RACQUETSRound-up from the courts and tables

BEACON ELECTRICAL PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS by David Williams

PAUL WHITING (three and the doubles with Vicky Smith) helped Woolwell C to a 7-3 Division One win over Woolwell D with Whiting beating Marketa Myskova (2) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8.

With 39 games played, Railway Club B fought hard and long at Woolwell E who finally won 9-1. Also winning 9-1 was Woolwell A against Railway Club C where, again, 39 of the 50 games were played. Woolwell B had a 10-0 victory over Shoot Out Club who were not helped by being a player short.

In Division Two, Crafthole District A also faced only two players in the 9-1 win at Woodland Fort B. Dan Kayes won the only set for the Fort coming from two games down to defeat Shirley Luckhurst 4-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8. Dave Pellow (three) was in great form for Astor B who had a 6-4 victory over the C team. From 4-1 down, Astor C made a partial recovery and won the doubles when Mike Trembeth and Geoff Boobier beat Tony Bray and Steve Garlick 8-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8. Astor Hotel B (Ali Ammadi three ) won 6-4 from 4-0 up against Astor A with six of the sets going to five games. For Astor A, Glyn Price had a rare off night winning only one set.

Ben Stanbury of Woolwell H got his maximum at Elburton in Division Three and secured the 6-4 win with Damien Wyett by beating Barrie Oliver and Graham Pearson 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-7. Only Stanbury and Wyett played in the next match against Woodland Fort C (Mike Willis three) but they both won two sets and the doubles for a 5-5 draw.

There was an easy straight sets maximum for Russ Keith (Railway Club E) in the 5-5 Division Four draw with Astor E. At 5-4 down, Keith and Phil Wilkinson secured the draw recovering to defeat John Norsworthy and Ron Parnell 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10,11-6.

Crafthole District D (Chris Ford three) did well to draw with Saltash who averted defeat when Glen Goodall and James Lock won 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 against Ford and Nick Taylor.

Astor F, the Division Five leaders, had little trouble in beating Woolwell K 10-0 with eight of the sets won in straight games.

Only Pete Andrews and Ollie Davis arrived for Woolwell J at Inter City G but they both scored maximums and won the doubles for a 7-3 win with just one set needing four games.

Similarly, in Division Six, the appearance of only John Kelly and Eddie Cowling was enough for Siblyback B to win 7-3 at Crafthole District E. Crafthole, with James Wickett and Paul Ager scoring maximums, then bounced back to win 7-3 at Woolwell Q. Woolwell R and Woolwell N drew 5-5 and Woolwell M won 7-3 at Crafthole Methodist.

MANNAMEAD WINTER TENNIS LEAGUE

ALTHOUGH the snow had melted, court conditions were again very difficult with many icy areas making footholds a lottery at times and only matches scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were played.

In the Mens Division B, there was a great result for Luke Rodd and John Mullin who took over the top spot by beating Andrew Leigh and Alex Peers-Jones.

Although the first two sets were reasonably closely fought affairs, Rodd and Mullin didn't drop a game in the final set and inflicted a first defeat on Leigh and Peers-Jones by an impressive 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. Max Goodison and Bart Dudley, with only two previous wins, surprised the higher placed Phil Tucker and John Sevieri by beating them deservedly 6-3, 6-5, 6-1.

Division A leaders Neil Hunt and Mike Paskins were on top of their form allowing the normally resilient pair of Phil Harbottle and Phil Ruse just six games in a 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 win.

Jeremy Kevern and Matt Redshaw move into second place and must have been pleased with two wins over Kamran Ali and Phil Whitby 6-3, 6-1, 4-6 and Ollie Blanchard and Al Reynolds 6-2, 5-6, 6-3.

In Division C, Chris Shorter and Bill Pascoe adapted themselves much better to the conditions to enjoy a 6-1, 6-0, 6-0 win over Dudley Tolkien and Ashley Jarwood.

With Richard Allman unavailable, Lee Horton stepped in to partner David Pemberton, but even the use of the dishwasher salt to thaw the icy court could not prevent Patrick Poon and John Jacobs winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

Richard Avent and Jenny Snell started so slowly that a surprise seemed to be on the cards as the bottom pair of John and Jane Trahair led 5-2 in the first set.

Luckily for Avent and Snell they woke up just in time as the match was being played for double points and they conceded only two more games in a 6-5, 6-2, 6-0 victory.

Despite a second set lapse there was a creditable win for Neil Hunt and Mandy Lee against Phil Ticehurst and Carol Carter 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Kamran Ali and Joan Williams, by virtue of having played more matches, still lead the division but lost their way in the final set in beating Patrick and Jane Poon 6-3, 6-1, 4-6.

With Mark Eve snowed up in North Devon the match with Sue Peers-Jones against Dudley Tolkien and Janet Butler was rearranged for Friday when conditions were perfect.

Unfortunately for Eve the delay did not produce success as Tolkien and Butler did just enough to win 6-5, 6-2, 2-6.

In the Ladies Division C, Jessica Randell and Debbie Carroll cleared two of their backlog of matches with straight sets wins over Jill Cansfield and Carol Carter 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 and Joan Kelcey and Joan Williams 6-3, 6-0, 6-5.