avenue’s men beat Fishbourne’s pair 6-1 6-0 to claim the victory.