Guernsey teams serve up big win over Jersey

GUERNSEY men's and women's tennis teams have whitewashed Jersey in the David Morgan Memorial Trophy. The indoor inter-insular requires the top four singles players from each island to compete at singles, followed by doubles matches.

Both Guernsey teams recorded 6-0 victories.

Men's team coach Rick Denton said that the result was a confidence booster for his squad ahead of their season in the English National Club League.

'We are delighted to have beaten Jersey by this margin, in a match which is always played in good spirit and usually is much closer,' he said.

'This is a sign of the growing strength in depth of tennis in the island and bodes well for our season ahead in high divisions of the English National Club League.'

The men played their leg of the match at the Caesareans Club, in Jersey, where Dominic McLuskey, Chris Hickling and Stefan Cloete won their matches with ease.

But it was Tim Creasey, returning to the island fold, who won the match of the day over Nathan Maguire. After losing the second set 4-6, he came back and won the third 7-5, and with it the match.

With the match won, Guernsey kept the pressure on during the doubles. Hickling and McLuskey defeated Morgan and Davies 6-2, 6-2 and Cloete and Creasey beat Harris and Collins 6-4, 6-3.

The Guernsey women's team of Jo Robinson, Catriona Rizzuto, Charlotte Koller, Katie Walters and Louise Adcock repeated the dose at the Guernsey Tennis Centre.

The closest singles match-up was between Walters and Carol MacArthur, where both women played exciting serve-and-volley tennis. Walters overcame her Jersey opponent 7-5, 6-3.

Robinson, Rizzuto and Koller all won their singles matches in convincing fashion. None of them lost more than two games.

In the doubles, Guernsey tried some experimental pairings that came off with great success. Walters and Adcock beat the established pair of Alsop and MacArthur in three sets, while captain Robinson teamed up with Rizzuto to beat Cuddon and Gouyette in two.

The men's team's National Club League Division One campaign starts with a home fixture against Esporta Croydon on Saturday 2 April.

Team stalwart Ian Robinson said that after gaining promotion from Division Two, Guernsey had strength in depth in the squad for the first time.

'We have a fantastically strong squad with real competition to get into the side,' he said.

'We've been training all winter and everybody is up for it. We aim to consolidate our position in the league this season and hopefully pick up wins against East Dorset and Caesareans, who are the weakest teams on paper.'