Hamilton Tennis Club: Champions beaten in doubles finals

Magnificent hard-hitting rallies were interspersed with Douglas’ well-disguised touch shots which left his opponents stranded, but Catlin was on top form, well supported by Cox as they won the first set 6-3.

The second set followed a similar pattern with the champions unable to break their opponents’ fierce serving and strong interceptions.

After many sharp volley exchanges, the challengers were too consistent and clinched the second set 6-3, and with it the match.

* The ladies’ doubles final pitted Tracy White and Sue Harrison against Margaret Heggs and Emily Harrison.

White was the dominant figure, mixing up strong serving with sliced shots which stayed very low on the damp surface, as well as sharp interceptions at the net.

Sue Harrison also played a very solid game which left their opponents playing defensively to try and stay in the match.

Emily caught White going for interceptions with some solid passing shots down the line, and Heggs’s deceptive lobs forced their opponents on the defensive, but overall Harrison and White were just too strong and ran out 6-3, 6-3 winners.

* Hamilton started their Winter League season with mixed results.

The ladies’ first team of Tracy White/Margaret Heggs and Sue Corfield/Margaret Roskell served up an 8-0 clean sweep against David Lloyd Seconds, while the third team of Davina Hughes/Jude Plumb and Linda Hallam/Jo Draper-Moore beat Charnwood Fifths 6-2, with a maximum four sets for Davina and Jude.

But the ladies’ second team of Margaret Shufflebotham/Margaret Roskell and Eileen Merrison/Jan Jackson were well beaten, 7-1, by Loughborough Seconds, with the two Margarets taking the consolation set.

* Hamilton’s men’s first team of Jimmi Cox/Ben Catlin and Andy Douglas/Ciaran Boylan lost 5-3 to Rothley Seconds, Jimmi and Ben taking three sets.

The third team lost by the same score to Stoney Stanton Fourths, with Craig Tracey and Barrie Farnsworth winning two sets, and Fraser Rabbit-Dalby and Mark Ashman taking one set. T

And the fourth team of Graham Brown/Fraser Rabbit-Dalby and Steve Plaistow/Stuart Posnett had some close sets, but were no match for Carisbrooke D in an 8-0 loss.