Injury gives Lee the winning draw points in Portsmouth Tennis League clash with Ryde Lawn

There were lots of quality matches, but none more so than at Ryde Lawn where 16 of the area’s best male players gathered as Lawn 1sts entertained Lee and Lawn 2nds took on Warsash.

Lawn 1sts pushed reigning winter champions Lee all the way in sharing the first round of rubbers.

Gary Mead and David Fothergill then won a second rubber for Lawn but Justin Biggs sustained an injury and could not compete in his second rubber, enabling Lee to win the reverse 1 v 1s rubber 6-0 6-0.

That was a wide enough margin to give Lee the winning draw points.

Meanwhile, former winter champions Warsash comfortably beat Ryde 2nds.

Lee’s men’s 2nds also play in the top division, and they lost 3-1 to Denmead.

On a weekend of close matches, there were two ties - when the rubbers, sets and

games are all shared equally.

One was in the Ladies Division 2, where Lee 3rds and Warsash 2nds were inseparable.

The other was a Men’s Division 5 match between newcomers JEM Tennis 3rds and Ryde Mead 2nds.

But there was nothing close about Ryde Lawn ladies 1sts’ 4-0 victory against Chichester 1sts.

Ryde 2nds were also comfortable winners, 3-1 against Seacourt in Division 2.

In Ladies Division 3, Wickham and Avenue 2nds missed making it three tied matches by just three games - Avenue taking the winning draw points.

Final rubber tie break wins for JEM Tennis and Avenue 3rds earned them 3-1 wins against Fishbourne and Rowlands Castle respectively.

And one division down, Alverstoke’s Sue Western and Nicky Heyworth also won a tie break, allowing them to beat Warsash 3rds 3-1.

Ryde Lawn 3rds caned Avenue 4ths 4-0.

A high-quality match in Men’s Division 2 saw JEM Tennis 2nds gain an unexpected winning draw at Avenue 2nds.

The crucial set was won by the experienced Andy Long and his fast improving young partner Ben Arnold, who took the second set off Avenue’s James Green and Doug Galley.

Canoe Lake 3rds extended their good start with a winning draw against Seacourt in Men’s Division 3 and Alverstoke matched that scoreline against Southsea.

It is never a surprise when a Mixed Division 1 match ends with the rubbers shared, as this is the most closely contested division of all.

Lee’s Matt Rogers and April Brown won both their rubbers against Avenue 1sts and, although Ollie Brind and Niamh Cronin couldn’t add a winning rubber, they did win a set in both the rubbers they played. And that was enough to give them the extra point.

JEM’s mixed team rounded off a good weekend for the club with a 4-0 win over Fishbourne, while Chichester beat Avenue 2 by the same score in Division 2.

One division down, Ryde Mead shared the rubbers with Seacourt, but claimed the winning draw 46-38 on games.

A final rubber tie break win for Roger Castle and Lynda Pine gave Rowlands Castle victory over Ryde Lawn 3rds, their second win in succession.