Mixed fortunes for Meads tennis teams

It was the ladies' thirds who claimed the bragging rights in the club as they defeated Pavilion and Avenue in a rain affected fixture at home 3-1. Janet Kulenicz, making her debut for the club, partnered Sue Boakes and although they lost their first rubber only after a very close first set, they combined skilfully to win their second rubber with a well constructed third set tie break. Second pair Val Clark and Anne Backshell were on sparkling form sweeping to two straight sets victories.

The ladies second team were away at Amherst and returned to Eastbourne with a hard fought, high quality 2-2 draw. Brigid Argyle and Ella Athanassiou lost their first match after an agonisingly close third set tie break but they bounced back convincingly to win their second rubber 6-3, 6-1. Meanwhile Joanne Gale and Wendy Lambert were defeated in their first match but held their nerve superbly to win two tie break sets 7-6, 7-6 in their second rubber on the Amherst clay.

The men of the second team were away at traditionally strong Cross in Hand whose team included the Sussex cricketing legend Robin Martin-Jenkins. The Meads second pair of John Kulenicz and Rob Currie battled pluckily but were defeated in their first rubber before a courageous effort in the second rubber saw them just lose out in a keenly contested third set tie break. Meanwhile, first pair Chris Kilroy and Kevin Boakes exuding characteristic craft and guile made sure Meads got on the board with a canny 6-3, 6-2 victory in one contest before the Martin-Jenkins power proved too hot to handle in the second rubber leaving the final score 3-1 to Cross in Hand.