Sheridan’s a busy man as Portsmouth Winter Tennis League teams are forced to play catch-up

As a result, some teams have ended up playing two or even three times in a week. And in some cases that means the same player(s) playing in more than once.

That was certainly the case for Wellow’s Sheridan Easton, who played in all three of his club’s matches in the space of six days, clocking up 119 games in doing so!

His marathon week started with a 1-3 loss to Fishbourne men’s masters – though he broke even, winning one rubber, but losing the other.

A second men’s masters fixture four days later resulted in a win, at home to Warsash - but only after a punishing four hours on court in which time he won both his rubbers, and both after match tie breaks.

One day’s rest and he was on court again, this time a mixed masters match against David Lloyd West End. And again, both his rubbers went to match tie breaks, one of which was won, the other lost - the latter the crucial one as that gave David Lloyd a 3-1 win.

Ladies 2 has been particularly closely fought all season, and the match between Avenue 2nds and Ryde Lawn 2nds reflected this with all four rubbers decided by tie breaks. Ryde claimed three of them, but Avenue won more games than the winners.

In the same division CourtX 2nds beat CourtX 1sts 3-1, leaving the top four teams separated by just four points with two matches to play.

Wins for Stubbington (4-0 against Warsash 3rds) and Rowlands Castle (2-2, but 5-4 on sets against Avenue 3rds) wrapped up Ladies 4, with Fishbourne crowned champions.

Warsash mixed dropped a point against Lee, having shared the rubbers 2-2 and the sets 4-4. Their game count was 33 to Lee’s 28, but the point dropped opens up the possibility of Avenue taking the title for the first time in over 10 years.

With mother and son combination Linda and Elliott Jones in destructive form against Chichester, Ventnor recorded their sixth successive win to seal their return to the top division.

Lee 2nds remain on course to join them, after a 3-1 win against Active Academy, while Ryde Mead’s winning draw against Warsash 2nds gives them the chance of avoiding relegation.

In division 3, Alverstoke completed their season with a good 3-1 win over Ryde Lawn 3 They must now sit and wait with promotion hopes dependant on Avenue 3rds taking at least three points off Abshot CC in their final two home and away fixtures.

Fourth-placed Rowlands Castle’s encounter with third-placed Chichester 2nds was a reversal of their league positions. Castle claimed the winning draw points by just two games, with the rubbers shared 2-2 and the sets 5-5, but that was not enough to change the league placings.

There was a very similar score line in the men’s Division 3 match between Seacourt and CourtX 3rds. Here again the rubbers were shared 2-2 and the sets 5-5, but the Hayling team won four more games.

Chichester and Carlton Green mixed masters also played two matches in a week. The Sussex-based team wrapped up their winter programme with a 1-3 loss to Swanmore followed by a 4-0 win over CourtX. Carlton, who play in Division 2, lost three match tie breaks in their 0-4 loss to Ryde Lawn 3rds before beating Warsash 2ds 3-1.

Both Avenue’s mixed masters teams were in action, the firsts recording a 4-0 win over Lee, while the seconds matched that score in beating Ryde Mead.

Wins for Ryde Lawn 3rds (against Southsea) and Fishbourne (v Rowlands Castle) rounded off the week’s 30-strong fixture list.