Portsmouth & District Winter League

Ladies Division 1 – Avenue 2 lost to Chichester 1 (0-4) – Vicki White, Gill Clarke, Sian Prior, Zoe Larkin

Ladies Division 2 – Avenue 3 beat Ryde Lawn 2 (3-1) – Katherine Arnold, Becky Howarth, Denise Simper, Alison Clarke

Mixed Division 4 – Avenue 4 beat Steep 2 (3-1) – Adrian Drummond, Louise Charlton, Ali Thomson, Jamie Newman

Match report

And so the day dawned. The sun had burned brightly all summer, giving us plenty of match practice on the green lawns of PO9 2RS. A confident match squad had been assembled combining experience with youthful talent and enthusiasm. Everyone knew their role,  even down to what to bring for tea (lots on the menu including homemade cake from Louise). Everything was set for the nerve-jangling mixed division 4 title decider against the unbeaten and seriously good outfit from Steep 2 … Well that was three weeks ago and then the heavens opened, the deluge came along and washed all our best-laid plans away. Not to be denied, the same four assembled last Sunday on an overcast but windless day, to settle this once and for all. (Louise, naturally, with another homemade cake). This time though, with the grass courts spongy and lifeless, the contest would have to take place on clay – a surface Steep have at home, so ruling out any advantage we might have on grass. On the positive side, Steep got caught up in traffic chaos on the A27 and arrived slightly frazzled!  So after much anticipation the action would finally begin. Jamie and Ali (the youthful and enthusiastic combination referred to earlier) brought their stylish game to the party and were really good value for 4-4 in the first set against the first pair. But with an uncanny ability to stay in the game, Steep managed to move ahead, taking the first set 6-4 and the second equally competitive set 6-3. It was scant reward for more than two hours of toil but their confidence remained high after some excellent tennis and mutual support. Over in the other rubber, Julie Gray from Steep was serving bombs at Adrian and Louise, but thankfully, as the match wore on fewer of the bombs found the service box and Adrian and Louise found their mojo and went on to take the rubber 6-2 6-0. So at the halfway stage it was one rubber each and everything to play for. At this point Jamie and Ali stepped on the gas, oozing quality as they completed a 6-2, 6-1 demolition job on Steep’s 2nd pair. Adrian and Louise, with confidence flowing from the first rubber, raced to a 6-0 lead in their second rubber but, just to keep an element of tension going, went walkabout and lost the second set 0-6. A tiebreak it would have to be which was to prove nip and tuck until 8-8 when they claimed 2 points in a row to secure the rubber, a 3-1 win, all 3 points and the mixed division 4 title with 6 wins from 6. The waiting was over, the contest had been decided and everyone adjourned for tea. The cake was delicious by the way. Adrian Drummond

Portsmouth News Article

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

Paul Whittenham