Tie-break grit secures share of spoils with league leaders

HENLEY Tennis Club experienced a mixed weekend in league action.

In the Berkshire League, HENLEY 2nds earned a valuable point in a drawn match with Division 7 leaders MARLOW.

The fixture, already having been rearranged due to the weather, went ahead in damp conditions, with play continuing through light showers.

Marlow’s first pair proved too strong, defeating Dominic Scott and Rob Dickie 6-0, 6-2 before also overcoming Paul Ulrich and Dan Barr 6-4, 6-0.

The decisive moments came against Marlow’s second pair. Ulrich and Barr, having split the sets 6-4, 2-6, held their nerve to win a tight match tie-break 10-7.

Scott and Dickie followed suit, also sharing the sets 6-3, 4-6 before edging a marathon tie-break 14-12. Those two hard-earned wins secured Henley a deserved share of the points. In the Oxfordshire League, HENLEY B were beaten 6-2 by SHIPLAKE.

Tom Tuite-Dalton and Gordon Stoddard provided Henley’s highlights, taking both sets against Shiplake’s second pair 6-4, 6-4, and pushing the first pair hard before narrowly losing 7-5, 7-5.

Simon Perry and Frankie Rogan went down 6-3, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-0.