Melton Mowbray Tennis Club win first summer league title

Tennis opportunities are in store at Midhurst this Sunday

The club’s men’s Aegon team topped Division 3B with an unbeaten record after wins over Oakham and then Leicester Forest B.

Melton ran out comfortable 10-2 winners against an Oakham side who were a player short, setting up a decider at second-placed Leicester Forest East.

Melton were in no mood to let it slip, and despite a changed team they performed brilliantly to become champions with a 10-2 win.

Captain Justin Horobin was delighted with his nine-man squad over the five matches which included 16-year-olds Ollie Aley and Sam Dryell.

Jonathan Sturmey and Neil Johnson also finished top of the individual ratings with nine out of nine wins.

Squad: J. Horobin, J. Sturmey, N. Johnson, S. Hawthorne, S. Dryell, O. Aley, S. O’ Regan, J. Wheatley, J. Harte.

* The men’s first team are also setting the pace in their Division 3A Summer League, returning from Market Bosworth Seconds with an emphatic 8-1 win.

An injury to youngster Dan Blackburn in the second round forced Melton to concede a last round rubber, the first loss of the season.

Scores: R. Parmar/T. Ellis won 9-3, 9-3, 9-1; B. Mactaggart/S. Hawthorne won 9-1, 9-0, 9-0; J. Ellis/D. Blackburn won 9-7, 9-3, ret’d 0-9.

* The men’s second team continued their good run in Division 6B when they entertained Oadby Fifths and won 9-0.

Scores; J. Sturmey/J. Wheatley won 9-0, 9-3, 9-1; S. Dryell/K. Radford won 9-1, 9-3, 9-2; J. Beagle/T. Dryell won 9-4, 9-1, 9-5.

* The ladies’ first team were washed out, but Nicky Kennedy’s second team braved the wet conditions to record an excellent 9-0 win over visitors Oadby 4 to stay top of Division 4A.

The match saw a welcome return to the side for Carol Gilchrist who partnered Nicky to maximum three wins without conceding a game.

Scores: N. Kennedy-Maggs/C. Gilchrist won 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; J. Heggs/E. Jenkins won 9-2, 9-0, 9-3; S. Medcalf/J. Woods won 9-3, 9-2, 9-5.