Hard-fought Sarnian win in opener

GUERNSEY opened their 2007 National Club League campaign with a hard-fought 4-2 win away to Avenue. The playing conditions were extremely difficult with strong blustery winds and bright sunshine along with extremely fast artificial grass courts with which to contend.

But Pat Ogier, who has just come back after a two-month recuperation following a shoulder injury did extremely well to battle through and beat a solid Avenue number one.

That tense rubber was finely balanced at one set all and 3-3 in the final-set tie-breaker when the Sarnian raised his game with some positive and attacking tennis which ensured an important victory.

Andy Privett also played very well to win his rubber at number three with solid aggressive tennis by attacking the net on any short ball using his effective slice backhand approach shot that ensures the ball stays low making any passing shots extremely difficult.

That attacking tactic was backed up with some solid net play.

Jimmy Wood had to use all his experience and battle hard against a spirited performance from 16-year-old George Bentley and having led 5-2 in the first set, the Avenue junior hit back to level at 6-6.

Some aggressive tennis from Wood in the tense first-set tiebreaker led to a 7-5 win and in the second he comfortably saw off the junior's challenge with continued attacking baseline ground strokes and net play.

Although Guernsey were 3-1 up after the singles round, the match was still far from over with two doubles rubbers to be played.

The pressure was intense as if Guernsey lost both those it would have led to a tiebreaker shootout of two singles and one doubles.

But a solid performance by Wood and Ogier as number one pairing clinched the win.

Both returned serve extremely well in the difficult wind and Wood frequently crossed and put away volleys on any stray ground strokes.

The next NCL match for the Fortis-sponsored Guernsey team is away to East Grinstead on Sunday 15 April with Guernsey flying back Dom McLuskey from his base at a tennis academy in Nice.