Summer League stars JEM remain in chase to land winter Portsmouth Tennis League crown as well

Having shared the rubbers (2-2) and the sets (4-4), the rubber that JEM’s Shaun de Jong and Hynek Paul took off Matt Rogers and Nathan Humphries proved decisive.

That’s because their 6-1 6-1 success enabled JEM to win by six games on countback.

Their victory leaves these two teams and Warsash, who defeated Ryde Lawn 4-0, with identical 5-1 win-loss records.

Ryde have a slight advantage with a marginally better rubbers won v rubbers lost record.

A 4-0 win in their last match would enable them to claim the title – and the right to represent the Portsmouth League in the annual Solent Cup Challenge against the Southampton League winners.

But a slip-up would allow either of the other two teams to take the title.

Canoe Lake won their mid-table battle with Denmead 3-1, while Lee 2nds just scraped home in the wooden spoon match against Ryde Lawn 2nds.

The rubbers and sets were shared, but Lee won 39-36 on games.

Men’s Division 3 has become a two-horse race between Chichester 1 and Portsmouth Indoor Centre.

Both are unbeaten and the match between the two will decide the championship.

But the real rivalry in the division is between Canoe Lake’s 2nd and 3rd teams. The 3rds beat the 2nds early in the season and have maintained that edge since then.

Their win over Ryde Lawn 3rds ensured they will finish ahead of their rivals.

Men’s Division 4 saw Chichester 2nds consolidate their top of the table position with a 3-1 win over nearest challengers Avenue 3rds.

Rowlands Castle gained a morale-boosting 4-0 win over Fishbourne 2nds to boost their drop fears.

And in Men’s Division 5, Denmead 2nds claimed a fifth win in five matches against Warsash 3rds.

Alverstoke consolidated second place by beating Ryde Mead 2nds 3-1.

Mixed Division 1 always produces close, quality matches - and the encounter between Ventnor and Warsash was no exception.

Ventnor’s Linda Jones teamed up with her son Elliott to win both their rubbers,

though they needed three sets to overcome Ian Udal and Nicki Eldridge.

But Warsash took both the rubbers against Ventnor’s second pair, and the set they won off the Jones’ pairing handed them the winning draw points by 5 sets to 4.

Wins for Ryde Mead (4-0 against Southsea) and Carlton Green (by one

game against Chichester) means just one point separates the top four teams with just two games left to play.

A match tie break win for Lee 2nds’ Sandra Brown and Patsy Scarborough against Chichester’s Suzanna Troy and Kate Hogan was enough to lift Lee clear of their opponents at the foot of Ladies Division 1.

Avenue 2nds, Ryde Mead and table-topping Canoe Lake all recorded wins in Ladies Division 3.

Bottom of the table Lee 4ths tied with Division 4 leaders Avenue 3rds.

Deanne Tarrant and Sarah Pearse won both their rubbers and, although

second pair Wendy Hadfield and Deb Bullen lost both theirs, they won a crucial set in one of them to tie the match at 2 rubbers, 5 sets and 40 games each.

An injury to one of Stubbington’s ladies early in the match handed Rowlands Castle a 4-0 win.

Victories for Avenue 4ths and Southsea in Division 5 rounded off the ladies results.

Midweek action saw Chichester ladies take a stranglehold on the Division 1 title with a 3-1 win over Ryde Lawn.

Avenue, 4-0 winners over Warsash, can still catch them - but only if Chichester slip up in both their remaining matches.

Avenue 2nds team look certain the land the Division 2 title after a 3-1 win over

Fishbourne.

Rowlands Castle kept their faint hopes alive with a 4-0 victory over Ryde Lawn

2nds.