Drummond LTC

Reports from 2024 can be found here  Clubspark / Drummond LTC / ESLTA League Team Reports

Reports from 2025 where available will be pasted on this page

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 3 v Haddington 

This was always going to be an exciting fixture, the top of the Division 10A clash, both teams had only dropped a total of two sets so far in the competition. 

David Faithfull and Titus Petyt fresh from playing in the 3rds were our first couple, the ever dependable John Duncan and Mick McMenemy were our second couple whilst Lee Edwardson was partnered with debutant Colin Smith who last played for Drummond in 2021. 

This was definitely the strongest team we had fielded so far in no small part due to the support of 3rd team captain Ryan Doran. 

The drive out to Haddington is a bit of a schlep at 45 minutes and I was loathe to make it when I wasn’t playing but it was such a crucial match I decided I had to be there so schlep I did. 
 
I am glad I did, the first rubbers were some of the most exciting tennis I have ever seen Drummond involved in. Their first couple were excellent and steady challenging David and Titus to a Championship Tie Break which Drummond won, 2-1. Their second couple were smashing forehands over the net with such ferocity that I was surprised when John and Mick fired them back, to a double tie break 2-0 to Drummond. Finally their third couple were no pushover and Lee and Colin had to step and play their best game to another Championship Tie Break, also 2-1 to Drummond. So half way through the match Drummond were 6-2 ahead. 
 
Before the second rubbers started I grabbed Titus’s racquet and hit a couple of balls gently to David just to see if I could, 2 weeks after rupturing the long head bicep tendon in my right shoulder. It felt fine but David had conniptions and refused to hit any more back to me for fear of permanently damaging the old man! 

Being suitably chastened, already shivering in temperature plummeting East Lothian and feeling reasonably safe with the chaps 6-2 up I decided to leave them up to their own devices and wend my way home. 

My hubris was ill placed as, when I got home, I found out that Haddington had staged an epic come back winning the second rubbers 5-2 and narrowing Drummond’s winning margin from 6-2 down to a nerve racking 8-7 win for Drummond. 

Haddington won the 7 out of the 12 normal sets (7-5) and it was only because each of our couples won championship tie breaks that secured Drummond the narrowest of 8-7 wins. Stand out performances were: 
 
Colin and Lee took Haddington’s 1st couple to a tie break in 1 set.  

John and Mick won all 3 of their tie breaks and ended 4-1 up.  

All three couples won championship match tie breaks!  

Truly Hollywood Epic Tennis! 

Congratulations team, every single set you won was crucial! 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 2 v Queensferry 3rds 

Our first home match was against Queensferry 3rds. Our 3rd team played their 2nds last year and won comfortably so I wasn’t too worried about this fixture. I was however glad we were playing at home as something very odd happened on the way home from the away match at Mortonhall last week. 

Whilst driving my roller skate of a car through Tollcross I became aware of this shiny Behemoth behind me. I decided, albeit at the last moment, to take the route home via the meadows and signalled that I was turning into the right lane at Tollcross. As I pulled across into that lane the Monster Truck behind machine gunned me with his laser headlights and let rip with his klaxon horn. Shaking gently I stopped at the red light with this Juggernaut looming over me. I then saw the driver get out of his vehicle and approach mine. By now I was in a complete blue funk so you can imagine my relief when my team mate tapped on the window of my car laughing his head off! 

Back to the match against Queensferry. A couple of days beforehand their captain got in touch to ask if we could reschedule the match as “we are unfortunately in jury stricken at the start of this season”. Having worked out that was injury stricken and not jury service we referred to the LTA League Organiser who stated the match must go ahead as scheduled even if Queensferry fielded a depleted team. One Queensferry couple turned up. 

In the first rubber, our first couple John and Mick, were soon cruising towards a double bagel and the only real excitement was seeing how much spin John could impart on a series of stratospheric lobs he put up. We won’t dwell here on dodgy line calls but I can confirm that one of Mick’s finest line cleaning serves was badly maligned by the opposition. 

Meanwhile, in the absence of any other opposition, our second couple, Lee and Peter, played our third couple, debutants David Hogg and Gavin Macdonald. 

Lee and Peter took on the solitary Queensferry couple in the second rubber and although they dropped a couple of games each set they were not significantly challenged. 

This match was a disappointment and I can only emphasise that it is the worst one I have witnessed in the 4 decades that I have played for the 4 Drummond teams. However next week’s game against Haddington who haven’t dropped a set in their first two matches will be a different basket of tennis balls. 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 1 v Mortonhall 4ths 

Inaugural Match of Newly Formed Men's 4th Team

The inaugural match of the brand new Drummond Men’s 4th Team was at Mortonhall against their 4th team. A team that the 3rds played 3 years ago at the start of their journey through the Divisions. Both teams were fielding 2 players a piece from those teams 3 years ago. 

With Titus stepping into the 3rds, Mick and Hollywood John were promoted to 1st Couple whilst Lee joined Jani as our 2nd Couple and Peter Galinsky and I made up the team. On top of the two who had played here 3 years ago, we also had two debutants to the Drummond teams: Lee and Peter. 

It was a sunny evening at Mortonhall’s excellent facilities and squinting into the blinding light, Peter and I took on their 3rd couple. A nervous start saw the first few games go with the side not hindered by the sun but we soon settled down and took the first set 6-2. The second set seemed to be following the same pattern until yours truly was serving into the sun 5-2 up. I quickly went 0-40 down and then clawed my way back to Deuce which gave us set point (with the “No Ad” rule). I hadn’t dropped my service game all match and I wasn’t going to do it on match point so I absolutely belted my first serve. Peter visibly flinched as the ball bulleted over the net leaving my opponent stunned as it cannoned past him. At the same time my arm literally exploded as my distal biceps tendon ruptured. Sadly it wasn’t an ace as it was inches out. Quickly I patted the second serve over before my brain / body registered I was properly broken and the ball crept over the net. My poor opponent who had taken a couple of paces back after the first serve had to lunge for the short ball and sent it skywards. 6-2! 

Meanwhile Jani and Lee had powered their way to a 6-2, 6-0 victory and Mick and John had won 6-2, 6-2. A clean sweep for Drummond. 

I tried to play the second rubber but though the spirit was willing the useless appendage holding my tennis racket wasn’t so we had to concede both sets. Jani and Lee only dropped a single game against Mortonhall’s 3rd Couple and as the sun dipped below the horizon Mick and John finished off their 2nd Couple 6-3, 6-3. So a 10-2 win to launch Drummond’s new 4th team. 

A special mention to Jani and Lee who only dropped 3 games in the entire match! 

Graham Thomson