No roofs, covers or grounds staff, but still plenty of action
Players in the Portsmouth & District Tennis League faced similar weather to their illustrious counterparts at Wimbledon but fulfilled most fixtures, despite lacking roofs, inflatable covers and grounds staff.
Chichester 1sts solidified second position in Ladies’ Division 1 with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Ryde Mead.
The top pairs beat the second pairs, with Chi’s Helen Nelson-smith and Fi Machell cruising past Jitka Davey and Rachel Andrews, and Ryde’s Kirsty Roberts and Carrie Drake outlasting Ileana Melendez and Debbie Draper 7-5, 4-6, 1-0.
The visitors then won both closing rubbers 7-5, 6-4.
Ryde Lawn stayed on course to join the top flight next summer with their fifth straight three-point win in Ladies’ Division 2, despatching visitors Rowlands Castle 1sts 4-0.
Lee 2nds also took their fifth victory when Alverstoke were sadly unable to contest their Ladies’ Division 3 match due to an injury the day before. Lee lie one point behind leaders Avenue 3rds with a match in hand.
Lee 3rds claimed a 5-4 sets win at Courtx 3rds in Ladies’ Division 4.
Helen Slaven and Mirian Mclean won both rubbers for X but dropped their very first set on a tie-break to Dean Tarrant and Sarah Pearse, which proved costly as Lee won the other rubbers.
Courtx 4ths went second, behind the club’s third team, in Men’s Division 2 with a 4-0 defeat of Chichester 2nds.
Other teams have matches in hand, though, including both Ryde teams who fought out a close derby on Lawn’s courts.
Mead won 5-4 on sets, with the set won in losing the top pairs’ rubber 1-6, 7-6, 0-1 yielding two points, but not three.
Another 5-4 win on sets went to PTC – their first – in Men’s Division 3 when
Abshot recovered from losing the opening rubbers in straight sets by winning both rubbers after the break.
Rowlands Castle also won the closing rubbers having lost the openers, acing both match tie-breaks to take a point for a 6-5 set defeat from their trip to Ryde Mead in Men’s Division 5. Southsea 2nds won 3-1 at Steep 2nds in the same division.