Longcamps' win shows maturity

THE island's footballers were not the only sportsmen to taste success over Jersey at the weekend. The Guernsey Long-camps tennis team beat Jersey's Caesarean Club 4-2 to go second in National League Division One.

They have won three out of four matches this season, leaving captain Pieter Theron ecstatic with his team.

'This is beyond our wildest expectations. At the start of the season, survival in this division was the aim,' he said.

'The home-grown youngsters like Pat Ogier, Dom McLuskey and Rob West have really come to the party and have matured immensely as tennis players. These boys are now taking on the best men in Britain and doing more than just competing with them.

'They are now the backbone of Guernsey's men's tennis and from a coaching point of view it is great to see that if you create the right breeding ground for development, add hard work and a bit of talent, then anything is possible.'

McLuskey stepped on to the court first for the visitors against Richard Brugrabber and he played the percentage game by not going for any big shots as he won 6-1, 6-3.

West beat Ian Morgan 6-1, 7-6 on the other court.

West started off like a house on fire with some great serves and powerful forehands that did not allow Morgan to get into the match.

He slowed down in the second set which almost allowed his opponent back into it, but he came through in the tie-break.

Next up for the greens, Ogier took on Matt Harris and Theron was up against Jeremy Cross. Rain interrupted both these matches and they continued indoors.

Ogier was leading 3-2 in the second set after winning the first set 6-2 and the change to the indoor courts did not perturb him as he went on to win the second set 6-3.

The rain delay and a hot shower could not have come at a better time for Theron, who was out of sorts with his game as he found himself one set down to Jersey champion Cross.

The change of clothes, surface and mindset allowed him to get back into the match and he took the second set 6-3.

Theron carried his good play into the third set and he was serving at match point. But Cross came up with an amazing cross-court forehand to which the Sarnian had no answer. This shifted the balance and Cross went on to win a close tie-break, 8-6.

His victory was met by a standing ovation from the Jersey crowd.

In the doubles, Ogier and new partner Jimmy Wood beat Morgan and Matt Harris 6-2, 6-3. It was a good performance by the pair with Wood being the aggressor at the net and Ogier blasting them apart with big returns.

Theron and Niel de Kock played a fantastic first set against Cross and Brugrabber which they won 6-2. Then they lost concentration during the second and lost that 6-3.

At one set all and the boat departure less than an 75 minutes away, the pair proposed settling the match with a third-set tie-break.

Jersey was having none of it and demanded, within the rules stipulated by the LTA, to play a full third set.

De Kock and Theron resorted to running in between changeovers and points while their opponents took 30 seconds between them. They eventually went down 6-4 in the third set, but victory for the Guernsey team had already been assured.

* The next match is at league leaders Raynes Park on Sunday 5 June.