Melton Mowbray Tennis Club teams make perfect start

The first team, looking for a hat-trick of titles, having won the Division One title for the past two years, were up against a strong Ashby Castle side, but Melton turned in another solid performance to win 4-0.

Club coach Ryan Parmar teamed up with James Rowe to take their men’s match 6-4, and Jess Gadsby with Corinne Blythe took the ladies’ 6-3.

James and Jess then made it 3-0 with a 7-5 win in their mixed doubles, before Ryan and Corinne completed the whitewash with an excellent 8-3 win.

* The second team, also in Division One this year, were up against Stoney Stanton Firsts, and again the team turned in a solid, winning performance.

Skipper Justin Horobin teamed up with in-form Simon Hawthorne to land a commanding 11-3 win in their men’s doubles before Laura Hayward and Sumitra Fox and clinched their match 6-4.

Simon then teamed up with Sumitra to take their mixed doubles, 12-3, and Justin and Laura made it a 4-0 win with their 8-4 victory to cap a brilliant start to the indoor season.

* Away from the courts, six players from the club are gearing themselves up for a 24-hour tennis marathon at the National Tennis Centre later this month.

Former Davis Cup and Federation Cup players such as Danny Willis and Lucy Ahl, plus several others, will be supplying the hitters for the Melton Mowbray players who will be joined by several clubs from around the country.

The players are busy drumming up sponsorship for their efforts to raise funds for the resurfacing of the club’s courts at Melton Sports Village which are in need of urgent restoration.

Ryan Parmar (22) and, at the other end of the age scale, Brent Horobin will be involved, with the former also undertaking his first sky dive in March as part of his fundraising efforts.

Anyone interested in assisting the pair, or for more information, can call Brent on 07903 046086.