Helensburgh Tennis Club’s ladies and men’s team had mixed results this week in the West of Scotland leagues.

One bright spot was a great 6-0 win for the men’s 60+ team which puts them second top of their division, one point behind the leaders but with one game in hand.

Alastair Hope, Bill Ram, Harry Gould and Keith Love lost only 11 games out of six sets, and with only two matches left against teams well down the division, team captain Iain MacLaren has high hopes of promotion to division one for next season.

The gents’ fourth team were the other bright spot for Helensburgh this week after edging out Nuffield Milngavie 5-4.

First couple Nicholas Goodings and Adam McLean put in an excellent performance to win 3-0, while Nigel Parlane and Maurice McIntyre at second couple were very unfortunate not to win a set, losing 5-7, 3-6, 5-7.

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Steady third couple Ralph Ward and Clive Charters managed to win the opening set and, though they lost the second in a tight tie-break, won the third 6-3 to secure the overall win for Helensburgh.

Elsewhere, the men’s second team recorded a fine 8-1 win away to Bishopton, with Phil Hamilton, in his first match of the season, partnering Bill Ram to a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win.

David McCowan and Stephen Humphreys at third couple also bagged all three sets, and though Bobby Kerr and Alastair Hope narrowly lost their opening set 5-7, they bounced back to take the next two 6-3, 6-4.

The following night, though, Helensburgh were brought back down to earth, losing 9-0 at home to league leaders Strathaven.

The ladies’ second team were unlucky not to defeat Springwells at home; Janette Howieson and Barbara Gillies lost only three games in their match but the other pairs came up against very steady opposition and could only salvage one more set as Helensburgh lost out 5-4..

Captain Jackie Hunter shuffled the ranks for their next match, but a very strong Rutherglen side had too much in the tank and won the tie without dropping a set.

The gents’ first team are finding the standard very high in division one as they fell to an 8-1 defeat at the hands of Woodend.

Helensburgh will welcome players from the other three local clubs – Craighelen, Cardross and Kirktonhill – this Sunday, June 11, at 1pm for the annual Marie Curie Cancer Care tournament to raise funds in memory of local player and coach Marie Dixon.