Pipet sweeps champ Bretel aside in four

ISLAND veterans Mark Pipet and Phil Hunkin were in cracking form in week three of the Doric Insurance League. In the week's top Division One match, Lions B edged out Whistlers A 3-2, this despite the best efforts of Whistlers stalwart Pipet who beat reigning CI champion Peter Bretel in four straight sets.

Pipet also beat Martin Sarre but was made to work hard after losing the opening two games.

He eventually came through comfortably enough, winning the next four games, each for the loss of nine points.

Bretel and Sarre levelled the match when they both comfortably beat Neil Hastie and the doubles decided the outcome of the match with Bretel and Sarre taking it.

Hunkin played his first league match of the season for Whistlers B and showed no signs of rustiness by defeating Phil Ogier in the opening game, 4-0.

Martin Gaudion quickly made it 2-0 with a comfortable win over James Lesbirel but Ogier got Lions back on track, defeating Gaudion after a bit of a struggle to make it 2-1.

Lesbirel then needed to beat Hunkin to keep Lions in the match; this he duly did, thus taking some of the gloss off Hunkin's win over Ogier. Again the doubles was the key match which Lions proceeded to dominate and take in straight sets to complete an excellent comeback and 3-2 win.

Whistlers D (Tim Le Page and Wasif Annees) continue to struggle in the top division, this time going down 5-0 to the Whistlers C pairing of Dawn Morgan and Gary Willcocks.