Fine start for Hants Tennis Leaguers
10:26am Wednesday 7th May 2008
With the summer season well under way despite the cold and wet weather, the Andover teams have made a positive start.
The men's Hants and IOW team won their first match away at Sandleheath. Previous meetings between the clubs have always been close, and Saturday's tussle was no different. Andover came out 6-3 winners, but it easily could have been a 5-4 defeat. With George Corden unavailable,the pairs were shuffled with 16-year old Patrick Burnell replacing him and partnering Mike Prince.
Although not winning a set they came close, losing 7-6, 6-4 to the Sandleheath pairing of Colin Mamone and Richard Thick. Anthony Brown and Martyn Isherwood started a little shakily, but stamped their authority, winning all three matches, 7-5, 6-0; 6-3, 6-2 and finally a 6-0 6-0 trouncing of Sandleheath's first pair.
Andover's other pairing of Andrew Winnett and Stuart Smillie, seemed a little off colour. But as they have shown in the past, they held their nerve when the pressure was on. In their first game, they were completely out of sorts.
At one stage from being 6-3, 3-0 down, they turned it round, to win the second set 6-3, and take the match into a tie break. It was a nail biting 15 minutes, as these two lanky six-footers saved two match points, one being an Andrew Winnett booming ace from a second serve. After a 6-3; 6-4 win in their second encounter, they finished off with another tie break victory.
The Sarum A side have played two matches so far and won them both comfortably. Their first opponents were the newly promoted Downton and with Andy Winnett unavailable, Stuart Smillie came in to replace him and played an almost faultless mixed rubber to win 6-2, 6-1 with partner Claire Coomer.
Helen Eckersley and Anthony Brown were rarely troubled during their 6-1, 6-3 victory. Stuart and Anthony rattled through the men's doubles winning 6-3 , 6-2 and in the ladies' doubles, Claire and Helen started well and won the first set 6-1. However they struggled in the second and lost on a tie break. The final result being a 7-1 home win.
Their second match against Sandleheath should have been a more closely contested affair, but having had the benefit of one match to clear out any early season cobwebs, the team were firing on all cylinders and won 8-0. Claire Coomer and Andy Winnett won their mixed 6-1, 6-0 and with the courts greasy underfoot, Winnett chose not to serve volley and displayed consistency and power from the back of the court. Helen Eckersley and Anthony Brown also won their rubber 6-0, 6-3. The men's doubles produced the closest rubber and eventually, Anthony and Andy won 6-4, 6-3.
In the ladies' doubles, Claire and Helen won 6-1, 6-1 to seal the 8-0 victory.
The ladies' A also won their first match against Oakley at home. Fielding a strong team of Claire Coomer, Helen Eckersley, Claire Reid and Charlotte Prince, Andover won 8-0 for the loss of only ten games.