Top five separated by just two points – Portsmouth Summer Tennis League round-up

Ryde Lawn 2 v Southsea 1 mixed (from left) John Kemble, Dawn Dewilde, Ashley Law Andy Zharikov Paul New, Kahren Barter, Karl Bateman, Susan Spurway

The ladies weekend leagues often produce the closest matches in the Portsmouth League and this season division 3 is maintaining that tradition.

The top five teams are currently separated by just two points and to demonstrate that there is little to choose between them, they all played each other over the

weekend - and all the fixtures finished 2-2.

Rowlands Castle moved to the top of the league when they took the winning draw points against second-placed Chichester 2, thanks to their second pair - Doreen Chestnutt and Liz Marenghi – taking a set off Chichester’s Rosemary Knivett and Cathie Thomas in the final rubber.

Pictures

Stubbington v Alverstoke. Back (from left): Karen McCulloch, Jean Carty, Suzanne Johnson, Elaine Reed. Tracey Lazenbury. Elaine Hannigan. Front: Sue Western, Laura Titterington — Pictures Stubbington v Alverstoke. Back (from left): Karen McCulloch, Jean Carty, Suzanne Johnson, Elaine Reed. Tracey Lazenbury. Elaine Hannigan. Front: Sue Western, Laura Titterington

Having lost to Castle earlier in the season, Fishbourne got their season back on track with a winning draw against Abshott – who could still feature in the championship race as they have played two fewer games than the other teams.

And Alverstoke, who lost to Chichester 2 but beat Rowlands Castle, kept their challenge alive by sharing both the rubbers and the sets with Stubbington, taking the winning draw points by 31 games to 29. Sue Western and Laura Titterington conceded just five games all afternoon.

The matches in ladies 4 were not quite so closely contested.

League newcomers Steep recorded their fourth successive win, this one against Avenue 4, while Southsea maintained their championship challenge, also scoring a 4-0 win against Denmead.

The first two rubbers in the match between Lee 4 and Chichester 3 both featured lengthy sets, (5-7, 7-6 and 6-7, 7-6) before being settled by match tie breaks, one for each team.

But Lee used their home advantage to good effect to win the two reverse rubbers and secure a 3-1 win.

Chichester fielded two mixed teams at the weekend. The first team travelled to Alverstoke and came home with all 3 points after a 4-0 victory, taking them to the top of division 3, while the second team, playing in division 4, defeated Wickham by the same scoreline.

The other two mixed matches played saw Southsea 1 open their account with an impressive 3-1 win at Ryde Lawn2, while Fishbourne won all four rubbers against Avenue 5, moving them to the top of the table.

Wellow extended their unbeaten run to four in the midweek masters division 1 when they edged two match tie breaks in their encounter with CourtX.

Warsash 1 ended Ventnor’s unbeaten run in division 2, winning all the rubbers.

And in the ladies midweek competition Denmead notched up their first victory of the season, 4-0 over Lee, while Wickham had to fight to maintain their unbeaten record. They shared the rubbers with Abshot but claimed the winning draw points when Rachel Hanney and Sylvie Bennet took a set off Abshott’s Gwen Isaacs and Cheryl Goater.