Tennis: Ladies take revenge and league title at Dollar

Jul 1 2009 by Jean Pedder, Stirling Observer Wednesday

LIVILANDS Ladies won another Division One title last week when they emerged victorious from a league decider with Dollar.

Knowing that the winners would become league champions but that a draw would favour Dollar, they got off to a great start when Carol Davidson and Jennifer McIntyre won the battle of the third couples, winning a very close match 7-5, 6-4 against A Morrison and C McNab.

At the same time Anne Coyne and Natalie Syme teamed up to win easily 6-2, 6-1 over J McLauchlan and L Lawson.

Fiona Hunter and Sharon Bruce halved 3-6, 6-2 with J Buchanan-Smith and K Hall so Livilands held a two-point advantage after the first round.

In round two Hunter and Bruce were 6-3, 6-1 winners over McLauchlan and Lawson but Davidson and McIntyre lost 0-6, 3-6 to Buchanan-Smith and Hall. Coyne and Syme then beat Morrison and McNab 6-0, 6-2 to extend the lead to three points and leave the home side requiring just one more set in the last round to secure the victory.

Although Davidson and McIntyre lost again, 2-6,0-6 to McLauchlan and Hall, the desired result was achieved when Coyne and Syme beat their opposite numbers 6-1, 6-3 and Hunter and Bruce won by 6-3,6-1 against Morrison and McNab.

The result means that Livilands, the only team in the league to be unbeaten all season with eight wins and two draws, finish two points clear of Dollar at the top of Division One, repeating their title triumph of 2007 and gaining revenge for being pipped to top spot last year by a single point by Dollar.

In Division Three Livilands Ladies seconds also finished their campaign against a team from Dollar. Dollar who won on the night by seven points to two. Janet Hedley and Alison Begley were the only pair from the visitors to win and did so twice, 6-2 over J Cullens and I Roberts and 7-6 against M Williamson and F David.

The other pairs were Senga Meldrum and Val Wilson and Lucy Sadler and Gill Bowers.

Livilands finished fourth overall for the season.

STIRLING

STIRLING Men's first team ended their season with a close-run victory away to Bridge of Allan 2.

The top pairing of Dr Cunningham and Dr Hanley led the way with 2.5 points, losing only one set all night. This meant the pair ended the season unbeaten with 22 points from 10 matches.

But the stars on the night were undoubtedly Carmichael and debutant Taylor, who came through some tight, cagey sets to also win 2.5 points, including the crucial set to seal overall victory.

Brown and Gillen battled hard at third couple but did not take any points.

The final score was a 5-4 victory for Stirling. The team is likely to finish in mid-table position with five wins, one draw and four defeats.

In the final league match of the season, Stirling Men’s second team entertained Kippen seconds and won 7-2.

Stirling fielded two players from the junior ranks, Ben Langley and Aaron Brown, and they excelled themselves by winning 2½ out of three rubbers.

In the first round the experience of Ronnie Parker and Denness Wilson at first couple shone through as they powered to the 6-0, 6-2 defeat of Kippen’s thirds, Wood and Wood.

James Caldwell and Peter Wright at second also got off to a solid start. beating the away team’s second pairing Harley and Kelly 6-1, 6-4.

Langley and Brown were thrown in at the deep end against Kippen’s experienced firsts Rees and Mitchell. They lost the first set 1-6 but dug in with some tenacious tennis to take the second 7-5.

The second round proved a little trickier for the homesters, with Parker and Wilson dropping a set to Harley and Kelly and Caldwell and Wright losing 6-7, 2-6 to Rees and Mitchell. Langley and Brown continued their earlier success with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Wood and Wood.

With the score standing at 4-2 going into the final round, all three Stirling couples produced their best tennis of the match to record a clean sweep. Parker and Wilson outclassed Rees and Mitchell 6-2, 6-1 while Caldwell and Wright stormed to a 6-1, 6-0 win against Wood and Wood.

Langley and Brown rounded off a fine performance with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-2 victory over Harley and Kelly.

The final tally for Stirling’s season shows five wins, three defeats and a draw.