Helensburgh Tennis Club’s men’s first team secured a vital 6-3 win at home to Strathaven in their battle against relegation from the third division of the West of Scotland League.

Alastair Hope and Bobby Kerr enjoyed a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win in their match, while David McCowan and Allan Adam secured a break of serve in their first set to win 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

At first couple, however, Fraser Fulton and Kevin Stephen struggled to adjust to the visitors’ style of play and lost 4-6, 5-7, 2-6.

The team now need to secure seven sets from their final matches against league leaders Newlands and David Lloyd West End to secure survival for next season.

Helensburgh’s ladies’ first team, meanwhile, continued their winning form with two victories in a row.

The third couple of Yolande Trewhella and Gay Black found their Titwood opponents too strong and consistent, but Jo Kerr and Ann Morrison, after losing a tight first set, recovered to win the last two 6-3, 6-4.

Katie Hope and Karrie Walters then won all three sets to give Helensburgh a 5-4 overall win.

The team’s away tie against David Lloyd West End was their first wet match of the season, but Katie and Karrie’s solid baseline play and excellent serving saw them shrug off the unfamiliar conditions and hard-hitting opponents to win all three sets.

Jo and Ann also faced a hard-hitting duo, but despite many deuces they managed to keep thier noses in front and win the first two sets – only to lose the third when their opponents upped their game and employed the lobbing tactic. The match between the third couples turned into something of a marathon and all players were soaked by the time David Lloyd emerged the winners by 2 sets to 1, the Helensburgh pair having done very well to seize the second set on a tie-break and secure an overall 6-3 win.

The ladies’ second team travelled to David Lloyd Hamilton and recorded a great 6-3 win.

Suzanne Marshall and Morag Cawley were in complete control of their opening two sets, winning them 6-4, 6-3, and though they trailed for much of the third a change of tactics saw them claw their way back to take it 7-5.

Carolan Dobson and Jackie Hunter brushed aside their opponents 6-2, 6-1, 6-1, but at second couple Val Pace and Fiona Chalmers couldn’t make any impression and lost all three sets. The team sit in third position in the league with two matches remaining.