TWO straight sets wins paved the way for an excellent 7-2 victory for Helensburgh Tennis Club’s men’s second team in their latest match at home to Drumchapel.

At first couple David McCowan and Bill Ram took the opening set 6-3 but lost their way in the second, losing 0-6.

A quick tactical chat got them back on track, and the Helensburgh pair led 4-3 in the decider after a break of serve – but the hard-hitting Drumchapel duo were in no mood to thrown in the towel, and promptly broke David and Bill’s serve not once but twice to steal the set 5-7.

Overall victory for Helensburgh was, however, secured by second couple Alastair Hope and Bobby Kerr, and by third couple Keith Love and Adam McLean: Alastair and Bobby kept up their winning form of the early part of the season with a decisive 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win, while Keith and Adam triumphed in equally convincing fashion, winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

The Helensburgh ladies’ second team continued their winning ways, but they were made to work hard for the points they secured from a narrow 5-4 win away to Bearsden.

Jackie Hunter and Fiona Beveridge had to dig particularly deep, with their opening two sets lasting for almost 90 minutes in total, though the Burgh pair won them both – the first 7-6, the second 7-5 – before getting up a head of steam to take the third 6-0.

Jane Carroll and Janette Howieson at second couple won their opening set, but narrowly lost the second 5-7, with their Bearsden opponents keeping up the hosts’ fightback by winning the third 3-6.

Third couple Fiona MacLaren and Barbara Gillies got off to a slow start, losing their opening set 1-6, but raised their game in the second to win 7-5; the home pair recovered to win the third, but Jackie and Fiona’s straight sets win proved crucial in securing overall victory.

Elsewhere, the club’s two men’s 60+ teams were well beaten by the first and second teams of David Lloyd Hamilton, while the Helensburgh men’s fourth team finally played their first match of the season, at home to Springwells.

Without several regular players, the team fell to a 2-7 overall defeat; first couple Raymond Mathers and James McGuckin had a good 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win, but Jonny Hicks and Maurice McIntyre at second couple and Ralph Ward and Nigel Parlane at third were unable to find the consistency they needed to win any sets.