First Highland League victory for Aberlour Tennis Club
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The Galbraith Highlands tennis league’s latest addition picked up their first victory of the season.
Aberlour made the trip to Rothiemurchus and Aviemore for their latest match and returned home with a maiden win.
Marjory Stronach and Anne Edward had a relatively easy evening of play, but it was the set won by Kathryn Outram and Kerry Doran in the 2 versus 2 contest that sealed the victory for the Speyside outfit.
There was an Elgin derby in the women’s first division which turned out to be a one-sided affair with the A team romping to an 8-0 victory, losing only eight games in the process. The team leads the way after three matches with eight points, while the B team are propping up the table having lost their first three outings.
Another Elgin derby last week saw the men’s A and B teams slog it out with a draw the outcome. John Walker and Derek Grant won both their rubbers but dropped a set in the encounter with Darren Main and Harris Nairn and that loss was crucial in deciding the outcome.
There was a further twist in that the 2v1 rubber had to halt, with Main and Nairn having won the first set 6-3 against Ewen Fraser and Mitchell McGrath, because the time limit had been reached. Had the second set been played and the B pair continued their superiority to take the second set, the team would have taken the three points with a surprise win.
In the mixed first Division, Elgin A played host to Rothes. An injury to June Buchan meant the homesters had to forfeit the 2v1 rubber with the Rothes pair, Michelle Fraser and Bradley Scott leading in the first set,.
Yet another Moray capital derby took place in the second division when Elgin B took the points and now lead the way in the promotion battle while the third string find themselves firmly at the bottom of the division.
In recent years, Forres have not been competing at the top level in any of the three Highland leagues. However that might all change for next season as Mixed Division 2 sees the Forresians lying in second position, on the same seven points as Elgin B but with a lower sets percentage.
The fight to gain top division status in 2025 received a setback when they lost 6-2 at Rothiemurchus. Faced with a whitewash score, Shona Marshall and Lloyd Eastwood saved the teams blushes, winning the 2v2 rubber 7-5, 6-4.
The Forres men are not doing so great, struggling in second bottom position, though a draw was the outcome of their latest outing.
Gavin Ross and Lloyd Eastwood led the way, winning their two rubbers with ease (6-1, 6-1; 6-2, 6-3). Unfortunately Andy Williams and Ian Tregellas could not win a set, a result which would have seen their team gain all three points. They did come close, though, just losing out in a first set tie-break
It was a so-so week for Rothes with victories for the men’s A and women’s A, but losses for the men’s B and C and mixed A and B.
A first-ever win against Grantown A was the outcome of the men’s first division battle. Bradley Scott and Jack McConnachie, the visitors’ number one seeds won their rubbers, both by the same scoreline (6-1,6-3). The pair were successfully backed up by Liam Anderson and Mark Hearns, winning the 2v1 contest 7-5, 6-2.
The Rothes women’s A team sit in second place to the young girls from Bellfield Park who will obviously be the team to beat. The Rothesians, however, sit with a 9 percent better sets percentage than the Inverness team. But, of course that lead will only benefit them if they finish level on points. There is a long way to go.
The men’s third division top of the table clash between Rothes B and Bellfield Park C saw the Inverness youngsters take the three points.
Their first couple crushed the Rothes pairs (6-0, 6-1 in both) but the aim for the Speysiders was to defeat the visitors’ second string. It didn’t look good as Martin Johnston and Neal Anderson went down 1-6 in the first set. The only way that overall victory could be achieved was for the duo to win the following sets and for Liam Anderson and Ross Elder to win their battle with the Invernessians.
Johnston and Anderson fought back to take the rubber to a first-to-ten-points tiebreak which they lost 7-10. L. Anderson and Elder did their bit, taking the 2v2 contest 7-5, 6-4.
The Rothes eight-and-under teams were in action. Rothes A v Lossie results, home team Rothes first: Roman Leslie beat Aliona Main 10-4; beat Elliot Cardwell 10-2; beat Aydan Tripp 10-1; beat Emily MacNicol 11-9. Theo Croasdale lost 5-10; won 10-4; won 10-4; lost 8-10. Rosa Fraser lost 9-11; won 10-1; won 10-7; lost 5-10. Sienna Cameron lost 1-10; won 10-8; won 10-8; lost 7-10.
Rothes A v Rothes B: Roman beat Joshua Bowie 10-3; beat Felix Myers 10-8; beat Leo Masson 10-2; beat Lochlan Cowie 10-2. Theo Croasdale won 10-8; won 10-2; won 10-0; won 10-0. Rosa Fraser lost 2-10; won 10-5; won 10-2; lost 8-10. Freya Hood lost 6-10; won 10-8; won 10-3; won 10-8
Full results.
Men, Division 1: Grantown A 2 Rothes A 6; Elgin B 4 Elgin A 4
Division 2: Forres A 4 Kingussie 4
Division 3: Gordonstoun 8 Rothes C 0; Inverness C 6 Forres B 2
Women, Division 1: Elgin B 0 Elgin A 8
Division 2: Rothes A 8 Inverness B 0; R&A B 6 Elgin C 3
Division 3: Forres B 1 Bellfield Park B 8; Grantown B 4 Forres A 5
Division 4: Rothes B 4 Bellfield Park C 5; R&A C 4 Aberlour 5
Mixed, Division 1: Elgin A 6 Rothes A 2.
