The league leaders of the top flight of the Doric Insurance sponsored senior leagues dropped points for the just second time this season, enabling their title rivals to close the gap.
This week also saw a bumper week of fixtures with most teams playing twice.
Division 1
League leaders Whistlers B remain top, with a 2 point lead, however they have played a match more than nearest rivals Whistlers A and they dropped points for just the second time this season after being held to a surprise 5-5 draw by 6th placed side Lions E. Jez Powell and Mark Fenwick had strong evenings which saw them secure 4 of the 5 rubbers. Powell earned a comfortable straight sets win over reserve Craig Dunning, however he needed to hold off a spirited fightback from Junior Oskar Cleal, eventually winning the deciding 5th set of their clash 11-8. Fenwick on the other hand was embroiled in 2 hard fought matches that went the distance. His first was against Dunning and saw the Whistlers player fight back from 2-0 down to force a tense decider. In the end Fenwick did just enough and fought back from a deficit in the 5th to edge past 12-10. His other win saw him staring down the barrel when Cleal took the 3rd set 11-7 to go 2-1 up, however once more he battled hard and ended up edging the decisive 5th set of this clash 13-11. Steve Ozanne picked up the all important 5th rubber courtesy of a 4 set win over Dunning. For the Whistlers side, Lawrence Stacey continues to show strong form and he dispatched Powell and Ozanne in 4 sets and Fenwick in straight sets. Cleal fought back from 2-1 down to defeat Ozanne 14-12 in the 5th set and he also teamed with Stacey to earn a 4 set win in the doubles over Powell and Fenwick.
The other victory for the league leaders this week came narrowly over Lions D by a 6-4 score. Stacey was once more unbeaten as he defeated Phil Ogier, Mark Fallaize and Cameron Powell for the loss of just a single set to Powell in the process. He also teamed with Cleal to win the doubles over Fallaize and Powell in 5 sets, 14-12 the score in the deciding end of that pivotal rubber. Cleal added an important straight sets win over Powell, whilst reserve Mark Pipet also contributed with an important 4 set win over Fallaize. Ogier defeated Cleal and Pipet in straight sets, Fallaize earned a nice straight sets win over Cleal, whilst Powell impressed with a 4 set win over Pipet.
Whistlers A took full advantage of the slip and moved to just 2 points behind, following a strong 7-3 win over 7th placed side Lions C. Joshua Stacey was the player of the match as he was unbeaten in singles action, recording victories over Paul Hainsworth, Caden Brouard and Connor Powell, dropping just the single set to Hainsworth in the final match of the night. Joseph Bourgaize added wins over Powell in 4 sets and Brouard in straight sets, whilst Division 2 reserve Kennedy Chepkor showed his abilities by earning matching singles wins as Bourgaize, over Powell and Brouard. For the defeated Lions side, Hainsworth dispatched both Bourgaize and Chepkor in 4 sets, whilst he also teamed with Powell to earn a strong 4 set doubles win over Stacey and Bourgaize.
The other victory earned by the Whistlers side this week was courtesy of an emphatic 9-1 win over 8th placed side Ravenscroft Panthers B. Stacey and Matthew Casey each defeated Micah Cohen, Andy Gill and reserve Xavier Ingrouille in singles action, whilst Bourgaize dispatched Cohen and Ingrouille. The doubles was won by Casey and Bourgaize over Gill and Cohen in 4 sets. The whitewash was prevented by Gill, who defeated Bourgaize in straight sets.
Lions B remain comfortably in 3rd position following a 7-3 victory over the side at the foot of the table, Ravenscroft Panthers A. Averages leader Alex Robinson continues to impress in his first season back playing locally, with another unbeaten evening. He dispatched Barney Groves, Nye Matthew and Luke Evans for the loss of just a single set to Groves in the process, whilst in the doubles, the Lions side remains unbeaten after Robinson and Jamie Ferbrache defeated Groves and Evans in straight sets. Ferbrache himself defeated Groves in 4 sets and Evans in straight sets, whilst Ollie Sparkes impressed with a tight straight sets win over Evans. For the Panthers side, Matthew defeated Ferbrache in 4 sets as well as battling back from 2-0 down to defy an excellent performance from Sparkes to win in 5. Groves defeated Sparkes in straight sets.
The other fixture for the B side ended as a tight 6-4 win over Lions E. Robinson once more was unbeaten as he beat Powell, Ozanne and Fenwick for the loss of just a single set to Ozanne. Ferbrache earned strong straight sets wins over Powell and Fenwick and also teamed with Robinson to win the doubles against Powell and Ozanne in 4 sets. All of the E side picked up singles wins over Sparkes, albeit Fenwick needed to fight back from 2-0 to win. Ozanne picked up a further 5 set win over Ferbrache in a tight match which saw the final end clinched 13-11.
