Melton Mowbray Tennis Club veterans on top form

The team were brilliantly led by Jo Rowe and Louise Smethurst, in her first match of the season, recording a maximum four sets with the loss of just two games.

Playing their opposite numbers of Woolston and Saunders, the pair came out on top in many long rallies with Smethurst’s volleying and Rowe’s consistent ground strokes a vital ingredient of their 6-1, 6-1 win

The pair continued in the same vein when they took on Susie Galloway and Jo Draper-Moore, winning 6-0, 6-0 score.

Melton’s second pairing of Jo Anderson and Bridget Ingle ensured the win when they overcame Galloway and Draper-Moore 7-6, 6-0 after a tight first set before going down to Saunders and Woolston 4-6, 2-6.

* Melton’s men’s veteran team maintained their recent improvement at top-of-the-table Oakham Seconds.

They returned with a share of the spoils following a 4-4 draw thanks to a fine maximum from Jason Wheatley and Stuart Mullard.

Scores: S. Mullard/J. Wheatley W 6-4, 6-2; W 6-2, 6-3. P. White/P. Heaton L 2-6, 2-6; L 2-6, 1-6.

* On the mixed team front, Melton’s first team entertained Oadby Granville and were in convincing form to run up a whitewash 9-0 win.

Scores: T. Rowe/S. Driver W 9-1, 9-2, 9-3; J. Rowe/J. Gadsby W 9-1, 9-4, 9-5; R. Parmar/S. Fox W 9-8, 9-3, 9-1.

* The mixed second team are still in the running for promotion in Group 3B and they kept up the pressure on title favourites Hinckley with a solid 7-2 win over visitors Market Bosworth.

Captain Justin Horobin and partner Sarah Driver collected a maximum three wins and were well supported by two sets apiece from Sam Dryell and Beth Lowe, and Jake Beagle with Ellie Jenkins.

Scores: J. Horobin/S. Driver W 9-6, 9-1, 9-1; J. Beagle/E. Jenkins L 8-9, W 9-1, 9-1; S. Dryell/B. Lowe L 5-9, W 9-5, 9-1.

* Melton’s third mixed team just failed to make it a clean sweep when they hosted Market Harborough and lost a tight match 5-4, including two close tie-break losses.

First pair of Jake Beagle and Carol Gilchrist played brilliantly to claim three wins, and teenager Sam Dryell and Jill Woods added another set before losing out in a tie-break.

The third pair of Tom Dryell, another teenager, and Alison Stone were then just pipped in an exciting tie-break with the scores standing at 4-4.

Scores: J. Beagle/C. Gilchrist W 9-7, 9-1, 9-7; S. Dryell/J. Woods W 9-8, L 7-9, 8-9; T. Dryell/A. Stone L 4-9, 6-9, 8-9.