Champions Stratford slip to a shock defeat
WEEK eight of the Wildmoor Tennis League threw up a shock result as current champions and leaders Stratford-on-Avon went down to a heavy 4-0 defeat to mid-table side Henley-in-Arden.
Previously undefeated Stratford fielded an unfamiliar squad and paid the price when the hosts thrashed them in straight sets.
Henley’s Oli Didlick and club coach Neil Supperstone blew away Stratford’s Nacho Fernandez and Max Hurtubise 6-3, 6-3 and then made light work of Stratford’s second pair Chris Marrow and James Smith 6-1, 6-1.
On the other court, Henley’s Tom Griffiths and Matt Williams beat Marrow and Smith 6-1, 6-1 and then defeated Fernandez and Hurtubise 6-3, 6-3.
In another surprise result, Stratford’s closest rivals Chipping Campden went down 4-0 at home to Pershore, while third-placed Alcester A were held to a 2-2 draw by their B team.
Pershore’s Mike Langston and George Southall defeated Martyn Ledbury and Ali Johnson 7-5, 7-5, they then beat George Richards and Tom Partridge 6-3, 6-4.
Jon Guppy and Julian Ramos beat Richards and Partridge 6-3, 6-2 and then just squeezed past Ledbury and Johnson 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 on a tie-break.
Ardencote Manor A played two matches during the week.
First, they travelled to Redditch and left them rooted to the bottom of the table following a 3-1 success.
The Ardencote first pair Christian Hardy and Pete Thomas started badly, losing to Redditch pairing James McDonald and Ben Portman 1-6, 4-6, but they bounced back to beat Redditch’s second pair Lubo Smoliar & Harvey Ravenscroft 6-4, 6-3.
Ben Summers with his captain Myles Wilcox-Smith defeated Smoliar and Ravenscroft 7-5, 6-1 and overcame McDonald and Portman only after a tie-break 4-6, 6-4, 1-0.
Ardencote followed it up with a 4-0 victory in their rearranged fixture against Redditch, a result which lifts them up to fourth in the table.
This proved to be more of a one-sided affair as Ardencote’s Pete Thomas this time pairing with Jack Smith beat Ben Portman & Josh Young 6-2, 6-1 and beat Lubo Smoliar and Kevin Porter 6-0, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Ardencote’s Summers and Wilcox-Smith beat Smoliar and Porter 6-1, 6-1 and beat Portman and Young 6-3, 6-2.
In the match between Alcester A and Alcester B, the A team’s Stuart Beach and Alex Woodbridge beat Gareth Price and Marcus Powell 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 and beat Matt Fielding and Barney Williams 6-2, 6-4.
Tom Edmunds and Ben Shepherd lost to Fielding and Williams 1-6, 1-6 and lost to Price and Powell 2-6, 0-6.
Division One leaders Littleton A and second placed Evesham A moved further clear after both enjoyed 3-1 wins.
Littleton's was away to fifth placed Studley A, while Evesham’s victory was over fourth placed Moreton-in-Marsh.
Alcester C retained third position on games difference after they beat bottom-placed Inkberrow A 3-1.
Stratford B climbed away from the relegation zone with a good 3-1 win over the Ardencote B.
Claverdon A stay top of their table in Division Two thanks to a 4-0 victory over sister side Claverdon B.
Snitterfield A are their nearest challengers, five points behind having been held to a 2-2 draw by fourth-placed Henley B.
Chipping Campden B lie third with 19 points following their convincing 4-0 win over bottom team Inkberrow B. Shipston A are also on 19 points, but lie fourth on games difference after being held to a 2-2 draw by FISSC.
In Division Three, Pershore B and Warwick remain as joint leaders after they both recorded 3-1 wins over Inkberrow C and Bidford A respectively.
Redditch B moved up to fourth thanks to their 4-0 drubbing of their sister side and rock-bottom Redditch C.
In a mid-table match, Snitterfield B were too strong for Studley B, beating them 4-0.
In Division Four, Shipston-on-Stour B still lead on 23 points ahead of fourth-placed Wildmoor A with 18 after they shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw.
Evesham B were second and moved a point closer to the leaders after they defeated Aston Cantlow 3-1.
Chipping Campden C also moved up to joint second with Evesham pushing Wildmoor A down, thanks to Campden’s 3-1 defeat of Tysoe. Bidford B were disappointed to be held to a 2-2 draw by bottom side Claverdon C.
In Division Five, Stratford C stay top, but had their lead cut to six points. This was because while they had no match this week second-placed Moreton-in-Marsh B enjoyed a 4-0 win over sister side and bottom of the table Moreton C.
Things are tightening up at the top as both Warwickshire County Council and Wildmoor B share second spot with Moreton B after both these teams took maximum 4-0 points off Henley C and Inkberrow D respectively.
