Solent Cup losses for winter champions Warsash and Lee
It was Southampton’s day in the Solent Cup, while three pairs found early form in the Portsmouth & District Tennis League’s summer season.
Portsmouth League’s top winter sides took on Southampton League’s corresponding champions in the Solent Cup at Totton and Eling Tennis Centre.
Warsash Men’s 1sts lost
3-1 to Riverside. Ian Udal and Martin Wilkinson beat Sam Harris and Jamie Barry 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, but then lost to top pair Michael Barry and Jake Russell in two close sets.
Matt Pond and Matt Savage lost their first rubber to the Salisbury-based team and, at one set all in the second and the win out of reach, agreed to play a match tie-break, which they lost 10-8.
Lee Ladies 1sts - Katie Hart, Eva Lakey, Sophie Grist and Kate Russell - fought hard, but could not prevent a 4-0 loss to a formidable Winchester side who play in the top South West Regional Division.
In the Portsmouth Summer League, Courtx 2nds won 4-0 on promotion to Men’s Division 1 at Fishbourne, who took a set in the first round.
Warsash 2nds beat Chichester 2nds on 36-28 on games to take two points in Men’s Division 2, despite Chi’s Sivakumar Pillai and Steve Davy winning both of their rubbers.
Southsea 1sts beat
Courtx 5ths 3-1 at home on promotion to Division 3, winning two rubbers on match tie-breaks (which may substitute for full third sets in the summer).
In Men’s Division 3, Ryde
Lawn 2nds won 3-1 at Abshot. Paul Martin and James Hoskins almost snatched a point for Abshot, winning one rubber in straight sets, but losing the other 10-8 in a match tie-break.
In Men’s Division 4, new team Alverstoke 2nds beat promoted Ryde Lawn 3rds 41-31 on games.
Chichester 3rds beat Avenue 4ths 4-0 in the same division, with Sean Savage and James Pollard dropping just two games.
Stubbington again struggled having been promoted to Ladies’ Division 2, though they did win their first set in a 4-0 loss at Warsash 2nds.
4 Lee ladies’ lost 4-0 to Winchester
2 Games lost out of 26 by Savage & Pollard
2 Rubbers wins for Pillai and Davy
2 Southsea 1sts’ match tie-break wins