Busy time on the courts for Grantown's tennis teams
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The Rothiemurchus courts were the setting for the recent local league clash as R&A B hosted Grantown A in what turned out to be an exciting mixed encounter.
The result hinged on the outcome of visitors' second couple Diane and Declan Sellars’ rubbers.
Both contests went to match tie-breaks.
Grantown’s first pair, Adam Irvine and Lindsay Tinney, gave the away side a 4-0 lead by beating both opposing couples with relative ease.
However, it was a different story for the Grantown second duo.
In their second match, they were up against R&A's Gavin Musgrove and Sheila Lowther who took the first set 6-4.
Drama abounded in the second set with the lead swinging back and fore as the the pairs fought it out with the visitors making it one set apiece.
In the third set tie-break first to 10, the R&A pair held their nerve to win the match after initially having trailed.
It was a long night for the Sellars mother and son pairing who had also taken the second set against Paul Singleton and Eve Wilkinson but again lost on the first to 10 tie-break.
However, by claiming a set in each of their matches they secured the overall victory for the visitors.
Grantown Ladies A team travelled to meet all conquering Nairn A. The Strathspey side were without a second couple so found themselves down by four sets before the first ball was served.
Lindsay Tinney and Diane Sellars found it very tough going against Lisa Munro and Karen Kurtis, losing out 6-1, 6-2.
Their second rubber saw a much different scenario unfold. Despite a valiant effort, they soon found themselves down 6-3.
In the next set, however, the visitors came right back at the seasiders recording a 6-3 win.
On to the match tie-break and, unfortunately for Tinney and Sellars, the Nairn combo took control early on and never looked back.
The mixed Badenoch derby ended with Kingussie taking the bragging rights. It was not an easy victory though.
Newcomers Newtonmore fought all the way with first couple Michael Ritchie and Irene England showing their mettle in defeating their opponents top seeds, Adrian Ogden and
Michelle Stuart, in two cracking close first to seven breakers.
Next up were Alistair Sutherland and Moira Webster who scraped through in the first set (7-5). Ritchie and England fought back to level (4-6). The scene was set for a tight first to ten decider.
The visitors ran out of steam and could not contain the Kingussie pair romping home 10-4. The visiting second pairing of Tony Robinson and Valerie Macpherson were unable to add to the 3-2 lead their teammates had gained.
Results:
Mixed
Newtonmore 3 Kingussie 6, R&A B 4 Grantown A 6
Men
Grantown B 0 Grantown A 8
Walter Cruikshank & Adam Irvine lost to Andrew McLeod & Liam Sellars 4-6, 2-6. Lost to Alistair & Billy McLeod 3-6, 3-6. Ryan & Declan Sellars lost 1-6, 1-6; lost 0-6, 4-6.
Ladies
Nairn 8 Grantown 1 Grantown B 4 R&A B 5
Tania Alliod & Rachel Knight lost to Jenny Sime & Erin Ferguson 4-6, 6-7; beat Diana O’Reilly & Amy McAdam 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Wendy Alexander & Pauline Mitchell won 6-4, 7-5; lost 2-6, 3-6.
