RACQUETS: Round-up from the Plymouth courts and tables
WILSON PLYMOUTH & DISTRICT TENNIS LEAGUE by David Williams
FOR the second successive season, Ivybridge A failed to send a team to Tavistock A in Men's Division One. Even at this early stage of the season the non appearance of Ivybridge has a significant effect on league placings. Not only do champions Tavistock get awarded the match 8-0, when they would have wished to play the match, but Ivybridge are deducted a further five point penalty. After being rained off last week, promoted Hill Lane A made a good start when a good all round team performance beat Mannamead A 7-2. With Chris Williams and Paul Wardle unbeaten, St Budeaux A notched up their first points when defeated 5-4 by visitors Devonshire A.
St Budeaux B and Plympton A played out a hard hitting 5-5 draw in Division Two. Neil Hunt and Simon Yeo won both their events for St Budeaux but had to come from a set down to beat the Plympton second pair of Matthew Hooper and Garry Brookes 6-7, 6-4, 14-12 (t/b). The Liskeard first pair of Rob Kellagher and Keith Abbott were unbeaten in the 4-4 draw at Plymstock A with veteran Harry Fletcher sportingly coming in to complete the Liskeard team. Ex-Mannamead A player, Craig Arbuckle, made his debut for Devonshire B and with Dennis Mbu the pair conceded only seven games in remaining unbeaten in a 6-2 win over Tavistock B.
The failure of Ivybridge A to play Tavistock A in Division One affected the chances of Mannamead B in Division Three. As Tavistock C were due to play Mannamead B on adjacent courts and the match had not started the C team was strengthened to include two A team players, Tony Dugay and Luke Wakley. The pair were far too good for the Mannamead players as Tavvy C won 6-2. Looe A continued their excellent start making it 15 points out of 16 by beating Hill Lane B 8-0 on the windy and rain swept Hannafore Point courts. Saltash A played on their grass courts for the first time and despite recent heavy rain the courts were in excellent condition, so full praise to the Council groundsman. For Saltash, who won 7-2, Stewart Lees and Phil Tucker were far too experienced for the opposition and won their four sets easily.
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Every set was a close affair in Division Four when Mannamead C just edged out Torpoint 5-4. John Doherty and Brad Crossfield were unbeaten for the Cornish team including a win by 6-2, 6-7, 10-7 (t/b) over Chris Shorter and Paul Matthews.
Promoted Whiteford Road continue to be the Division Five pacesetters after a comfortable 8-1 victory at Plymstock B with Steve Kinston and Adam Mudford again in unstoppable form.
Another pair to win both their events and finish in the losing team were Tom Langrishe and Harry Bird for Hill Lane C as Tavistock F won by 5-4 in Division Six. Langrishe and Bird improved as the match progressed in beating Paul Jackson and Mike Webb 5-7, 6-1, 10-3 (t/b).
Simon Dusting and Declan O'Connell were the unbeaten pair for Mannamead D in a 7-2 win at Hill Lane D in Division Seven. Plympton E must have been encouraged to defeat Saltash C by 8-3 with the team coming from a set down to win all the next two sets in three events.
Ivybridge A Ladies have yet to concede a set in Division One with their latest 8-0 victims being Tavistock A. Devonshire A are close on the heels of Ivybridge A after defeating their B team 7-2, with these two teams way out ahead of the rest. For the B team Marguerite Butt and Georgia Jones scored a deserved three set win over Lucy Ryland and Mae Dartnell by 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 (t/b). With four sets from Josie Debnam and Heather Dixon, Mannamead A drew 4-4 with Hill Lane A.
Despite starting an hour early, the 5-5 draw in Division Two between Whiteford Road and St Budeaux finished in failing light. Each pair won an event with Gillian Thomas and Linda Trebilcock suffering a very rare home defeat when Viv Sargeant and Nancy O'Connor won by 1-6, 6-4, 10-6 (t/b). Plympton A and Yelverton A only managed to complete seven sets due to rain interruptions with Plympton just ahead 4-3.
Ivybridge B secured maximum points again in Division Three with an 8-1 win against Tavistock B. Unbeaten Sue Gale and Chanelle Belcher were the best pair for St Budeaux B at Ivybridge C, with the home team winning 5-4. Gale and Belcher recovered well to beat Julie Hulett and Anne Haigh 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 (t/b). There were no close sets in the win by Yelverton B over St Mellion 8-1.
In Division Four, the Devonshire C team must have been gutted when failing to arrive at Saltash due to lack of communication from their league secretary. Two days after the match date, the letter indicating a fixture change was still in a pigeon hole and so Saltash won 8-0 and Devonshire had a penalty of five points. There was a 7-2 victory for Hill Lane B against Yelverton C with the main resistance from Yelverton coming from Lyn MacFarlane and Jean Humphries who beat Libby Allman and Sue Peers-Jones 6-1, 5-7, 10-5 (t/b). Ivybridge D mastered the windy conditions far better at St Budeaux D than the home team players. Their stronger ground strokes and better net play gave them a 6-2 win, with left hander Mel Pohu playing particularly well.
The Hill Lane C team found the Menheniot carpet court surface rather challenging as the home team won 7-2. For Hill Lane Jane Palmer and Jessica Randall overcame Sally Lobb and Zoe Harris 6-4, 2-6, 10-4 (t/b).
DEVON GAMES
PLYMOUTH tennis trials are taking place at Hill Lane Tennis Club on Monday, May 21 at 4.30pm to find competitors for the Devon Games. The trials are open to all children school Years 6, 7 and 8. Please contact John at johnuph1999@aol.com if you would like to take part.
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