Melton Mowbray Tennis Club hold their nerve to book semi-final spot

Tennis opportunities are in store at Midhurst this Sunday

The first round saw Griffin and Smith take their rubber, but defeats for Marcus Walters and Amelia Coltman and a tight third set tie-break defeat for Tom Rowe and Jess Gadsby put the visitors in the driving seat.

The second round proved pivotal with all three Melton couples coming out on top, Griffin and Smith and Walters and Coltman both winning in two straight sets, and Rowe and Gadsby coming back from a set down to take a thrilling match tie-break third set, 10-8, and put Melton 4-2 ahead.

Carisbrooke hit back when Rowe and Gadsby lost another tie-break, but fittingly it was skipper Griffin and Smith who capped a thrilling victory with a 6-1 7-6 win in the vital fifth rubber.

Melton next host Hinckley in the semi-finals at the Sports Village courts on Saturday (2pm start).

* The juniors were also in action with Melton’s U8 Mixed A team taking a grip on Division Three with wins over Desford (15-1), Birstall (16-0) and Market Harborough (10-6).

Against Desford their were four wins each for Oliver Spencer, Aiden Messina-Dalby and Imogen Jones, with William Cox adding three wins.

Scores: O. Spencer won 11-9, 10-3, 10-2, 10-0; Aiden Messina-Dalby won 10-4, 10-7, 10-1, 10-0; Imogen Jones won 10-3, 10-1, 10-8, 10-2; William Cox won 10-1, 10-2, 10-2, lost 4-10.

Despite some tight games, Melton proved too strong for Birstall with each player collecting four wins.

Scores: O. Spencer won 10-8, 10-2, 10-3, 10-2; A. Messina-Dalby won 10-5, 10-4, 10-0, 11-9; I. Jones won 10-3, 10-1, 10-5, 10-8; W. Cox won 10-2, 10-1, 10-2, 10-8.

Melton overcame Market Harborough in a much tighter final match with Aiden and Oliver collecting three wins each and Imogen and William weighing in with two apiece.

Scores: O. Spencer won 10-6, 10-8, 10-8, lost 5-10; A. Messina-Dalby won 11-9, 13-11, 11-9, lost 7-10; I. Jones won 10-7, 11-9, lost 5-10, 3-10; William Cox won 10-6, 10-5, lost 3-10, 5-10.

* There was disappointment for Melton’s 12U boys’ team who lost 6-0 defeat when they travelled to Desford a player short owing to illness and unavailability.

Scores: Adam Thornley lost 2-6 1-6; Billy Drewe lost 0-6 0-6; Thomas Studdert-Kennedy lost 0-6 0-6; walkover 0-6 0-6; B. Drewe/T. Studdert-Kennedy lost 0-6 0-6; doubles forfeit 0-6 0-6.