LEIGH & Westcliff LTA finals day was a close-fought affair with six of the showdowns being settled by championship tie breaks.

The bulk of those came in the plate events, with two veterans finals also needing to be settled by tie-breaks at Rayleigh Lawn Tennis Club.

Steve Lloyd, from the host club, beat club-mate Mark Rose on a tie break to claim the veteran men’s title with a 6-2 3-6 10-6 scoreline.

And the veteran ladies’ singles clash was also settled by a tie break, with Thorpe Bay’s Sue Sergeant beating David Lloyd Southend’s Lisa Gordon 3-6 7-5 10-5.

Ken Bateman (DL South-end) claimed the men’s singles plate following a 4-6 6-1 10-5 victory over club-mate Craig Jones.

And Thorpe Bay pairing John Blackman and Tim Padbury picked up the men’s doubles plate trophy courtesy of a 6-4 3-6 10-6 win over David Lloyd duo Chris Smith and Chris Rackham.

The ladies’ doubles plate also needed a tie break to decide the final, with David Lloyd pair Jackie Henesy and Sally Jackson beating the Kent Elms duo of Katy Cox and Kylie Barrett 6-4 3-6 10-7.

Bateman won his second trophy courtesy of a tie break in the mixed doubles plate, where he partnered club-mate Sonia Gibbons to defeat Rayleigh’s Debra Rose and Giles Brickwood 6-7 6-3 10-7.

The other finals did not need tie-breaks, with Craig Giles (DL Southend) taking the men’s singles title courtesy of a 6-2 4-5 6-1 win over Rayleigh’s Stephen Farmer.

Rayleigh’s Sophie Hart claimed the ladies’ singles crown with a 6-7 6-3 7-5 win over Southend Lawn’s Amy Sergeant in a match lasting nearly three hours.

Hart claimed more silver-ware in the ladies’ doubles after partnering club-mate Lauren Duffield to a 6-0 6-0 triumph over fellow Ray-leigh members Debra Rose and Cathy Chambers.

Joe Levey and Joss Onion took the men’s doubles crown following the West-cliff Hard pairing’s 6-2 6-2 win over Hadleigh Park’s Ben Clow and Jack Vile.

The mixed doubles trophy went to Sue Sergeant (Thor-pe Bay) and Martin Needs (Kent Elms) courtesy of a 7-5 6-1 win over Lisa Gordon (DL Southend) and Pat Taylor (Kent Elms).

Mark Rose and Giles Brickwood won the veteran men’s doubles on their home courts after defeating John Blackman and Tim Padbury 6-3 7-6.

Sue Sergeant secured her second trophy on Sunday in the veteran ladies’ doubles. She partnered Thorpe Bay club-mate Kris Newbert to a 7-6 6-1 victory over DL Southend pairing Lisa Gordon and Keiko Petchey.

Rayleigh had more success with members Steve Lloyd and Cathy Chambers beating Martin Needs (Kent Elms) and Sue Sergeant 6-4 6-1 in the veteran mixed doubles.

And Rayleigh’s Lauren Duffield won the ladies’ singles plate final with a 6-4 6-3 win over Jo Day (Southend Lawn).

The LTA supplied eight official ump-ires and L&W chiefs thanked Rayleigh for hosting a successful event.