Martinborough gain edge

Tennis

Martinborough and Masterton had a battle royal in their regional one interclub tennis fixture at the Masterton Tennis Centre on Saturday with Martinborough finally snaring a 5-4 victory.

The singles matches were level at 3-3 apiece with Tim Pickering, Bruce Lovell and Rhona Lovell scoring for Martinborough and Chad Parsons, Duncan Oakley and Georgia Atkinson likewise for Masterton. The closest match in this section was between Parsons and Andy Darling with the experienced Darling taking the first set 7-6 before Parsons struck back to win the next two, 6-3, 6-4.

The same two players were also involved in a key match in the men's doubles where Darling partnered Bruce Lovell to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory over Parsons and Jamie McMaster.

The combined doubles were split evenly at 1-1 with Pickering and Ehona Lovell winning for Martinborough and Oakley and Atkinson doing the business for Masterton.

Scores, Martinborough names first:-

Men's singles: Andy Darling lost to Chad Parsons 7-6, 3-6, 4-6; Tim Pickering beat Matt Bunny 6-0. 6-0; James Blundell lost to Duncan Oakley 0-6, 1-6; Bruce Lovell beat Jamie McMaster 6-4, 6-4.

Women's singles: Celia Jaspers lost to Georgia Atkinson 1-6, 0-6; Rhona Lovell beat Zoe Paris 6-3, 6-0.

Men's doubles: Darling and Lovell beat Parsons and McMaster 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Combined doubles: Pickering and Lovell beat Bunny and Paris 6-1, 6-1; Blundell and Jaspers lost to Oakley and Atkinson 1-6, 1-6.