Melton Mowbray Tennis Club: Vets secure wins

Melton Mowbray Tennis Club's men's and ladies veteran teams joined in the club's winning ways last week.

Travelling to Loughborough TC for a tough fixture, the men’s team returned with a share of the spoils following a four-all draw.

Stuart Mullard and Fraser Rabbit-Dalby turned in a terrific performance to register three winning rubbers, and skipper Nigel Haynes teamed up with debutant Phil White to collect a vital rubber to earn the draw.

Scores: N. Haynes/P. White L 1-6, 3-6; D 4-6, 6-4. S. Mullard/F. Rabbit-Dalby D 7-5, 2-6; W 6-3, 6-1.

Buoyed by this result they went one better at home to Desford with a 5-3 win, with Mullard and Rabbit-Dalby once again in good form with three winning rubbers.

Skipper Haynes and White collected two rubbers to clinch the victory which sends them third in the league.

Scores: N. Haynes/P. White W 6-1, 6-0; L 1-6, 2-6. S. Mullard/F. Rabbit-Dalby W 6-1, 6-1; D 7-6, 1-6.

The team’s winning run came to a halt at Hinckley Seconds when they went down 5-3.

Haynes and Mullard took two wins and Peter Lovegrove and Rabbit-Dalby won a single rubber.

Scores: N. Haynes/S. Mullard W 6-2, 6-2; L 1-6, 5-7. P. Lovegrove/F. Rabbit-Dalby D 6-3, 4-6; L 3-6, 2-6.

* The ladies joined in the party when they travelled to Charnwood and returned with the points following a 5-3 win.

Skipper Alison Stone partnered Jo Rowe who was making a welcome comeback to tennis after a two-year lay-off.

And the pair gelled instantly to collect three rubbers and prove the cornerstone of the victory.

They nearly made it a maximum, but just lost out in a tie-break set after taking the first set against Charnwood’s first pair.

Second pairing Jo Anderson and Bridget Ingle fully played their part with two rubbers, and nearly snatched another set when they clawed back a 2-5 deficit only to lose 5-7.

Scores: A. Stone/J. Rowe W 6-3, 6-2; D 6-3, 6-7. J. Anderson/B. Ingle L 3-6, 5-7; W 6-2, 6-1.