Tennis champions experience a first upset (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Tennis champions experience a first upset

THE reigning men's, ladies and mixed champions in the Swindon and District Tennis League all crashed to their first defeats of the season last week.

Pewsey, the men's champions, lost 5-3 at home to Purton. With both Jack Notton and skipper John Wyles unavailable, Pewsey were forced to field a weakened team - and the visitors took full advantage.

The Pewsey second pair failed to win a set while Purton's first pair, Scott Richards and Justin Miller, won three sets to clinch victory.

Purton are now the only team in the top division with a 100 percent record. In the ladies' section, Swindon TC continued their brilliant run by thrashing the champions, Pewsey, 6-2 at Pewsey.

The Swindon first pair, 15- year-olds Gemma Casey and Becky Poole, again won all four of their sets.

Pewsey were without their over-35 county captain, Kath More, who is playing for Salisbury in the Hampshire league this year, and only available to turn out occasionally for Pewsey in the Swindon & District League.

The mixed champions, Highworth, have lost most of their title-winning team.

Both Karen and Murray Chapman have gone to Purton, while Angie Tinson is now concentrating on football (as a striker for Bristol City).

So it was much less of a surprise when the current team lost 6-2 at Ashton Keynes, with the Ashton first pair, Dale Burr and Karen Cousins, winning all four sets.

Results. Men. Division 1: Pewsey B 1, Pewsey A 7; Minety A 2, Ramsbury A 6; Ashton Keynes A 7, Chiseldon A 1; Pewsey A 3, Purton A 5.

Division 2: Gt Bedwyn A 7, Nalgo 1; Ramsbury B 6, Minety B 2; Wootton Bassett A 6, Gt Bedwyn A 2; Lechlade A 7, Ashton Keynes B 1.

Division 3: Marlborough 2, Devizes 6; Allied Dunbar 2, Shrivenham A 6; Pewsey C 6, Highworth B 2; Ashton Keynes C 4, Faringdon 4.

Division 4: Pewsey E 1, Wootton Bassett B 7; Chiseldon B 5, PAKT 3; Purton C 2, Pewsey D 6; Ramsbury C 7, PAKT 1.

Division 5: Swindon A 4, Highworth D 4; Pewsey F 3, Gt Bedwyn B 5; Wootton Bassett C 6, Pewsey F 2.

Division 6: Swindon B 4, Pewsey G 4; Wanborough 1, Aldbourne 7.

Division 7: Ramsbury D 7, Purton D 1; Ashton Keynes E 2, Lechlade B 6; Nationwide B 4, Ramsbury D 4; Purton D 5, Chiseldon C 3.

Ladies. Division 1: Devizes 6, Chiseldon A 2; Ashton Keynes A 8 - Chiseldon A 0; Pewsey A 2, Swindon A 6; Devizes 6, Ramsbury A 2.

Division 2: Pewsey C 4, Delta 4; Minety 4, Ashton Keynes B 4.

Division 3: Pewsey E 7, Nalgo B 1; Ramsbury B 2, Lechlade 6; Shrivenham 5, Pewsey D 3.

Division 4: Chiseldon B 5, Burbage 3; Purton B 3, Nationwide A 5; Aldbourne 7, Burbage 1.

Division 5: Purton C 0, Marlborough 8; Gt Bedwyn 6, Nationwide B 2; Wanborough B 4, Highworth B 4; Nationwide B 6, Purton C 2.

Mixed. Division 1: Nalgo A 1, Highworth A 7; Ashton Keynes A 8, Pewsey B 0 (w/o); Purton A 7, Pewsey B 1; A Keynes A 6, Highworth A 2.

Division 2: Ramsbury B 6, Pewsey D 2; Swindon A 7, Wootton Bassett A 1.

Division 3: Marlborough A 6, Ashton Keynes B 2; Marlborough A 6, Wanborough 2; Shrivenham 4, Ramsbury C 4; Ramsbury C 6, Wanborough 2; Minety 6, Shrivenham 2.

Division 4: Wootton Bassett B 8, Ashton Keynes C 0; Aldbourne 7, Gt Bedwyn 1; Ashton Keynes C 3, Nalgo B 5.

Division 5: Cricklade 2, Nationwide 6; Purton C 7, Swindon B 1; Nationwide 5, Purton C 3.