The match between Lions D and Lions A resulted in a 5-5 stalemate, leaving the sides locked together on points in 4th and 5th place. Phil Ogier was the player of the fixture as he was unbeaten for the D side. He fought back from 2-1 down to defeat Liam Robilliard in 5 sets and defeated Sam Clark and reserve Joshua Butler in straight sets. He also teamed with Mark Fallaize to defeat Robilliard and Clark in 4 sets in the doubles clash. In the end it was 2nd Division reserve Andy Ferbrache that proved the saviour for the D side, as he defeated Clark in 5 sets in the final match of the night to salvage a point. For the B side, Robilliard and Butler each defeated Fallaize and Ferbrache in singles action, whilst Clark edged past Fallaize 11-9 in the 5th set.
Lions A won their other scheduled fixture for the week over 7th placed side C 7-3, despite an unbeaten evening of singles action for Hainsworth. Robilliard, Matthew Stubbington and Clark all defeated Caden Brouard and reserve Ian Le Page in singles action, whilst Stubbington and Clark defeated Hainsworth and Brouard in straight sets in the doubles match. Hainsworth’s victories came in straight sets over both Robilliard and Clark, however he needed the full 5 sets to get past Stubbington.
Division 2
Whistlers D’s strong start to the season continued as the heavy favourites for the title recorded their 8th consecutive victory, maintaining their 100% winning start and giving them a point advantage from nearest rivals Whistlers C, who have played a match more. Their win this week came over 5th placed side St Pauls A and was secured by the score of 7-3. Averages leader Dunning continues to be very difficult to beat as he dispatched Gary Willcocks, Terry Trustum and Maurice James, for the loss of just a single set to Willcocks in the process. Fellow averages high flyer Kay Chivers defeated James in straight sets and Trustum in 4 sets, however she was shocked by Willcocks, who earned a super 4 set win. 3rd Division reserve Sekao Nwako contributed well with an emphatic straight sets win over James, however he was defeated in 5 sets by Trustum and 4 sets by Willcocks. The doubles was won by Dunning and Chivers over Willcocks and Trustum in straight sets.
Division 3
Ravenscroft Panthers G are top by 2 points following their 8-2 win over Whistlers I this week. Phil Harris and Thea Cummins each starred with straight sets singles wins over Simon Carter and reserves Louis Ma and Steph Evans. The duo also won the doubles over Carter and Evans in straight sets. Panthers reserve Chris Loveridge defeated Carter in 4 sets, but was beaten in 4 sets by Ma and in 5 sets by Evans.
Ravenscroft Panthers E may have a game in hand on the league leaders, however their grip on the Division faced a heavy blow this week as they fell to a surprise 6-4 defeat at the hands of 4th placed side Ravenscroft Panthers F. Richard Wellfair proved to be one of the key factors in the upset as he was unbeaten. His first match saw him fight back from 2-1 down to defeat Olivia Gilbert and he followed this up with strong 4 set wins over reserve Will Davidson and Steve Martin. He teamed with Isla Bretel to defeat Martin and Gilbert in straight sets in the doubles clash. Bretel picked up a nice 4 set win over Martin, which was the same score by which reserve Tom De La Rue defeated the same player by. The result could have been worse for the E side, as they only won 3 of their 4 matches over the full 5 set distance. Gilbert was involved in 2 of these. She first overturned a 2-1 deficit to oust De La Rue 14-12 in the deciding set, before finishing the evening with a similarly dramatic finish against fellow junior Bretel. The 5th set of this was almost identical to her clash with De La Rue, as it saw her edge past 14-12. Davidson snuck past De La Rue 11-8 in the deciding set of their clash, whilst his win over Bretel came in straight sets.
Division 4
Lions K are top of the Division by a single point following their close 6-4 win over 4th placed Ravenscroft Panther H. Val Guilbert was in fine form for the victors as she defeated De La Rue in 4 sets, Jack Dorey in 4 sets and Theo Marsh in straight sets. Diane Le Page battled back nicely from 2-1 down to oust Dorey 11-9 in the 5th and also defeated Marsh in 4 sets. Guilbert and Le Page combined well to win the vital doubles rubber over De La Rue and Marsh in 4 sets. Each of the Panthers players earned wins over Frank Coppolo, whilst De La Rue added a strong straight sets win over Le Page.