West Hants match key to season

THE Guernsey Tennis Centre can still finish second in its group of Kia National Club League Division One. But to do so requires a big win this weekend.

West Hants are the visitors to Longcamps on Sunday and, with the exception of top team David Lloyd Raynes Park and bottom side East Dorset, all the clubs are jostling for a respectable final position in the seven-strong pool.

'Sunday is going to be a crunch match' said Guernsey captain Pieter Theron.

The Sarnians are coming off the back of a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Raynes Park, but they expected little else against the leaders.

'We got thoroughly beaten, but in three of the matches we were competing with arguably the best team in the UK. I will be very surprised if they do not win the overall competition,' said Theron.

'The match was a good learning experience and identified areas where we need to improve.

'Two of these were the return of serve, where they placed and kept the ball so deep that we rarely had an opportunity to attack them, which meant we were always under pressure on our serves.

'Secondly, when we dropped any ball short, even slightly, it got punished.'

The South African added that his side could measure themselves only by playing against the best.

'We have made huge strides in the last 12 months and provided we take these lessons to heart, we will keep on improving and competing with the best in the UK,' he said.

'The encounter provided the juniors and seniors with the mountain ahead that they will need to conquer. First you need to know how high the mountain is before you can prepare to climb it.'

However, going into Sunday's clash, Theron was disappointed about the whitewash as far as the league table is concerned.

'The possibility of finishing second was dealt a huge blow by not gaining any rubbers last weekend. Raynes Park have lost only one rubber the whole season and that was to the weakest side, East Dorset,' he said.