Chipping Campden thump Henley to close gap at top
CHIPPING Campden clawed a point back on leaders Stratford in week ten of the Wildmoor Tennis League.
Campden claimed a thumping 4-0 win over Henley-in-Arden to leave them just four points behind the champions.
They enjoyed a straight sets victory as top pair Tom Partridge and Tobias Kemp beat Oli Didlick and Tom Griffiths 6-1, 7-6 and beat Max Retallack and Matt Williams 6-1, 6-2.
Campden’s Martyn Ledbury and George Richards (Campden) also beat Retallack and Williams 6-3, 6-3, and beat Didlick and Griffiths 6-1, 7-5.
Stratford were 3-1 winners at bottom team Redditch.
Once again, Stratford’s Callum Bailey and Cameron Malik took maximum points, beating Redditch’s Lubo Smoliar and Eugene Read 6-1, 6-2, and beating Joe Morris and Alex Maggs 7-6, 6-0.
Meanwhile, the other Stratford pair William Morley-Cotterell and Nacho Fernandez lost to Morris and Maggs 0-6, 4-6, but beat Smoliar and Read 6-4, 6-3.
Third-placed Alcester A kept up their challenge with a 3-1 win over Ardencote Manor.
Their best pair Stuart Beach and Alex Woodbridge strolled through their rubbers beating Ben Summers and Christian Hardy 6-1, 6-1, and then Nigel Keefe and James Barton 6-0, 6-0.
Meanwhile, Alcester’s Barney Williams and Pete Watson beat Keefe and Watson 6-0, 6-0, but lost to Summers and Hardy 6-4, 4-6, 0-1 after a championship tie-break.
Pershore picked up some valuable points with a 3-1 victory over beating Alcester B.
Pershore pair Mike Langston and Matt Sime beat Gareth Price and Nigel Hunter 6-2, 6-2, and beat Matt Fielding and Harvey Williams 6-1, 6-2.
Jon Guppy and Julian Ramos beat Fielding and Williams 6-3, 6-1, but lost to Price and Hunter 3-6, 3-6.
Division One saw a tussle at the top of the table between Littleton A and Evesham A.
This resulted in honours even in a 2-2 draw and left Littleton remaining as leaders on 32 points and Evesham second with 27 points.
Moreton-in-Marsh A lie third and enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Alcester C.
Studley A stay fourth after celebrating a 4-0 thrashing of Ardencote B, who are now in real danger of relegation.
Stratford B are also equal fourth on 19 points as they too were happy with their 4-0 win over Inkberrow B.
Division Two leaders Claverdon A kept their seven-point lead with 33 points at the top of the table.
They comfortably defeated bottom side Inkberrow B 4-0. Their closest rivals remain Shipston A, who brushed aside mid-table Henley B, also by a 4-0 margin.
Third-placed Snitterfield A took a maximum 4-0 win at Chipping Campden B (20). Meanwhile, FISSC relieved the pressure of relegation when they took a 3-1 victory over Claverdon B.
The top three teams in Division Three, Pershore B, Warwick and Bidford A, all enjoyed emphatic 4-0 wins over Studley B, Redditch C and Inkberrow C respectively.
As a result Redditch C, who have only recorded a single point this season, are all but mathematically relegated.
The other match, between fourth-placed Redditch B and fifth-placed Snitterfield B, ended in a 2-2 draw.
Division Four saw no changes to the top two as Shipston B and Evesham B both recorded 4-0 wins. Shipston beat Tysoe, while Evesham beat bottom team Claverdon C, who are fighting relegation.
Also in the relegation zone are Aston Cantlow, who chalked up some valuable points thanks to their 4-0 win over Wildmoor A.
However, this was only because Wildmoor failed to field a team and were also fined and had two further points docked.
Third-placed Chipping Campden C defeated Bidford B by a 3-1 scoreline.
In Division Five, leaders Stratford C increased their lead at the top to nine points following another 4-0 victory, this time at the expense of Inkberrow D.
Second-placed Wildmoor B lost ground after they were beaten 3-1 by Henley C, while Warwickshire County Council claimed a 3-1 win over Moreton-in-Marsh C.
