Please find details below of the Club tennis matches played and recorded since last Thursday: –

Portsmouth & District Winter League

Ladies Division 4 – Avenue 4 losing draw v Lee 3 (2-2) – Christine Hill, Megan Gibbs, Mary Robinson, Linda Barber

Match report

A losing draw. It was all about the tie breaks . Mary and Linda lost theirs but Chris and Megan won both  their championship tie breaks!  The sun was difficult for everyone and meant a game of 2 ends. Mary Robinson

Mixed Division 2 – Avenue 2 beat Ryde Mead (3-1) – Andy Gilliatt, Sarah Long, Lloyd Sampson, Vicki White

Match report (see team photo – well worth a look!)

A Very Long Away Day and a Very Hard Earned Win. The Avenue Mixed 2 squad embarked on what can only be described as a marathon expedition to the Isle of Wight, involving a train, a taxi, a ferry, and then a spirited uphill march to Ryde Mead. A last minute cancellation of the train at Southsea meant a taxi dash to the ferry port and a sprint to the ferry, making it with only minutes to spare. The effort was worth it though, as the hundreds of  Avenue fans who lined the sea walls cheered and waved off the intrepid team, despite the cold weather. The fans were then treated to the sight of HMS Prince of Wales returning to port after an 8 month deployment, a lucky coincidence. The welcome at Ryde Mead was warm and friendly, but the courts most definitely were not. With the recent removal of the surrounding trees, visibility was poor, and the courts themselves quickly coated the tennis balls in a charming blend of dirt and slime. Despite the treacherous footing, the Avenue pairings dug in. Andy Gilliatt & Sarah Long and Lloyd Sampson & Vicki White both fought through gritty, gruelling rallies, slippery slides, and a fair amount of improvisation to claim their opening rubbers in third set champions tie breaks. Avenue led 2–0, though it felt more like they’d survived two rounds of mud wrestling. With daylight fading rapidly, the floodlights flickered on, casting a faintly horror film glow over the already mysterious courts. Undeterred, Sampson and White produced another epic performance, taking their second rubber yet again in a deciding third set tie break, to secure the overall victory for The Avenue. Gilliatt and Long tried hard to complete the clean sweep, but Ryde Mead rallied, edging them out in their second rubber. Still, a 3–1 victory was a superb return for a team who had already travelled further than the returning naval ship. The journey home was no less dramatic. Portsmouth Harbour descended into chaos as no trains were running north. Eventually the weary squad made it back to the Avenue, where they toasted their victory with alcohol and crisps, reflecting on a day well spent. A heroic performance on and off the court from Avenue Mixed 2. The victory was earned, but the adventure will be remembered even longer. Mixed 2’s next fixture is on Saturday 20th December against Chichester. Andy Gilliatt

Mixed Division 4 – Avenue 4 lost to Southsea 2 (1-3) – Ali Thomson, Chloe Treagust, Mark Fullstone, Graham Cotterill

Match report

A scratch team of new pairings who met for their first practice on the day of the match came agonisingly close to a share of the points against Southsea 2 on a bright and chilly Sunday morning. Graham and Ali clinched a deciding tiebreak against Southsea’s first pair but were squeezed out 9-11 in a tiebreak decider in the other rubber. A strong performance though from Ali in her first match for the Avenue. Mark and Chloe, who was making her Mixed Four debut,  put up a sterling fight for no reward. Adrian Drummond

Ladies Masters Division 2 – Avenue 2 lost to CourtX (0-4) – Denise Simper, Sarah Long, Linda Barber, Linda Wainwright

Match report

Tough match today – all the teams in Masters 2 are getting to be very strong.  Well played and I am glad the weather was kind. Jenny Ward

Mens Masters Division 1 – Avenue 1 beat Chichester (3-1) – Neil Crawford, Richard Marston, Simon Hughes, George Bentley

Match report

Great 3:1 win against Chichester. Well done team. That’s 3 wins from 3! Ian Marks

East Hants Winter League

Mens Division 1 – Avenue A beat Steep (6-2) – Lloyd Sampson, Cameron Clarke, Matt Lee, Alistair Millard

Veterans Mixed Division 2 – Avenue lost to Denmead (0-4) – Rob Mort, Sally Barwood, Jude Dawson, Martin Dawson

Portsmouth News Article

Last Saturday’s report can be found at the following link: Portsmouth & District LTA

Paul Whittenham