Mixed pair are Sarnian heroes

GUERNSEY's mixed doubles pair of Rick Denton and Megan Hearse were the heroes as Guernsey retained the inter-insular. With the score 12-11 in Jersey's favour at St Martin's Tennis Club on Sunday, Denton and 14-year-old Hearse needed to win their match to make it 12-all. The rules state that if the scores are tied, the Bucktrout Trophy stays with the previous year's champions.

'It was a very exciting match,' said Denton.

'We were down 9-7 after the men's and women's and we had to win the mixed 5-3 to retain the trophy. And then myself and Megan had to win the last match to retain the trophy, which we did 7-6, 6-1 after all the other matches had finished.

'We were 5-3 down in the first set and Rob West came over and mentioned that we had to win the match to retain the trophy and to pull our fingers out. It was a good atmosphere with both teams watching.

'A good crowd of supporters were at St Martin's.'

Denton was full of praise for Hearse, who had represented Guernsey at the Island Games in Rhodes two weeks previously.

'Megan played really well,' he said.

'It was a high-pressure match. All her training for the Island Games paid off.

'I was really impressed.'

Earlier in the day, West and Pat Ogier registered two victories in the men's doubles as Ali Higgins and Chris Chalmers picked up a win over James Connelly and Patrick Lawlor.

These turned out to be the only points for the Sarnians in the men's as Jersey took a 5-3 lead.

In the women's doubles the honours were shared at four-all with Katie Walters and Chantelle de la Mare the only Guernsey pair to register two wins.

With the score 9-7 to the visitors going into the mixed doubles, the greens' top pairing of Ogier and Jo Robinson beat Matt Harris and Rebecca Edwards 7-5 and 7-6 as the team of West and Claire Randall lost their match against Simon Di Meo and Debbie Ball. It was the same story for Neil de Kok and Jo Wyatt before Nick Thiebault and Walters overcame Grant Collins and Katie Gouyette.

Victories for Higgins with Jo Dyer and de la Mare with island hockey player Tristan Cairns saw Guernsey drag it back to 12-11, before Denton and Hearse pulled out all the stops to secure the title.

Meanwhile at the Caesarean Club in Jersey, Guernsey lost the B clash with the score 14-10 in the home side's favour. The Sarnians had held on to the Bellingham Travel Shield for four years but they had to hand it over after a tight affair.

Fifteen of the 24 matches were resolved by a championship tie-break.

Results

Men's doubles: R. West, P. Ogier beat G. Collins, M. Steigenberger 6-4, 6-3; beat M. Harris, S. Di Meo 6-2, 7-6. N. de Kok, N. Thibeault lost to Harris, Di Meo 6-3, 2-6, 7-10; lost to Collins, Steigenberger 2-6, 4-6. A. Higgins, C. Chalmers beat J. Connelly, P. Lawlor 6-1, 3-6, 10-8; lost to I. Morgan, J. Roberts 2-6, 3-6. T. Cairns, R. Denton lost to Morgan, Roberts 3-6, 1-6; lost to Connelly, Lawlor 1-6, 4-6.

Women's doubles: J. Robinson, C. Randell beat D. Bell, K. Gouyette 7-5, 3-6, 10-5; lost to K. Fisher, R. Edwards 1-6, 3-6. C. Tucknott, J. Wyatt lost to Fisher, Edwards 0-6, 0-6; lost to Bell, Gouyette 5-7, 1-6. K. Walters, C. de la Mare beat P. Albutt, C. McArthur 6-2, 7-5; beat S. Barnes, K. McArthur 6-2, 7-5. J. Dyer, M. Hearse lost to Barnes, McArthur 1-6, 1-6; beat Albutt, McArthur 7-6, 6-3.

Mixed doubles: Ogier, Robinson beat Harris, Edwards 7-5, 7-6; West, Randell lost to Di Meo, Bell 6-3, 1-6, 10-12; de Kok, Wyatt lost to Steigenberger, Fisher 3-6, 5-7; Thibeault, Walters beat Collins, Gouyette 6-3, 6-4; Chalmers, Tucknott lost to Morgan, K. McArthur 3-6, 7-6, 6-10; Higgins, Dyer beat Roberts, C. McArthur 6-2, 3-6, 12-10; Cairns, de la Mare beat Lawlor, Albutt 6-4, 6-4; Denton, Hearse beat Connelly, Barnes 7-6, 6-1.