Scalby Tennis Club Ladies A team roar to excellent win against Bridlington
After rain on Tuesday forced the cancellation of both Scalby Tennis Club Mixed team fixtures, it was left to the Ladies’ A team on Wednesday evening to provide a positive start to the week and build on last week’s impressive victory at Malton.
Their opponents, Bridlington A, were also searching for a first win of the season, but a combination of injuries and player unavailability meant they could only field two pairs, handing Scalby an immediate 3-0 advantage.
Captain Louise Tomlinson’s side took full advantage of their strength in depth, with all three Scalby pairs winning both remaining rubbers.
Tomlinson, partnering Julie Boddy for the first time, led the way with an assured performance, the pair combining well and showing attacking intent throughout.
Established partnerships Milly Sidaway and Magda Phillips, along with Helen Flinton and Cath Reid, also recorded convincing victories.
Thursday evening saw Scalby Men’s A face Hutton Cranswick A in a fixture that has often proved challenging in previous seasons.
Injuries and absences forced several changes to the line-up, leaving captain Jack Boddy and Alex Wray as the only established pairing.
Gareth Mason teamed up with Tobie Hillier for the first time in some while, while Simon Boddy and Steve Jepson stepped up from the B team to complete the side.
After a close-fought contest, Boddy and Wray secured two wins, matched by Jepson and Boddy. That left Mason and Hillier to clinch the decisive rubber and seal a narrow but valuable 5-4 victory for Scalby.
Meanwhile, the Men’s B team travelled to Bridlington expecting a close encounter but ultimately produced a dominant display.
Regular pairing Toby Shaw and John Mathers proved too strong for all three Brid pairs, while Nathan Smith and Gerald Smith also completed a clean sweep of their matches.
Matt Haxby and Rich Stacey came agonisingly close to completing a Scalby whitewash, narrowly losing an epic second-round tie-break in which both sides held match points. Haxby, in particular, delivered one of the standout performances of the evening, his consistency and determination almost helping Scalby secure all nine rubbers.
In the end, however, a couple of crucial points went Bridlington’s way and Scalby had to settle for an emphatic 8-1 victory.