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

Men's 4th Team reports are best read from Week 1 upwards!

 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 7 v Queensferry 3rds 

It was a dreich evening on a hillside overlooking the Forth, the haar had sat on the courts all day and the cold radiated from them. I almost expected a beast to howl from the mist shrouded horizon was how I started the match report when we visited Queensferry last year. 

This year Queensferry 3rds were struggling to field a team and had only done so once but when they did they had won so we had no idea how strong our opponents would be. 

Peter and I travelled from the centre of Edinburgh to Queensferry and everything seemed to conspire to stop us getting there: traffic jams, forgotten team sheets, misdirecting sat nav but after several u turns and restarts we finally arrived on the dot of 6:30pm. 

The weather was different than last time, it was too cold and windy for any chance of a haar. We started knocking up and it soon became apparent that with the hardest of hard concrete courts and the wind whipping across them it was going to be a challenge. 

It quickly dawned on us that we weren’t playing any ordinary Division 10 3rd couple. We literally won one game in the first two sets ☹. One comment I will make is that one of them had a habit of drilling any serves that were out directly at his opponents which inevitably resulted in me taking a bullet to the chest at one point. Surprisingly no apology was offered! 

Meanwhile on court 1, Titus was serving to level the first set. It was “No Ad” Deuce and he went for it on his second serve, Ace! Straight down the middle! “Out” called the receiver much to the surprise of his partner, Alan, Vlad who happened to be watching and an absolutely astounded Titus. 1st set by a dodgy call to Queensferry. Sadly the second set went the same way. 

On court 2 Lee and Vlad kept our hopes alive by quickly dismissing their 2nd couple. 2-4 to South Queensferry at half time. 

Having been destroyed by their 3rd couple, Peter and I were not looking forward to playing their 1st couple so imagine our surprise when we started playing them and discovered they were of a similar standard to us. Peter served a cracking ace and having heard what had happened in the previous sets I was not surprised when it was called out. “Are you really calling that out?” I asked and when he said he was I replied “That is your right!”. I called his next two 50/50 shots out and he quickly stopped his nonsense. They won a tight first set and went 2-0 up in the second, we fought back to 4-3 up and their heads started to go down. 

On court 2 Vlad and Lee lost their first set 6-0 to the mysteriously good 3rd couple and Peter and I assumed their second set would go the same way so the match was lost. How wrong we were. Vlad and Lee completely turned it around to win the second set 6-2 and the subsequent tiebreak. Winning 2-1.  

broke a string early in the 3rd set and Titus drew Excalibur from its cosy resting place in his tennis bag and handed it to Alan. Needless to say they won their match 2-0 against their 2nd couple.  

So unbeknownst to Peter and I the match was tied 6-6 with our last set to finish. Our opponents decided to take an extended break in attempt to disrupt the momentum we had built up and sadly the tactic worked as the set slipped away from us and we lost 6-4. The narrowest of losses 6-7 to Queensferry. 

Disaster! We had gone from being in contention to win Division 10A to suddenly struggling to get promoted but hang on a second both David Lloyd clubs had lost and our promotion prospects hadn’t been damaged at all, see table below. 

 PS I don’t normally remark on bad behaviour by opponents but when it is done unashamedly and without apology, I think it should be called out and remarked upon. There was also evidence that the order of their couples had definitely undergone some jiggery pokery. 

 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 6 v Mortonhall 4ths 

So with what appeared to be a large pool to choose from and fresh from our unexpected defeat to middle of the table David Lloyd Shawfair 2nds, I went for a strong team. 

1st couple: Miro Dragic and Jani Bala 

2nd couple: Marcus MacKenzie and Lee Edwardson 

3rd couple: Colin Smith and Graham Thomson 

Reserves: David Faithful, Vlad Zirojevic and Peter Galinsky 

Miro, Jani and Marcus quickly disabused me of my assumption that they were available and I had to go cap in hand to all 3 of our reserves to fill the three missing spaces.  

Having played on Saturday and Monday I felt ready for the match despite having had a fall where I bashed my elbow the previous week however I was slightly nervous as I partnered Colin on Monday and neither of us played particularly well. It didn’t take long to find out why: my elbow became sore enough to go to the minor injuries unit where I discovered it was fractured and infected whilst Colin’s vision deteriorated to the extent that he was seeing double … we suddenly needed another 2 reserves to replace Colin and I.  

The first was a no brainer, whilst Colin and I had played badly on Monday, Angus Gow who was on the other side of the net had played out of his skin; one down and one to go. Come 5pm on match day we still didn’t have a second, both Colin and I were heading towards Drummond, neither of us fit to play but both willing to do the best we could do. Meanwhile Jani struggling with a damaged knee and trying to get a major leak in his house fixed committed to play after all and the team was saved from the spectacle of Colin or I making fools of ourselves. Not the first time I have had to thank Jani for bailing the team out in its direst need, nor for that matter Vlad (remember Aberdour)! 

