The Ross Ladies ‘A’ Tennis team’s latest fixture was at Old Hill, on Thursday, June 21st, and it was one of the longest journeys to coincide with the longest day of the year.

The trip took 80 minutes which was broken up with coke and chocolate, with Val, the heroine at the wheel! The team comprised two stand-ins for the night – Karen Vitali and Ellen Davies, to bring numbers back up to the requisite six for the summer leagues.

The hard courts at Old Hill were not in good condition, which affected the bounce of the ball. Despite making a hash of one or two volleys, the first couple Brenda Saunders and Jane Pepperell played strongly and beat their first couple 6-2, 7-5. Meanwhile the Ross second couple, mother and daughter Val and Ellen Davies, dealt speedily with their third couple in less than an hour. The Ross third pair, Gaynor Raine and Karen Vitali were soon on their uppers when they took the first set 7-5. Sadly, they lost the second set, and despite their best efforts, could not prevail in the tiebreak.

Brenda and Jane’s second match was a very long, drawn out affair; they secured the first set 6-4. Then came the deep, high hitting from their second couple. This is tiring and the few chances the Ross duo had, were not taken, so the set was lost. A nail-biting tiebreak for the third set was very close, but unfortunately went the way of Old Hill. Val and Ellen started well against their first pair with some cracking forehands from Ellen. However, they suffered a break in the first set and lost it 5-7.

Their dreams of winning the second set went up in smoke as they secured just three games. Gaynor and Karen’s joint efforts ensured they demolished the third couple dropping only three games.

The teams came off court at 10.30pm for an injection of much needed sustenance before the long journey home. The trip was filled with conversation and appreciation of being in a team of lovely ladies, and on a high with the result – a winning draw.