Charnwood men’s first team’s toils continued as they lost a fiercely competitive encounter with fellow relegation-strugglers Melton Mowbray, in their home doubles Leicester Winter League Premier Division match played on Sunday 19th November.
Battling through strong winds and rain, Charnwood’s first pair James Ison and Chris Cottrell came through their opening match with minimal fuss, winning 6-1, 6-0, while Ash El-Menshawy and Dave Foster pushed Melton’s first pair closer than the final scoreline suggests in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.
The reverse doubles followed as both teams looked for their first win of the season.
Ison and Cottrell turned round an early deficit to take their opening set against Melton’s Ryan Parmar and Jake Beagle 6-4.
A nervy second set followed, with Parmer and Beagle ultimately prevailing on a tie-break to level the match at one set all.
Menshawy and Foster, therefore needed a two set to love win to secure an overall victory.
They held their own in the first set against John Sturmey and Leigh Day, before the Melton side gained the momentum and the upper hand, claiming the rubber 6-3, 6-1 to secure an overall victory for the visitors by five sets to three.