Scalby Tennis Club teams sparkle in hectic week of Driffield League matches
It was a strong week across the board for Scalby Tennis Club, with all three teams in action delivering spirited performances, including two excellent away wins and a narrow home defeat that still offered plenty of positives.
The Mixed A team travelled to Driffield Rec and came away with a well-earned 7-2 victory.
Top pairing Maaike Karrimans and Bob McNamara once again demonstrated their class, securing all three points.
Karrimans’ pinpoint accuracy and McNamara’s powerful hitting proved an effective combination, even as the unbeaten pair adjusted to the low-bouncing grass courts.
Regular duo Louise Tomlinson and Rich Stacey were similarly impressive, winning all three of their sets. Tomlinson’s trademark consistency helped keep them in control, while Stacey’s decisive serving sealed the deal – his final ace wrapping up a tense tie-break in style.
The standout story of the night, however, belonged to Helen Creaser and Mark Whitlegg.
After battling hard through two gruelling sets and narrowly losing both 8-6, the pair regrouped with remarkable resilience.
With the tie hanging in the balance at 4-4 going into the final round, they rose to the occasion. Whitlegg’s classic grass court skills and Creaser’s determination saw them edge their final set 8-6, giving Scalby the crucial point to seal the overall victory.
On Wednesday, the Ladies’ team hosted high-flying Pocklington A and pushed their title-challenging opponents all the way in a narrow 5-4 defeat. Undeterred by tough opposition, captain Louise Tomlinson and the in-form Karrimans led from the front. The pair claimed two points after hard-fought tie-break wins in the first two rounds, before easing to a 6-3 win in the third.
Helen Neal and Magda Phillips added another point to the tally, leaving it to Cath Reid and Edie Grimwood to try and secure the decider.
Despite a valiant effort across three close rounds, they fell just short, nonetheless, the performance as a whole showed encouraging signs.
The Men’s A team earned a morale-boosting 6-3 win at Cherry Burton B.
With late changes to the lineup, Simon Boddy stepped up from the B team to partner McNamara, and the pair clicked immediately, winning all three sets.
Jack Boddy and Alex Wray added two more, only missing out on a clean sweep in a tie-break, while Hillier and Whitlegg chipped in with a crucial additional point.