FOR the second week running Helensburgh Tennis Club’s ladies’ first team was on the receiving end of a very frustrating 4-5 loss, this time against a team from David Lloyd West End.
Gay Black and Alison Fotheringham at third couple put up strong resistance in the first two sets but just couldn’t quite impose themselves enough and then faded slightly in the third set to give the visitors a winning start to the match.
The second pair of Liz Wylie and Suzanne Marshall also battled hard against consistent opponents and having lost the first set 4-6, regrouped to take the second by the same margin. However their opponents then upped their game to collect the third set decisively by 6-1.
The contest between the first couples was an extremely hard-hitting affair, with many long and demanding rallies, but Katie Hope and Ann Morison just managed to keep their noses ahead due to their slightly higher consistency level and collect the first two sets, coming from behind in the second to take it 7-5.
The third set was slightly easier as their opponents became a little more error-prone and disheartened, allowing the Helensburgh duo to run out the winners by 6-1.
The ladies’ second team, meanwhile, suffered a 3-6 defeat at home to Lenzie. Val Pace and Fiona Chalmers were completely outgunned by their very powerful opponents. Joanna Crumless and Sue Macrae won a vital set at second couple, but the real battle was at third couple where Janette Howieson and Jackie Hunter came back from a 1-6 first set loss to take the next two sets 7-5, 7-6 in a brilliant display of grit.
The ladies’ third team were beaten 1-8 by Westerton, but team captain Fiona MacLaren praised her team, as many of the games went to deuce and the score could have been much closer.
Meanwhile, at nearby Craighelen, the club’s over-60 men’s team recorded a fine 6-0 win over Nuffield Milngavie, with both pairs, David Thorpe and Jim McGowan, and Rob Colston and Arthur Connolly, producing some fine tennis to win in straight sets.
The gents’ second team trip to Lanarkshire to play Strathaven 3 proved to be a long one after a road accident delayed their journey, but Strathaven were very understanding and the match went ahead despite both teams’ long wait.
Strathaven had the upper hand on courts one and two: Jim McGowan and Rob Colston lost to a strong couple,while John Middleton and Thomas Welsh lost a close first set 5-7, then the second 1-6, before a nagging injury then forced Thomas to retire.
READ MORE: Gordon Reid helps Great Britain win World Team CupIan McCall and Kieran Martin, though, kept the flag flying for Craighelen by playing consistent tennis on their way to a 7-6, 6-1, 7-6 win.
The Craighelen ladies’ 60s team was unable to emulate the success of their male counterparts after finding the going tough when they visited David Lloyd Renfrew.
Louise Robertson and Jackie Morris had a hard-hitting match, losing the first two sets 4-6,4-6, but they came back positively to win the third set 6-2.
At second couple, Barbara McCall and Eileen Drummond lost their three sets to a consistent and accurate pair, giving the home team victory by five sets to one overall.
Despite the result, one pleasing note for the Craighelen team was that Barbara played well after a lengthy time out due to injury.
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