Rookies Kick Off New Season With A Perfect 10

DTH Redlands Rookies started their Division Three campaign against Ryton Park Falcons in fabulous style by whitewashing their younger opponents. The Rookies trio of Derek Piper, Bob Atkinson and Alan Keeling took little time in brushing aside their much younger and less experienced opponents winning every singles game in straight sets with only the doubles match going to four sets. The Falcons team of Jak Eden, Regan Langley and Jordan Potter battled gamely all night but on this occasion couldn't trouble their opponents.
Another team in Division Three to make a perfect start are one of the title favourites DTH Redlands Tarr Babies who in previous years have come close to winning their division on more than one occasion. They took no time at all in sweeping aside last season's Centre For Sport side who have a new venue and a new team name and are now called On-Line Elks and who didn't help themselves by only managing to field two players in Sarah Thompson and Glen Gillgrass. The Tarr Babies Trio of Antony Coupe, Kieran Tutter and Daniel Cutts won all their games in straight sets along with the doubles to comfortably take all three points.
Another team with a new name and a new venue are Stanley Street Cypriots who last season played at Redlands but now play their home games at Worksop Leisure Centre and just like last year won their opening game of the season in emphatic style. Their opponents Ryton Park Dragons toiled away all night but only had one win to show for all their efforts when in by far the closest game of the match Lee Banton managed to beat Cypriot debutant Tom Parker in 5 sets winning 11-9 in the decider. Another debutant for the Cypriots was Graham Stent who wasted no time at all in registering his first ever hat trick for his new team as he comfortably beat Luke and Lee Banton along with Jack Lennon. Adam Hamilton also won all of his three games and then teamed up with Parker to win the doubles to cement a 9-1 win for the Cypriots.
The race for the Division Two title could be one of the most fascinating in years as a number of teams have a realistic chance of winning it. Stanley Street 'B' did their own chances no harm at all with a fabulous win over DTH Redlands Joggers by an 8-2 score line which doesn't really do justice to a very close match with numerous games going to 4 and 5 sets. Both Kyle McIntosh and Paul Linfield won all their three games with Jack Kirkland chipping in with one win against Lewis Comley but losing in 5 sets to both Dennis Learad and Matthew Mudd. In a fascinating doubles set Linfield and McIntosh went 2-0 down against Comley and Mudd before turning the rubber completely on its head by winning the next three games to complete a magnificent comeback and to cap a  great night for Stanley Street.
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