Andover Tennis Club started the season with their annual Wingfield Mixed Doubles, Sliding Handicap tournament on Sunday.

Sixteen players took part and in section one, Martyn Isherwood and Jennie Pope showed their strength and consistency, winning all their matches, but by the narrowest of margins.

They were hotly pursued by the father and daughter partnership of Shaun and Amy McDonald, always a threat in this tournament with their guile and cunning court craft. Anthony Brown partnered Harriet Steptoe, a young player of great promise, and they were always in contention, missing a semi-final place by just one game.

Also in the group were husband and wife Andrew and Karen Winnett, swopping their hockey sticks from the winter season for their tennis rackets, and producing some excellent, if not always consistent, tennis.

In section two, defending champions Hallam Doney and Georgia Moon were in impressive form winning all their matches and experienced pair Trevor Blake and Glenys Chambers played steady, crafty tennis to challenge the opposition.

Equally good were Glyn Jones and Liz Smith who played really well all afternoon and Juraj Turna, a welcome newcomer, and Nicole Willis improved steadily developing a good understanding and court coverage.

The semi-final place was claimed by Jones and Smith, who finished with the same score as Blake and Chambers, but had won their match against them in the section.

In the semi-finals Isherwood and Pope, proved too strong for Jones and Smith, winning 6-2.

Doney and Moon also proved too strong for the McDonalds winning 6-1, although there was some great tennis played by the two youngsters, Moon and McDonald, who were unphased by the power hitting of their male partners.

It was a great final with plenty of penetrating volleys and some good serving and in the end the winners were Doney and Moon, for the third year running over Isherwood and Pope.

Trophies were presented to the winning pair by Anthony Brown.