The match started well as first couple Jani and David and second couple Peter and Lee brushed aside their opposite numbers. Vlad and Angus won their first set but quickly went 1-4 down in the second set, I shouldn’t have worried as they won 6 out of the next seven games to win the second set 7-5; so 6-0 to Drummond half way through. This form was maintained through the second half of the match, where this time it was Peter and Lee’s turn to convert a 1-4 deficit into a 7-6 victory. Final score 12-0, not too shabby for a team that had 5 call offs in the run up to the match. 

It was frustrating to not be able to play but a joy to watch all 6 members of the team playing some of their best tennis, especially our only debutant Angus Gow. 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 5 v David Lloyd Shawfair 2nds

David Lloyd Shawfair 2nds at home was not a daunting prospect. They were 4th in the table and only just beat Mortonhall and lost at home to DL Newhaven so forgive my hubris but I thought they would be just a speed bump on the way to us winning all 5 matches in the first half of the season.

Things proceeded smoothly at first: Marcus Mackenzie and David Faithful settled in, losing their first set 4-6 to Shawfair’s 1st couple but going on to win the tie 2-1. Alan Seywright and Lee Edwardson dispatched their 2nd couple 2-0 and yours truly accompanied by Peter were on.

What followed was an absolute mare. It was my first match back after rupturing the long headed bicep tendon in my right shoulder 4 weeks previously. Despite playing for the last 10 days and hitting well, I couldn’t get a ball past our opponents and poor Peter Galinsky had little better luck. They were nothing special just very, very steady. Despite several deuce games we failed to convert a single one on the “No Ad” game point and were bageled in the first set, the second set wasn’t much better.

So half way through the match we were 4-3 up. I noticed whilst we were playing that Alan and Lee despite losing the first set 0-6 had managed to take the second set 7-5 against Shawwfair’s 1st couple putting us at 5-5 with 4 sets to go.

Our first couple still had to play their 3rd couple and Peter and I had to play their 2nd couple so if Peter and I could just win a set then we should win the tie. The first set was close with almost every game going to deuce but try as we might we couldn’t win that elusive “No Ad” match point and by the end of the set I was absolutely knackered in our attempt. I noticed Marcus and David were 4-1 up in their first set so a draw was still definitely on the cards. Our second set was less positive as although we finally managed to win a “No Ad” game point, it was the only game we won in that set. Also whilst we were playing I noticed that Marcus and David seem to have lost their first set 6-4 from having been 4-1 up, I was sure I was misreading it but the doubt was definitely creeping in.

Sadly when we finished and were able to confirm that Marcus and David had indeed lost their first set against Shawfair’s 3rd couple so the best we could hope for was an 7-8 loss. As the light faded though the second set went the same way as the first and we lost 5-9.

Mea culpa, I was not match ready and should have given it another week before my significantly less than triumphant return. One out of ten “No Ad” deuce game points was very poor indeed! Pride comes before a fall and the division table sums that up this week:

 

Drummond Men’s 4th Team Report Week 4 v David Lloyd Newhaven 3rds

1st couple: John Duncan and David Faithfull 

2nd couple: Alan Seywright and Vlad Zirojevic

3rd couple: Peter Galinsky and Lee Edwardson

Reserve and diarist: Graham Thomson

David Lloyd Newhaven 3rds were never going to be a pushover. They were sitting 3rd in the table only having lost to the very strong Haddington team.

All of our couples were new pairings with Vlad our only debutant.

The team settled into the match at David Lloyds excellent facilities in Newhaven. Our first couple won their first set 6-1 despite one of them being hungover (Graham had to make a dash to the café to fetch much needed hydration) and to the displeasure of a vocal local supporter. It looked as though DL’s first couple heads might go down but they rallied and fought back to lose the second set 6-7 so 2-0 to Drummond. Meanwhile on court 2 a titanic battle culminated in a 2-1 loss whilst Peter and Lee cruised to a 2-0 win. 5-2 to Drummond at half time.

Newhaven’s 2nd couple having come from a set down in the first rubber to win 2-1 now faced John and David. 6-0 in the first set, thank you very much. But what is this, the second set seems to be going with serve! John picks off a very difficult volley fired straight at his crown jewels but unfortunately the force of the shot propels his racquet backwards and a sharp intake of breath is heard. Match point and the ball sails above the net for an easy smash by John to win the match if only his eyes weren’t streaming and his whole metabolism wasn’t completely focussed elsewhere.

DL go on to win the set tie breaker and then the match tiebreaker 2-1 to DL! Alan and Vlad secure a 6-1, 6-2 victory over DL’s 3rd couple. Lastly Peter and Lee go down 2-1 against DL’s first couple despite leading the match tiebreak 8-5. 

9-6 win to Drummond. Of the 5 tiebreaks in the match 4 were won by DL, 3 of which were match tiebreak wins. They almost managed to do to us what we did to Haddington the previous week!

Drummond 4ths maintain their dominance at the top of the Division 10A table facing David Lloyd Shawfair next at home where rumours abound that tendon rupturing Graham will be making his return!!

 

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