RACQUETS: Round-up from the Plymouth courts and tables

PLYMOUTH TROPHYMAN PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams

DESPITE three from Dave Spry, Astor E lost their unbeaten Division Three record when beaten 6-4 by Woodland Fort B. Astor led 4-3 but Fort had little difficulty in winning the last three sets.

Siblyback are the leaders but only defeated two player Woolwell J 7-3. Josh Payn won two five game sets for Woolwell J beating Colin Jago 10-12, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8, 13-11 and Ian Oxenham 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7.

The bottom team Woolwell K suffered a narrow 6-4 defeat at Inter City C. Railway E (Russ Keith 3) lost a vital match against Lee Mill 7-3. There were no maximums at Inter City B who let leads slip as Woodland Fort C secured a 5-5 draw.

In Division Two Inter City A with Martin Holman in maximum form surprised Railway D 6-4. Five sets went to five games including Holman overcoming Jan Walaszkowski (2) 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 2-11, 11-6.

Astor A struggled to win 6-4. Astor D were well beaten 9-1 by Crafthole B, but Crafthole C did well to draw 5-5 with Astor C (Peter Kratochvila 3). Helen Lambert (3) of Woolwell H was too good for Woodland Fort A but Lambert and Jack Lambert were beaten 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5 by Brian Luscombe and Paul Williams in a 5-5 draw.

Woolwell G won for the first time in Division One when with six sets from Jordan Bone and Alex Kearney prevailed 7-3 at Railway C.

Woolwell A cruised past Railway B by 10-0 and Woolwell B (Vicky Smith 3) beat Railway A 7-3. Woolwell D, with Rory Harries and Mike Hugh winning three each and the doubles together, won 7-3 at fourth placed Woolwell C.

Hugh won a marathon fourth game against Mike Shearman. Both Crafthole A and Woolwell F keep clear of the relegation spots after drawing 5-5.

The two top teams in Division Four both had convincing 9-1 wins as Woodland Fort D beat Crafthole D and Spar Saltash defeated Inter City D.

It was much tougher for third placed Molyneux Associates who needed three from John Dodd and the doubles with Pete Andrews to win 6-4 at Woolwell L.

Astor H are losing touch with the rest after an 8-2 defeat at the hands of Woodland F (Rob Moss 3 and the doubles with Mike Perry). Astor G (Dave Elliott 3) won 6-4 at Astor F with Elliott beating Steve Harvey and then with Ron Parnell scoring a win over Harvey and Nick May.

In Division Five Inter City F lost for only the third time when visitors Woodland Fort H (Keith Phillips 3) won 6-4. Dan Ridholls (3) was on form for Woolwell M in a 5-5 draw at Crafthole E, but just edged out Adam Killeya 11-8, 6-11, 14-16, 11-8, 11-5. Woolwell N beat their P team 7-3 and Woolwell Q defeated Woolwell O 10-0.

WOLFERSTANS MANNAMEAD WINTER TENNIS LEAGUE

IT WAS 14th time lucky for Anna Tickle and Esther Pettit in the Ladies' Doubles Division A.

After 13 defeats their match against the higher ranked pair of Linda Trebilcock and Alison Diver did not start well as they lost the first set 6-1. Tickle and Pettit then improved and won the second set 6-5. Their confidence grew and they took the third set 6-2 for a well deserved first win.

Michelle Cooke and Liz Morley made few mistakes in the first two sets against Paula Baldock and Hannah Robinson and went 6-1, 6-1 ahead. The third set saw Baldock and Robinson cut out previous errors and they won it 6-4.

In Division B Janet Butler and Linda Haston consolidated second spot with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 win over Jill Cansfield and sub Teresa Pemberton.

The Yelverton pair of Jean Humphries and sub Megs Berry had back-to-back wins against Saltash players. They defeated Chris Bunney and Heather Gynn 2-6, 6-2, 6-5 and then had a 6-0, 6-3, 3-6 win over Cansfield and Pemberton. Gynn and Bunney met Cansfield and Pemberton, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Chris Williams and Paul Wardle looked like heading for a third successive reverse in the Men's Division A as Phil Harbottle and Phil Ruse led 6-3, 3-1. Harbottle and Ruse then lost the plot winning only two more games with Williams and Wardle taking the match 3-6, 6-5, 6-0.

Steve Randall and Sean McNamara had one of their best wins 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 against Andrew Leigh and Phil Whitby despite Leigh and Whitby at one stage winning 17 consecutive points.

Andy Conroy and Kevin Thomas are still unbeaten in Division B after beating Lee Horton and Julian Pascoe 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. In second place are Ron Cole and Rob Thomas with a creditable straight sets win over Pete Ireland and Jon Shackel.

Declan O'Connell and Harry Bird produced the result of the week in Division C . They won for only the second time and in style against leaders Bernard Lien and sub Dave Pemberton in a marathon match 3-6, 6-3, 6-5.

Lien then had Yuen Sui in as a sub beating Mike Madden and Jason Holland 5-6, 6-4, 6-4. Madden and Holland lost again in another close battle as Yuen and Ashley Reburn won 6-5, 5-6, 6-5.

Lien had a busy week as he stood in for Simon Dusting to partner Louise Rutt in the mixed doubles, but the pair found Leigh and Pettit too good, losing 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. Paula Baldock played superbly with fine ground strokes and volleying when partnering Steve Swift against Richard Avent and Jenny Snell. Avent and Snell had a fairly comfortably win with Snell's play improving after heading a low drive from Avent.

OTHER results: Men's Doubles: A Reburn/Y Sui beat M Harris/M Adams 4-6, 6-4, 6-5

C Shorter/P Ticehurst beat M Wolstencroft/H Helliwell 6-0, 6-0, 6-2

Ladies' Doubles: J Poon/J Trahair beat M Lintell/S Brett 6-4, 6-1, 6-4

Mixed Doubles: D Tolkien/J Butler beat H Helliwell/L Helliwell 6-4, 6-5, 6-3