Club reputations on the line in Highlands tennis league derby matches
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Two Elgin derby matches took place in the Galbraith Highlands leagues in the past week, writes Hamish McBain.
In Men’s Division 1, the club’s second string came a cropper in their fixture with the A team.
The other derby resulted in a surprise victory for the Cs over the Bs. Will that dent the Duff Avenue hopes of having two teams in the topflight next season? Time will tell.
Apart from the one sided 1v1 rubber, the match was very close. There were two match tie-breaks, one second set breaker and almost a second.
Jenny Murdoch and Jane Sim played four sets plus the two first to ten deciders, winning one. Had the B team, as expected, won they would have taken the lead in the promotion race.
Meanwhile the women’s A team delivered a 6-3 victory over Grantown A to maintain their 100 per cent record with a fourth straight win.
Their top placing was helped when Nairn cancelled their home fixture, resulting in a 5-0 score line being awarded to Elgin and a two point penalty to Nairn.
The cancellation was noted by the league secretary as a breach of the rules which state that first team matches take precedence for players so rather than cancel the top division fixture, a lower fixture involving their C team should have been called off.
Not content with this infringement, they cancelled their next match, again receiving a two-point penalty.
The deduction of a total of four points means the defending champions have dropped into the relegation zone.
The Elgin side looks odds on to lift the title for the first time in the competition’s 31-year history
In Division 3, Rothes also have a 100 per cent record. The team’s latest success came against Lossiemouth.
Forres A and Elgin B were the big losers in the men’s league.
The two front runners in the men’s first division recorded resounding victories.
Forres, at home to Bellfield, were thumped 8-0 - nothing out of the ordinary for the Invernessians who maintained their zero set losses.
Realistically, given that their matches have been so one-sided, it is likely the Bellfield side will finish the season with 80 sets for and none against.
Elgin A however have not given up but it will mean having to defeat Bellfield on their own courts - a mighty big ask. The fact is that Elgin won’t have their favourite blaize surface to play on and give them an edge.
In mixed division 2, Rothes A’s title bid received a big setback on Monday evening, going down 5-4 at home to Forres A.
The homesters had to concede three sets because of an injury to one of the players, Martin Johnston.
First seeds Maureen Turner and Peter Scott were unable to ensure a share of the points, losing the first set of the 1v1 rubber.
Results
Women, Division 1
Elgin A 6 Grantown A 3
Division 2
Elgin C 7 Elgin B 3
Inverness B 8 Forres A 0
Division 3
Forres B 3 Gordonstoun 6
Rothes 8 Lossiemouth 1
Men, Division 1
Bellfield Park 8 Forres A 0
Elgin B 1 Elgin A 8
Division 2
Gordonstoun 2 Elgin C 5
Division 3
Grantown B 3 Elgin D 6
Nairn B 8 Rothes B 0
Mixed, Division 1
Grantown 2 Elgin B 8
Division 2
Rothes A 4 Forres A 5
Tain 4 Elgin C 6
Division 3 Moray
Forres B 2 Rothes B 6
Tain 4 Elgin C 6
14s Division 1
Bellfield Park B 10 Rothes A 3
Division 2
Rothes 10 R&A 2
12s Division 1
Gordonstoun JS 0 Elgin A 12
Bellfield Park 12 Elgin B 0
