Bay men ease to whitewash

TENNIS

Herne Bay Tennis Club teams completed their winter fixtures with four matches in the Deal Indoor League. The men’s first team of Martin Beckley/James Ley and Alex Kazakeos/Mark Kennard swept to an eight sets to nil win over Deal Indoor Tennis Centre 2nd team, but the men’s 2nd of Dave Lawrence/Gary Smith and Bob Toye/Guy Farmer lost to St Margaret’s by five sets to four. The ladies’ team finished with a draw against Deal ITC. Nicola and Kay Mileham won their four sets with the loss of just four games while Sue Toye/Mary Gibbon had a marathon two-hour match against the Deal second pair which they eventually lost 7-6 7-6. The mixed team finished their season with a five sets to four win against Ashford 2nds. Graham Miles/Anne Gibbs won all their sets and Dave Lawrence/Diana High picked up a set against the Ashford top pair to clinch the match. The summer Kent League season is now under way and Bay ladies’ first team began their campaign with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Tunbridge Wells in Division 1. In the first round of matches Bay’s top pair, Anne Gibbs/ Louise Tucker, lost the first set 6-4 but came back strongly to win the second set to love and then take the match tie-break by 10 points to four. The Bay second pair of Nicola Mileham/Debbie Holden lost the first set 6-0, hit back to take the second set 6-2, but then lost in the tie break. In the second round Gibbs/Tucker narrowly beat the Tunbridge Wells 2nd pair 7-5 4-6 11-9 while Mileham/Holden won their second rubber 6-4 2-6 10-7. The men’s second team travelled to David Lloyd Kings Hill to play their third team in Division 7 and lost by two sets. Kazakeos/ Kennard and Farmer/ Lawrence both lost to the Kings Hill top pair in straight sets and beat their second pair in three sets. The match was thus tied on rubbers but Bay lost the match by six sets to four.

Herne Bay Tennis Club welcomes players of all standards, both junior and senior, and more information can be found on the club website at www. hernebaytennis.co.uk or by emailing club coach Nicola Mileham at just.tennisnic@ yahoo.co.uk