I'm not someone who normally whinges about nets and edges as they usually balance out over an evening's play, but last night! Every game I played I was thwarted by them at crucial stages of games culminating in losing all three. Peter played well defying his Div 3 status but once I had figured out his tricky serves I should've have beaten him in the fourth but I let it slip as the net played its part and Peter came back from 6-9 to take the set 12-10 and my frustration showed in the fifth as Peter ran away with it. Brian got us underway against Mark and after conceding the first set as he tried to suss out Mark's side-spin serves he proceeded to put the St Sq man to the sword winning the next three with ease. Ian lost rather too tamely against Thomas, who was on fine form, Ian put his loss down to the fact that Thomas, when he gets excited, stamps his feet rather loudly and it put him off his game. I suggested cotton wool in his ears the next time he plays him. Any way he lost in three never really getting going. I gave Mark a decent game and after losing the first two sets I came back to take the third and I felt I had a real chance of taking the fourth but this is when the nets and edges really knocked me back and the chance was gone. Thomas took a set off Brian with some dogged defence but that was as good as it got for Brian got his drives going and won in four. Ian found some form although nowhere near his usual consistency and beat Peter in three sets. I had the game of the night with Thomas when after dropping the first two sets I came back with some excellent serving and forehand drives, I took the next two but Thomas dug in and took the fifth with some stout defence. Ian's inconsistency showed against Mark when he took the first set quite comfortably and then his concentration completely disappeared as he lost the second 1-11. Perhaps it was smell of garlic bread from the kitchen! He was rather more determined in the third and both players traded chops and drives but Ian, with a wee bit of help from the net and table edge, shaded the set 12-10. A similar scenario in the fourth as Mark fought like a tiger but a couple of missed backhand smashes cost him dearly as Ian got his radar tuned in at last and put some smashes away to take the set 13-11. The last singles was Brian v Peter and boy did Peter make Brian work hard as the Hyde No1 struggled to read his serves. A tense first set could've gone either way but Brian just shaded it 12-10. Back came Peter in the second though and whizzed a few backhand drives past Brian who was finding the net with his own. Peter's challenge fell away though in the third which Brian took at a canter and although the fourth was somewhat closer, Brian wasn't going to let it go and completed a treble for the third match in a row. We needed the doubles for a much needed win and Brian and Ian came up trumps in four competitive sets against Mark and Thomas. A great evening's tennis with every game being well contested and excellent company. We look forward to the return.   Lee

Written by: Lee Brown