SOUTHEND Lawn’s ladies closed to within a point of Division Tow leaders Westcliff Hard II following a marathon match.

Lawn travelled to Thorpe Bay II seeking to put pressure on the leaders and did so by winning 4-1 to get five points to Bay’s one.

The first rubber saw Jo Day and Sally Marsham defeat Bay’s Judy Barham and Heather Clark 6-4 6-4.

But the second rubber turned into a three-hour marathon that went to three sets.

Sue Quinlan and Rebecca Clayton sparked hopes of the Bay revival when they won a tie-break to take the first set 7-6.

But Sandy Bysouth and Caroline Willis hit back for Lawn by claiming the second 6-3.

And another tie-break was needed to sort out the third set, which Bysouth and Willis eventually won 7-6.

MEN’S RESULTS Division 1: Leigh v Westcliff Hard (6-2 4-6 6-3, 3-6 4-6) sets 2-3, points 2-4; Southend Lawn v Rayleigh (7-6 2-6 6-7, 7-5 6-0; Thorpe Bay v Hockley (2-6 1-6, 6-0 6-0) 2-2, 3-3. Division 2: Westcliff Hard II v Westcliff Lawn (6-1 6-1, 7-5 3-6 6-1) 4-1, 5-1. Division 3: Westcliff Hard III v Thorpe Bay III (6-2 5-7 7-6, 6-3 1-6 6-3) 4-2, 4-2; Hadleigh Park v Westcliff Hard III (6-3 7-6, 7-5 6-2) 4-0, 6-0; Westcliff Lawn II v Thorpe Bay III (4-6 2-6, 2-6 0-6) 0-5, 0-6; Leigh II v Invicta (0-6 1-6, 6-3 6-7 1-6) 1-4, 1-5. Division 4: Hockley II v Kent Elms II (5-7 6-2 6-3, 2-6 1-6) 2-3, 2-4; Thorpe Bay IV v Rochford (1-6 4-6, 6-0 6-0 w/o) 2-2, 3-3; Kent Elms II v Leigh Road Baptist (6-4 6-4, 6-0 6-0) 4-0, 6-0. Division 5: Westcliff Hard IV v Hadleigh Park II (3-6 3-6, 6-2 6-4) 2-2, 3-3; Southend Lawn III v Rayleigh III (6-0 6-0, 7-5 3-6 6-4) 4-1, 5-1. Division 6: Hadleigh Park III v Thorpe Bay VI (4-6 1-6, 1-6 4-6) 0-4, 0-6; David Lloyd II v Wickford (1-6 2-6, 6-1 6-2) 2-2, 3-3. Division 7: Deanes v Wickford II (5-7 2-6, 6-3 6-3) 2-2, 3-3; Thorpe Bay VII v Southend Lawn V (6-2 6-1, 6-0 6-3) 4-0, 6-0.

LADIES’ RESULTS Division 1: Thorpe Bay v Kent Elms (7-5 4-6 6-4, 5-7 6-2 6-7) 3-3, 3-3. Division 2: Rayleigh II v Leigh II (6-0 3-6 5-7, 6-1 7-5) 3-2, 4-2; Thorpe Bay II v Southend Lawn (4-6 4-6, 7-6 3-6 6-7) 1-4, 1-5; Westcliff Hard II v Hadleigh Park (6-2 6-7 2-6, 6-2 6-1) 3-2, 4-2. Division 3: Kent Elms II v Westcliff Lawn (6-1 6-4, 5-7 3-6) 2-2, 3-3; Westcliff Hard III v Thorpe Bay III (6-2 6-1, 6-1 6-2) 4-0, 6-0. Division 4: Leigh III v Southend Lawn II (4-6 2-6, 2-6 0-6) 0-4, 0-6; David Lloyd v Crowstone (0-6 6-4 5-7, 6-2 6-0) 3-2, 4-2. Division 5: St Peter’s v Hadleigh Park II (6-2 6-7 6-7, 6-3 6-4) 3-2, 4-2.

MIXED RESULTS Division 2: Westcliff Lawn v Rayleigh II (4-6 6-0 2-6, 7-5 4-6 6-1) 3-3, 3-3. Division 4: Thorpe Bay IV v Leigh II (4-6 5-7, 6-0 6-1) 2-2, 3-3. Division 5: Leigh Road Baptist v Westcliff Lawn II (3-6 7-5 3-6, 1-6 0-6) 1-4, 1-5.

l THE David Lloyd Basildon Spring Junior Tournament is going from strength to strength.

The annual event at the centre on the Festival Leisure Park has seen the number of entrants increase by nearly a third this year.

“The entry is 30 per cent up on last year with players coming from the all home counties and a large contingent from Essex,” said event organiser Ian Pitt.

“The rise in numbers is mainly due the tournament being upgraded to a grade three event.”

Action starts on Monday, February 15, with the tournament lasting six days.

Sponsored by Original Sports, the finals of the spring tournament will be held on Saturday, February 20.