Southend and District LTA are set to break with tennis tradition in the county by forming men's and ladies' singles leagues next year.

The plan was rubber-stamped by member clubs at Monday's annual meeting and will make the leagues the first singles competitions to be played at district level in the county.

Now association chiefs will be forging ahead to get the leagues up and running by next year.

"It is important that we develop singles players at club level abroad players are strong at both singles and doubles," said an association spokesman.

"A lot of the young people coming into the leagues want to play singles. We encourage them to play singles as juniors and then they go to a club and they start playing doubles.

"They ought to be playing singles every weekend against other clubs. Southend and District could be leading the way."

The Southend association has been considering the move for some time and chairman Bob Hammond recently wrote to member clubs to sound out their feelings on playing singles alongside doubles.

There are also hopes that other district associations across the county could adopt the format once it is up and running in south Essex.

Currently singles is played alongside doubles by clubs at county level. Essex LTA runs four men's and two ladies' divisions featuring 27 and ten teams respectively.

Final loss for June

Westcliff-based player June Pearce was defeated in the 60-70 age group of the National Veterans Champion-ships at Heston.

She lost to number one seed Jean Porter in the final 6-4 2-6 0-6 after knocking out three other international players in the previous rounds.

Westcliff Hardcourts' Ian Pitt and Roy Spindler lost in the first round of the over-60s, while previous winners Bryan Rivers (Westcliff Lawn) and Barry Todd (Frinton) went out in the second round.

Graham Goodale (Westcliff Hard) was unable to compete due to a back injury.

Stone cements Jubilee victory<BR>

Fiona Stone and Dawn Handelaar pulled off a great escape to hand Westcliff Hardcourts the Jubilee Cup at the expense of holders Thorpe Bay.

The duo beat Bay's Mandy Acton and Kris Newbury 5-7 7-5 6-1 to take the trophy after the Hardcourts won the men's doubles and Thorpe Bay took the mixed doubles.

Richard Barham and Lance Owen beat the host club's Jon Lee and Alan Rayner 6-3 6-4 prior to Simon Cuthbert and Kirsten Warner levelling for Bay by beating Jeremy Harvey and Gemma Garvey 6-3 6-3.

"The ladies' doubles was the deciding match," said a Hardcourts' spokesman.

"Mandy and Kris were leading by one set at 3-1 with the possibility of making it 4-1 and 5-1 later.

"Then the Hardcourts' pair fought back to take the set and then the match.

"It was an all-round team effort which saw us win the cup and to defeat the holders at their own club was no mean achievement."

The trophy was presented by Southend and District LTAchairman Frank Pike, who was watched by Thorpe Bay chairman Mike Baggs and Jubilee Cup organiser Steve Wynn.

The Jubilee Cup saw a mixture of youth and experience on both teams.

Thorpe Bay had new captain Alan Rayner teaming up with the club's young coach Jon Lee and David Cuthbert partnering the experienced Kirsten War-ner.

It was a similar story in the Hardcourts team where the youth of Gemma Garvey complimented the experience of Jeremy Harvey.

Backhander - Fiona Stone gets set to return the ball watched by her Westcliff Hard-courts partner Dawn Handelaar

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

It's goodbye to Harlow...

The men from Westcliff Lawn's second team enjoyed a 4-0 win over Harlow in Division Three of the Essex Winter League.

The successful team was Malcolm Lee, Nick Brown, Neil Warren and Ian McDonald.

League rules make a point

Rochford picked up an unexpected point when they met Mixed Division Four leaders Westcliff Hard III.

Hard duo Val Kitchiner and Bruce Bowler defeated Mark Peters and Moira Matthews 5-6 6-3 1-6 in the first rubber.

Jill Piper and Phil Read levelled things for Roch-ford by beating Brian Smith and Sandy Phillips 5-7 7-6 7-5.

But then it was discovered Brian had played in another division two days before Monday's match, contrary to league rules.

The rubber was given as a walkover to Rochford who picked up an extra point as a result.

Men's results

Division One: Kent Elms v Thorpe Bay (4-6 0-6, 7-5 6-4) sets 2-2, points 3-3; Westcliff Hard v Hockley (6-4 3-6 6-3, 4-6 6-3 6-4) sets 4-2, points 4-2; Rayleigh v Westcliff Lawn (7-5 5-7 5-7, 2-6 5-7) sets 1-4, points 1-5.

Division Two: Leigh v Westcliff Hard II(0-6 0-6, 1-6 3-6) sets 0-4, points 0-6; Kent Elms II v Westcliff Lawn II (2-6 4-6, 7-6 6-4) sets 2-2, points 3-3.

Division Three: Leigh IIv Southend Lawn (3-1 3-6 6-1, 4-6 0-6) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Division Four: Westcliff Hard IV v Thorpe Bay III (0-6 0-6, 6-4 3-6 6-2) sets 2-3, points 2-4; Kent Elms v Hockley (2-6 5-7, 4-6 1-6) sets 0-4, 0-6.

Ladies results

Division One: Thorpe Bay v Westcliff Lawn (5-7 6-2 6-4, 1-6 4-6) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Division Two: Hockley v Thorpe Bay II (3-6 2-6, 3-6 7-6 7-6) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Division Three: St Peters v Leigh (4-6 6-3 4-6, 3-6 3-6) sets 1-4, points 1-5.

Division Five: Westcliff Hard IV v Rayleigh II (1-6 6-7, 3-6 6-3 2-6) sets 1-4, points 1-5.

MIXED RESULTS

Division One: Kent Elms v Southend Lawn (7-6 6-2, 3-6 6-3 6-2) sets 4-1, points 5-1.

Division Two: Wickford v Westcliff Hard II (6-1 6-1, 6-1 6-3) sets 4-0, points 6-0; Southend Lawn II v Kent Elms II(4-6 6-3 6-3, 6-7 6-7) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Division Three: Westcliff Lawn II v Thorpe Bay II(6-7 6-7, 6-1 2-6 6-4) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Division Four: Rochford v Westcliff Hard III (5-7 6-3 1-6, 6-0 6-0) sets 3-2, points 4-2.

Division Five: Southend Lawn III v Thorpe Bay III (6-3 1-6 6-1, 5-7 3-6) sets 1-6, points 4-6; Westcliff Hard IV v Southend Lawn (4-6 1-6, 7-5 3-6 6-2) sets 2-3, points 2-4.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.