Mixed fortunes for Badenoch and Strathspey teams as Highland League tennis resumes
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Official Highland League Tennis resumed last week with seven matches played, involving three of the clubs in Badenoch and Strathspey.
Grantown have had a poor start, losing all their matches so far.
The club suffered three heavy 8-0 defeats – at Elgin (men’s division 1), Inverness (mixed division 1) and Rothes (women’s division 3).
The women’s A team did not fare so badly. They have lost both matches played but managed to steer clear of a whitewash in both instances.
Kingussie Tennis Club has been involved in two matches so far. The women’s team travelled North to play Elgin’s second string. They will be annoyed with the scoreline as it could have been closer.
Christine Sutherland and Michelle McCormick pushed their opponents all the way in the 2v2 rubber championship tie-break: eventually losing out 10-8.
The first pairing of Helen Peebles and Marjory Deans second rubber also required a championship breaker but time was not on their side. The
agreed time-limit arrived with the score at 4-3.
The Badenoch couple were confident that, despite being that one point down, the breaker was there for the taking.
The men were scheduled for a home fixture but, as the courts are not ready yet, agreement was sought, and given, to reverse the venue for the two matches with Inverness. And so the foursome began their quest for the three points.
Three of the four rubbers needed the first to 10 breaker to separate the teams. As it turned out the visitors won all three putting them in a 6-3 winning position.
The outcome of the last rubber was obviously important as it could have resulted in a better overall win or, as happened, a close 6-5 result.
The team’s next outing was more decisive, beating Gordonstoun 8-1. Only the 1v1 rubber caused a problem with the loss of a set and the need to play a match tie-break.
Rothiemurchus and Aviemore (R&A) started with a win and a two draws. The women’s A team got the better of the Grantown first string.
Eve Wilkinson and Amanda Shepherd won both their rubbers but were pushed to a first set tie-break in the tussle with Mandy Davidson and Lindsay Tinney.
LyndaJean Fishpool and Fiona Clarke also had a scare when Paula Starritt and Pauline Mitchell took them to a tie-break. This was a case of the rub of the green going R&As way.
The two tie-break wins were absolutely crucial in the destination of the three points. Had the breakers been lost, the overall score would have sat at 4-4 with the prospect of two first to 10 contests to decide the day.
The ‘what ifs’ can be talked about all day, but the fact is that R&A won them, the match and the three points.
The D team had a closely contested fixture at Gordonstoun culminating in a 5-5 draw
In the mixed 1st division, Elgin B were the visitors to the Rothiemuchus courts. The match turned out to be the proverbial ‘tale of two halves’. Emil Mirossay and Wendy Munro set the team up with two decisive victories but second seeds Dougie Somerville and Eve Wilkinson were unable to capitalise on the situation.
Results
Women
Division 1
Grantown A 2 R&A A 6
Lindsay Tinney & Mandy Davidson lost to Eve Wilkinson & Amanda Shepherd 6-7, 1-6; defeated LyndaJean Fishpool & Fiona Clarke 6-3, 6-0. Paula Starritt & Pauline Mitchell lost 2-6, 2-6; lost 3-6, 6-7.
Nairn A 6 Grantown A 2
Mandy Davidson & Lindsay Tinney lost 3-6, 4-6; won 7-6, 2-6. Patricia Lawson & Pauline Mitchell lost 0-6, 1-6; lost 2-6, 4-6
Division 2
Elgin B 7 Kingussie 2
Helen Peebles & Marjory Deans lost 4-6, 5-7; 3-6, 7-5 (unfinished). Christine Sutherland & Michelle McCormick lost 4-6, 2-6; lost 4-6, 6-2, 8-10
Division 3 Highland
R&A B 8 Nairn C 1
Lindajean Fishpool & Fiona Clarke won 6-3, 6-2; won 6-3, 6-1. Sheila Lowther & Judith Marten-Jachacy won 6-7, 6-0, 10-5; won 6-1, 6-3
R&A C 4 Tain 4
Jennifer Sime & Yvonne Birnie lost 6-7, 1-6; lost 4-6, 3-6; Jean Hamilton & Sheila Lowther won 7-6, 6-1; won 6-4, 6-1.
Division 3 Moray & Strathspey
Gordonstoun 5 R&A D 5
Irene England & Deborah Tait lost 6-2, 4-6, 4-10; won 7-6, 6-1, Jean Hamilton & Judith Smith won 6-4, 6-7, 10-8; lost 4-6, 2-6
Rothes 8 Grantown B 0
Wendy Alexander & Marlene Tainsh lost 1-6, 1-6; lost 5-7, 3-6. Tania Alliod & Rachel Knight lost 0-6, 0-6; lost 2-6, 2-6
Men
Division 1
Elgin A 8 Grantown A 0
Andrew & Billy McLeod lost 1-6, 5-7; lost 1-6, 3-6. Colin McLeod & Matthew Davies lost 5-7, 4-6; lost 5-7, 4-6.
Division 2
Inverness B 5 Kingussie 6
Grant Davis & Colin Ramsay won 4-6, 6-1, 10-5; won 4-6, 6-3, 10-4. Chris Donald & Kenny Deans won 6-4, 0-6, 10-6; lost 1-6, 6-7
Gordonstoun 1 Kingussie 8
Grant Davis & Colin Ramsay won 6-1, 4-6, 10-8; won 6-0, 6-1. Chris Donald & Kenny Deans won 6-4, 6-3; won 6-1, 6-1
Mixed
Division 1
Inverness A 8 Grantown 0
Lindsay Tinney & Ryan Sellars lost 2-6, 2-6; lost 2-6, 0-6. Mandy Davidson & Walter Cruikshank lost 5-7, 1-6; lost 2-6, 6-7.
R&A A 4 Elgin B 4
Emil Mirossay & Wendy Munro won 6-4, 6-3; won 6-3, 6-3; Dougie Somerville & Eve Wilkinson lost 2-6, 2-6; lost 3-6, 3-6
