HELENSBURGH Tennis Club’s sides were in good from this week, with impressive performances in ties with Strathgryffe, Hamilton and Fort Matilda.

The second team had to call on the services of third team player Alison Fotheringham and Anne Esson, who rarely plays team tennis to get them through their match against the Strathgryffe.

You would expect both players to be nervous and intimidated but they both played the match of their lives and helped the team to a great 5–1 win. Alison was playing alongside Suzanne Marshall and they won the opening set 6–2.

They struggled in the second set going behind 1–4 before levelling the score to take it to a tie break. Both Helensburgh players were in full command and won it comfortably. Both player were now in unbeatable form and won the final set 6–3.

Fiona Chalmers and Anne Esson had a marathon opening set, finally winning it 7–6.

They took the second set 6–3 but Strathgryffe were determined to get something from the match and piled on the pressure to win the third set 6–7.

The ladies third team travelled to Hamilton with Alison Fotheringham back on court and Jill Fulton looking to continue the team’s recent winning run.

The opening set went all the way to the tie break with Helensburgh behind for most of it. The pair got a break when a forehand volley from Alison clipped the net and dropped just over the net at 5–5.

At set point Jill served wide to her opponent and almost aced her. Her weak return went straight to Alison who punched the volley for a great winner. The pair never looked back and took the next set 6–3 but just missed out on the third set as they narrowly lost it in another tie break 6–7.

Jane Chambers and Fiona MacLaren were in devastating form at second couple winning 6-2, 6-1, 6–1 in under 70 minutes. The team are currently second top of their division with two matches still to play.

After losing 1-5 to Western in their previous match, Helensburgh ladies first team were keen to get back on track when they faced Fort Matilda at home on Thursday.

Barely before the second pairing had reached their second set, the first couple of Karrie Walters and Katie Hope had demolished their opposition for the loss of only two games and were back in the clubhouse ready for tea.

The other tie turned into a marathon affair with all four players being very consistent and very little to choose between the couples. Having lost the first set, Gay Black and Ann Morison managed to collect the second one, only for the third set to go all the way to a nail-biting tie break.

After enduring a match of very frustrating slow pace and many lobs from their opposition, Gay and Ann were determined to win and eventually, after nearly 2.5 hours, their slightly more aggressive game paid dividends and they collected the breaker to give the team an overall 5-1 victory.

The men’s first vets team were in great form at a noisy Hamilton last week. The Helensburgh team recorded a great 5–1 win. Robert Dunbar and Alastair Hope at first couple lost their opening set 4–6 after a break of serve in the ninth game.

The pair found themselves 1–5 down in the second set and all looked lost until the pair somehow brought back to 6–6 to force the tie break. Once again the pair fell behind but they soon get their act together to come back from 2–5 down to take the set 9–7.

The third set was a much easier affair with Robert and Alastair taking it 6–2. On court two Bill Ram and Mark Leonard were quietly getting on with their match winning comfortably 6–4, 6–1, 6–4.

Their next match was a home tie against Virgin Active Milngavie where Robert and Alastair couldn’t match the consistency of their opponents and went down 4–6, 2–6, 4–6. Bobby Kerr and Mark Leonard at second couple were in great form winning 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 making the match a draw.