Rough start for Guernsey in new, stronger division

GUERNSEY had a baptism of fire last weekend in their opening south-east region National Club League Division One match. The Chris Hickling-captained team travelled to south London to play Raynes Park. They were duly beaten 6-0 by a side that reached the semi-finals of last year's competition.

Guernsey finished runner-up in the 2005 south-west Division One and were subsequently moved to the stronger south-east league for this season.

'It was annoying that we played the top team first up,' said Hickling.

'Three out of four of their team were professional players, with two in the top 20 in the UK and one in the top 30. That was why it was so tough.'

In wet and blustery conditions that made the going difficult for all the players, number-one Hickling struggled against Lee Childs and lost 6-1 and 6-0.

The 24-year-old Childs has twice won the UK championships. He is best known for his heroics at Wimbledon in 2003 when he knocked out in the first round Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, who is ranked number seven in the world at present.

'Childs is a quality player,' said Hickling.

Andy Privett also had a tough time of things when he came up against Tom Burn, who disposed of Guernsey's number two 6-4, 6-2.

Guernsey-based South African Niel de Kock's serve-and-volley game suffered in the strong wind as he lost 6-0, 6-1 to David Brewer.

Fellow Sarnian Jimmy Wood also went down in straight sets in his singles clash.

Into the doubles and it was more of the same for the greens as Hickling and Wood won just one game as they lost to Childs and Brewer in two sets.

De Kock and Privett fared slightly better when they managed to take the first set 6-4, but unfortunately they could not maintain the pressure as they went on to lose the next two for the match.

Hickling is hoping his team do better in their next league match tomorrow when they host Hampstead club, Cumberland.

The passionate Stefan Cloete comes in for fellow South African de Kock for the clash.

'I'm hoping that we've got a really good chance against this team,' said Hickling. 'They are more of an average team compared to Raynes Park.'

The action starts at noon tomorrow at the Longcamps Tennis Centre.

n Guernsey: Chris Hickling, Jimmy Wood, Andy Privett, Stefan Cloete.