CHEPSTOW Tennis Club’s men gave themselves a confidence boost with a fine win over leaders Penarth Windsor 2nds last week, writes Bob Cypher.

In a match they needed to win to avoid being drawn into a relegation dog fight, Chepstow began well with Ollie Bendall and Adrian Ford beating Penarth’s top pairing 6-4 7-5.

Gavin Reid and Ben Durman gave them a 2-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 victory, but Penarth hit back to trail 2-1 after the first round of matches.

The second round saw Shaun Hartley and Tim Lewin lose 4-6, 1-6 to make it l 2-2, but Reid and Durman produced an excellent display to defeat Penarth's top pairing 6-1 7-5 and a fine victory was secured when Bendall and Ford won the final match comfortably, 6-4, 6-2.

Chepstow captain Adrian Ford, who sustained an injury during the match, was delighted with the performance.

“It was a great effort from the team to beat the leaders and shows that not only can we compete in this tough division but on our day are capable of beating any side,” he said.

“This was the result we needed to give the boys confidence for the remainder of the season.”

The men’s team are now mid-table with four matches remaining.

South Wales Women’s League

The Chepstow women’s team moved into mid-table thanks to a nail-biting victory played in scorching conditions against David Lloyd 3rds, who were second in the table.

Needing a victory to take them out of the relegation places, the match started well for Chepstow with top pairing and club champions Sally Bethell and Caroline Hawkins beating the opposition’s top pair 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.

Chepstow went 2-0 up when Wendy Rowley and Anna Keele won 6-3, 6-2, but a close 6-7 6-7 defeat for Lesley Russell and Caroline Harvey left Chepstow 2-1 ahead after the first round.

Bethell and Hawkins lost 6-0, 5-7, 6-7 and Rowley and Keele also lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 in a marathon match to go into the final match trailing 3-2.

But Russell and Harvey kept their nerve to secure an excellent 6-4, 7-5 victory and Chepstow took the points thanks to the number of sets they won, 8-7, with the matches all square at three wins each.

Chepstow’s third win in seven matches leaves them in mid-table.