Helensburgh Tennis Club ladies on brink of promotion

Cambuslang are the Helensburgh ladies’ only remaining rivals for the title, with Woodend 6 providing the opposition to both sides in their final matches of the campaign.

However, the Suffolk Street club have a five-point advantage at the top of the table, and team captain Barbara Gillies said she was just focussing on winning the last match, and if it brings promotion with it then it will be a bonus.

Meanwhile, Woodend proved too tough a nut for the Helensburgh men’s second team to crack – though Alastair Hope and Bobby Kerr at second couple continued their fine recent run of form with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win.

Sadly it wasn’t enough to stave off defeat for Helensburgh: team captain Keith Love, not for the first time of late, was one player short of his usual squad, and found himself outplayed alongside stand-in Stephen Humphreys, with their hard-hitting Woodend opponents winning in straight sets.

First couple David McCowan and Bill Ram also found their opponents’ accurate volleys and deep groundstrokes too hot to handle as they, too, lost all their sets.

Helensburgh’s men’s team, however, remain at the top of their division following a decisive 8-1 win against Nuffield Milngavie, while the men’s fourth team enjoyed a narrow 5-4 victory against Giffnock.

The ladies’ 60-plus first team won 4-2 against Hillhead, while their second team counterparts had a week to forget as they lost out against Rutherglen and Mount Vernon.