Mixed team edge tight opener

Herne Bay Tennis Club

With the Kent Winter League season in full flow, Herne Bay have had a mixed bag of results.

The mixed 2nds started their campaign in Division 3B with an excellent win against a strong Margate team at Beacon Road. In near perfect conditions for tennis, father and daughter Graham and Danielle Miles won their first rubber in two close sets, 6-2, 7-5.

Ian Cooke/debbie Holden fought back from a set down to take their opponents to a third set championship tie-break only to be pipped 10-8. The reverse rubbers saw the Miles’ power through 6-4, 6-1, and Cooke/holden take Margate’s first pair all the way in another hard fought encounter.

After sharing the first two sets 7-5, 5-7, they once again lost out in the breaker 10-5. With the match tied 2-2 in rubbers, Herne Bay won the match 6-4 in sets.

The weather was not so kind to the ladies’ over-60s midweek 2nds who travelled to Bearsted 2nds in Division 2 but they still managed a 3-1 win.

Bay’s first pair Tui Thain/isobel Warnock set the standard, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Sue Flynn/diana High won 7-5, 6-3 to put Bay in command at the halfway mark. The second round saw Thain/warnock lose just two games, while Flynn/high ran out of steam losing their rubber in two sets.

The men’s over-60s midweek 1sts continued their good form at home to Gravesham in Division 2.

First pair Mark Townsend/ian Cooke were too strong for both visiting pairs losing just two games over both rubbers.

Bryan Packham/greg Pearson found the going somewhat tougher, losing their opening rubber in two sets. The second rubber saw them lose the first set 6-2 and go 5-3 down in the second before staging a comeback to take the set 7-5 and go on to win the third set tie break to complete a 3-1 victory.

The men’s vets team had the narrowest of losses at home against Gravesham 1 in Division 2A. The match started well for Bay’s pairing of Ian Cooke/graham Miles, who won their opening rubber 7-5, 6-3.

Despite playing well and forcing numerous break points, Gary Smith/mark Townsend lost out by the same score.

With the match finely balanced, the second round was over relatively quickly with Cooke/ Miles winning 6-3, 6-1, but Smith/townsend going down 0-6, 2-6.

With the match tied 2-2 in rubbers, 4-4 in sets, the visitors edged it 37 games to 35.

The men’s over-60s midweek 2nds are finding it a bit of a struggle in a strong Division 4. There is, however, no lack of effort and they were unlucky to just miss out at home to Bearsted 2nds.

The first round saw Bob Toye/wally Lovett combine well to beat the visitors’ first pair comfortably in straight sets. New pairing Kevin Voller/terry Hughes took a while to find their feet, going down heavily in their opener.

In the second round Toye/lovett won in three sets, while Voller/hughes put in a much improved performance before losing in two close sets. The match was tied 2-2 in rubbers but won by the visitors 5-4 in sets.