RACQUETS: Round-up from the courts and tables

PLYMOUTH TROPHYMAN PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS by David Williams

AT THE half way stage of the 2012/2013 season, five teams hold unbeaten records.

In Division One, defending champions Woolwell A have a 100 per cent record. Still undefeated are Woodland Fort B (Division Two), Woolwell I (Division Three), Ivybridge and Woolwell O (both Division Five).

Woolwell dominate Division One with five teams in the top positions. Just two points behind leaders Woolwell A are Woolwell B whose only defeat was at the hands of the A side.

Crafthole B have done well to occupy sixth spot with 41 points from 10 matches. Woolwell Extras were a late addition to the division and along with Woolwell H are struggling in the bottom two with 21 and 20 points respectively.

Although Woodland Fort B have yet to be beaten in Division Two, they are in second place, seven points behind Railway A. The only real challengers to these teams are Railway B, who trail Fort B by six points.

Five teams are separated by three points in the lower half of the table. Woodland Fort A and Astor B, who both have had player availability problems at various times, are in this group and should improve their placings in 2013.

Astor D, with just one win, are already 21 points adrift at the foot of the table. Inter City B have yet to win but, with four draws and 44 points, are in a mid-table position.

Seven points separate the top four in Division Three. Woolwell I are four points ahead of second placed Woolwell J.

Both University A and Siblyback, who are third and fourth, have missed the input of their top players, Dave Wills and Miles Noel-Johnson, in several matches.

Promoted Spar Saltash are finding life tough, and are only kept off the bottom by Woodland Fort D, who are still looking for a first win.

Molyneux Associates and Crafthole D are contesting first place in Division Four. Both have identical records of nine wins, one draw and one defeat, with Molyneux having scored 76 points compared to Crafthole's 74. A single win for Inter City E, has meant bottom place, 13 points behind Astor G.

Newcomers Ivybridge are the best team in Division Five, four points clear of Woolwell O. Woolwell R and Woolwell Q are hoping 2013 will bring their first win.

Results. Senior Club pairs: H Tam/E Cheung beat S Lowe/H Nicholls 3-1, T Powlesland/L Cole beat A Killeya/P Wetherill 3-1, G Price/C McHale beat P Nicholson/A Dunstone 3-0

IN THE Handicap Pairs, Tam and Cheung beat Dave Elliott and Dave Spry by the narrowest possible margin.

At 2-2 in sets, Cheung and Elliott were 49-49 before Cheung claimed the match winning point.

Handicap Results: D Coaker/G Elliott beat G Price/C McHale 4-1, N May/S Harvey beat D. Wyatt/R Searle 3-0, A Spencer/C Collings beat P Kratochivila/M Trembeth 3-2, T Powlesland/L Cole beat A Killeya/P Wetherill 3-1, J Sherlock/S Garlick beat T Morrish/R Steele 4-0, C May/C Mitchell w/o P Nicholson A Dunstone

BREWIN DOLPHIN MANNAMEAD WINTER TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams

WITH so many matches in the men's and ladies' doubles divisions still outstanding due to the wet weather, few matches were played in the two week mid-season break.

No ladies matches were played and only five in the men's divisions.

Two men's pairs did take to the court, and played two matches with varying success.

In the men's Division A, Whiteford Road's Steve Kingston and Adam Mudford played two St Budeaux pairs.

In their first match against Neil Hunt and Simon Yeo, Kingston and Mudford played well together and took the first set 6-4.

But Hunt and Yeo gradually got on top as Kingston and Mudford contributed to many close rallies before losing the final two sets 6-3; 6-2.

Kingston and Mudford then played Chris Williams and Paul Wardle. Again their best play was in the opening stages as they lost their way late on when too many errors crept in. Williams and Wardle won 6-3; 6-2; 6-0.

The Ivybridge pair of Rob Thomas and Ron Cole won two matches in Division B. Playing Mannamead's Paul Matthews and Simon Dusting, the match was evenly poised at one tie break set each before Thomas and Cole just did enough to win the final set and the match 6-5; 5-6; 6-3. Thomas and Cole produced one of their best comebacks against Saltash's Patrick Poon and John Jacobs.

The pairs are normally very evenly matched and the tight first set went to Poon and Jacobs 6-4. Poon and Jacobs soon went 4-1 up in the second set and looked set for a deserved win.

In a sudden reversal of form, Poon and Jacobs lost their advantage and Thomas and Cole took over, winning the next 11 games for what at one time was an improbable victory 4-6; 6-4; 6-0.

Simon Dusting and Paul Matthews inflicted a heavy defeat on Yuen Siu and Declan O'Connell 6-1; 6-2; 6-0.