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

Portsmouth & District Winter League

Ladies Division 1 – Avenue 2 lost to CourtX 1 (0-4) – Heather Halliday, Jackie Edney, Debbie Berry, Nicky Woolhead

Match report

CourtX 1 were extremely strong opposition and won 4-0. A tough but enjoyable match played in the lovely sunshine at Southsea. Great effort from all of the players in every match. Heather Halliday

Ladies Division 2 – Avenue losing draw v Lee 2 (2-2) – Alison Clarke, Katy Loh, Liz Lim, Katherine Arnold

Ladies Division 4 – Avenue 4 lost to CourtX 3 (1-3) – Sheila Drummond, Chloe Treagust, Linda Barber, Mary Robinson

Match report

Last week I went to see Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey & I was feeling gung-ho about how we would employ our very own Trojan horse tactics against CourtX 3. But sadly our winning ways of last weekend were short lived & today we hit the buffers!😅 Like the Sirens who lured passing sailors to their fate, we were reeled in by those tiebreaks – & then unceremoniously smashed against the rocks. Chloe & Sheila were unlucky to lose their first rubber against their 1st pair on a championship tiebreak. Mary & Linda W had opportunities in their first rubber, & quite a few controversial line calls, but were unfortunate to lose in straight sets. In the second half of the match we still felt that we had more than a fighting chance of securing a draw, but despite being 5-2 up in the second set, Mary & Linda couldn’t get over the line & ended up losing their second set in a tiebreak. Chloe & Sheila fought hard against their 2nd pair to win 6-2, 6-3.

We have only two more matches left in this summer season & hopefully we can get a few more points, as Ladies 4 odyssey for sporting glory continues….. Sheila Drummond

Mens Division 1 – Avenue 1 beat Warsash 2 (3-1) – Lloyd Sampson, Jordan Goff, James Green, Rowan Smithson

Mens Division 1 – Avenue 2 lost to Chichester 1 (0-4) – Mike Robinson, Sam Coleman, Peter Campbell, Martyn Lawrenson

Mixed Division 2 – Avenue 3 lost to Southsea (0-4) – Bailey Rowsell, Anne Treagust, Katherine Arnold, Paul Whittenham (see team photo)

Match report

An away trip to sunny Southsea for our penultimate match of the Division 2 season in the quest for points to help us avoid relegation was always going to be a difficult assignment and so it proved. Our first pair, Anne and Bailey battled bravely in their opening rubber against Southsea’s 2nds, losing a close first set in a tie-break and then the second after having a set point. On the adjacent court, I was partnered by Katherine, making her debut for Mixed 3. At 6-1, 3-1 down the match looked all but over but the decision to swap playing sides in the second set began to pay dividends and 5 games later the second set was in the bag. There followed a very tense Championship tie-break which swung in fortune with a 5-1 lead to the Avenue at the first change of ends quickly came and went with the Southsea 1sts winning 6 points in a row to lead 7-5 at the second change. Undeterred by the score line, we fought our way back to lead 9-8 and match point which we unfortunately couldn’t convert and lost the tie-break 11-9 and the rubber. Anne and Bailey again fought hard in their second rubber only to finish the wrong side of another second set tie-break and another win for Southsea’s first pair. In the final rubber, both Katherine and I struggled to find the fine form shown in the second half of the first rubber and went down 6-1 6-3 to a very consistent Southsea second pairing. The match overall was a quality entertaining encounter, applauded afterwards by an onlooker after the match which was a very nice touch. The match was played in great spirit and a big thank you to both my team and Southsea Tennis Club for their hospitality. Our final match of the Summer season is away to Ryde Mead on 16 August. Paul Whittenham

Ladies Masters Division 1 – Avenue 1 beat CourtX (4-0) – Nicky Woolhead, Anna Newman, Heather Halliday, Jenny Smith, (see team photo)

Match report

A good win by the Avenue team – played in the sunshine and also a tricky wind which made for “interesting” shots!!! Well played everyone. Heather Halliday

Ladies Masters Division 3 – Avenue 2 lost to Ventnor (1-3) – Anne Treagust, Becky Howarth, Linda Wainwright, Mary Robinson

Match report

Watched the match today thoroughly entertaining and the Ventnor team were so good and friendly, a pleasure to lose to such lovely ladies.

Reply to Jenny from Ventnor’s captain Michelle Parker ‘Thank you for your kind words. The girls said the same thing. They thoroughly enjoyed the game and said everyone was so friendly. Please pass on the same comments to your team.’

A very well fought match with very close and sometimes long games but we came second. Well played team an very enjoyable match to watch. Jenny Ward

Mens Masters Division 1 – Avenue 1 beat Lee (4-0) – Phil Broad, Peter Campbell, Neil Crawford, Martin Mallick

Mixed Masters Division 1 – Avenue 1 lost to Ryde Mead 1 (1-3) – Helen Weekes, George Bentley, Denise Simper, Ian Marks

Mixed Masters Division 1 – Avenue 1 beat Chichester 1 (3-1) – Anna Newman, Peter Campbell, Jenny Smith, Neil Crawford

Match report

Chichester away was our next fixture. When we arrived we realised they had a really strong team, so we felt it might be a tough ask to come away with any sort of result. How wrong we were. Jenny and Peter cruised through their first rubber 6-2  6-3. Myself and Neil came back from 4-0 down to win the first set 6-4. We lost the 2nd set 6-2 but convincing won the 3rd set tiebreak. 2-0 up after the first round. Jenny and I won our match on a 3rd set tiebreak after losing the first set 7-5. Neil and Peter lost their match on a 3rd set tie break. A very close match saw the Avenue come out on top. Well done team in warm conditions which seems to be the norm at the moment. Anna Newman.

Mixed Masters Division 2 – Avenue 2 lost to Ryde Lawn 2 (0-4) – Mark Fullstone, Angie Brown, Mary Robinson, Stew Wiles

Hants & IOW Summer League

Mens O55s Division 2 – Avenue 2 drew with Warsash 1 (4-4) – Rob Mort, Phil Tusler, Nick Castle, Matt Bennett

Match report

Disappointing result, we should have won really. Rob Mort

Portsmouth News Article

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

Paul Whittenham