THE LEADING Premier Division duo took maximum points in week ten of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League.
Table-topping Stratford (37) defeated Evesham (14) 4-0, pushing the visitors into the relegation zone, while second placed Alcester A (25) claimed a great 4-0 win over third placed Ardencote Manor (21).
Fourth placed Henley-in-Arden (20) visited Alcester B (16) where they could only share the points 2-2. Mid-table Redditch HDA A (17) travelled to bottom side Moreton-in-Marsh (10) where they also recorded a 2-2 draw.
Stratford, still undefeated, never looked in trouble. Their top pair Callum Bailey and captain Tim Page beat Chris Francis and Julian Heath 6-3, 7-5 and beat Ray Foster-Morison and Simon Wall 6-2, 6-0.
Chris Marrow and Pieter Uys-Barnard defeated Foster-Morison and Wall 6-0, 6-0 and beat Francis and Heath 6-2, 6-1.
Alcester A consolidated second place with an excellent 4-0 home win. Stuart Beech and Tom Watson beat Ben Summers and Pete Thomas, but only after a championship tie-break 3-6, 6-2, 1-0, before going on to beat Christian Hardy and John Brain 6-2, 6-0.
Alex Woodbridge and Marcus Powell beat Hardy and Brain 7-5, 6-1 and defeated Summers and Thomas 6-1, 6-4.
Henley only managed a 2-2 draw with Alcester B. Charlie Watson abd Pete Watson (Alcester B) beat Max Retallack and Oli Didlick 7-6, 6-1, but lost to Tom Griffiths and Matt Williams 3-6, 7-6, 0-1.
Gareth Price and Emma Hubbard (Alcester B) also lost to Griffiths and Williams 3-6, 3-6, but beat Retallack and Didlick 6-4, 1-6, 1-0.
Moreton-in-Marsh claimed a creditable draw with mid-table Redditch HDA A. Chris Elliott and Brian Lomas (Moreton) lost to Tomas Cop and Mathew Cutler 2-6, 0-6, but beat Darren Cutler and Terry Iduitua 6-2, 6-2.
Greg Stotesbury and Graham Jackson (Moreton) beat Cutler and Iduitua 6-3, 6-3, but lost to Cop and Cutler 4-6, 0-6.
The two top Division One title contenders – Chipping Campden (29) and Littleton (24) – met in a key game at Campden which went the hosts’ way as they enjoyed a convincing 4-0 victory and now lead by three points.
Studley (26) claimed a 3-1 victory over bottom team Snitterfield (5) and in doing so climbed to second. Pershore (25) entertained mid-table Stratford B (15) and in defeating them 4-0 moved up to third, pushing Littleton down to fourth.
Mid-table Ardencote B (19) managed a 3-1 win over relegation-threatened Claverdon (13).
In Division Two Inkberrow A pulled seven points clear at the top with 32 points following a 4-0 win over bottom side Studley B (9).
Second placed Henley B (25) were surprised by near basement side Snitterfield B (12) who beat them 3-1. Alcester C (21) stay third but were outclassed by FISSC (19) who closed the gap to two points after thrashing Alcester 4-0.
Claverdon B (16) entertained Shipston A (21) who prevailed 3-1, moving the latter up to joint third with Alcester C.
In Division Three, previous leaders Chipping Campden B (26) slipped to second after being held to a 2-2 draw by third placed Inkberrow B (23).
Redditch HDA B (27) celebrated a 4-0 win over bottom side Claverdon C (2) which jumped the Redditch team to the top of the table.
Inkberrow B had previously enjoyed a 4-0 victory over lowly Aston Cantlow (3) in a rearranged match. Fourth and fifth placed teams Pershore B (21) and Warwick (18) shared the points in a 2-2 draw.
Bidford-on-Avon A (37) extended their Division Four lead to 11 points over Inkberrow C (26). Bidford beat bottom placed Moreton C (3) 4-0 while Inkberrow C surprisingly lost out 4-0 to the leaders’ sister side Bidford B (18).
Redditch HDA C (23) stayed third with a good 4-0 win over Wildmoor Spa A (17). Fourth placed Evesham B (20) drew 2-2 with Moreton-in-Marsh B (16).
The Division Five promotion race became even tighter with only five points separating the top five teams. Leaders Shipston B (24) lost ground when they drew 2-2 with Wildmoor Spa B (15) and lost 3-1 to Tyson (21) in a rearranged match.
Chipping Campden C (23) were 3-1 winners over Redditch HDA D (7), Warwickshire County Council (23) drew 2-2 at Tysoe and Inkberrow D (14) drew 2-2 with visitors Henley C (20).
