Impressive start is maintained

GUERNSEY have continued a highly promising start to their National Club League Division Two title challenge. The Fortis-sponsored team produced a convincing 6-0 win away to East Grinstead at the weekend before their first home match on Sunday.

With court temperatures up in the sweltering 80s, playing conditions were physically demanding on the fast artificial-grass courts.

Guernsey fielded a team with a fine blend of youth and experience, with one part of the youth element coming from Dominic McLuskey, who demonstrated impressively how much he has improved after being based at a Nice tennis academy for 12 months.

McLuskey defeated the East Grinstead number one and current Division Two Sussex county player 6-0, 6-0 with superb, aggressive ground strokes and devastating attack play that left his opponent completely bewildered.

Another youngster, Pat Ogier, also played high-quality, consistent tennis to beat the East Grinstead number two and professional tennis coach, 6-3, 6-3.

Ogier combined powerful attacking ground strokes and intelligent angles to outplay his consistent opponent.

The experience came from the youthful-looking Andy Privett and Jimmy Wood, who both had to battle hard against two very unorthodox opponents.

Privett raised his game superbly as the tempo increased at 4-4 in the second set, with the Guernsey player having won the first, 6-2.

He battled back from 30-0 on his opponent's service game with an impressive combination of pace and spin that unsettled his hard-hitting opponent's rhythm.

Privett served out the match with solid first serves and clinched the vital third rubber of the match.

Wood served and volleyed solidly against the East Grinstead number four who used a clever combination of pace and drop shots that the Guernsey captain found physically challenging in the heat.

Wood raised the tempo of his game at 4-4 in the first set with some decent volleying behind sliced approach shots that eventually led to a 6-4, 6-0 victory.

With the match won at 4-0, Ogier joined McLuskey and Wood teamed up with Privett for the doubles and both pairs played solid serve-and-volley tennis to win comfortably - 6-1, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-0 respectively.

Comptons are the visitors to the Guernsey Tennis Centre on Sunday. The match begins at 11am.