WITH the end of the season approaching Walmer's teams were involved in important fixtures this week in the Bolton Tennis League.

The mixed A team entertained Holcombe Brook B and badly needed to win. They got off to a good start in the mixed section with resounding wins of 6-0 and 6-1 from Steve Routledge and Gail Blackburn and Mick Davies and Pat Greening respectively, but lost a little ground as Stuart Hardy and Lisa Morley lost 5-6 and mark Booth and Gill Ashworth lost 2-6.

The ladies extended the lead with 6-5, 6-1 wins from Lisa and Gail and 6-5, 3-6 results from Pat and Gill. Routledge and Booth then won 6-4, 6-4 and although Hardy and Davies lost 4-6, 5-6, Walmer recorded a 61-50 win.

The team are left with just one match which they must win to stand a chance of staying in Division 2 should results go in their favour.

The mixed B team, away to Eagley B, needed to win to keep alive hopes of promotion from Division 5, and they won 3 of the 4 mixed sets to take an early lead. The gents then won all their sets with Paul Biggins and Julian Nuttall scoring 6-3, 6-4 and John Biggins and Brian Richards up at 6-3, 6-3.

For the ladies, Fran Biggins and Helen Hargreaves won both sets and although Beryl Richards and Jane Pearson lost their sets they conceded few games to give Walmer a comfortable win.

The mixed c team were away to a strong Markland Hill F and on this occasion were not as close as they have recently been. Sole winners in the mixed were Stuart Duress and Sophie Harding at 6-3, although Keith Fairhurst and Carole Turner lost 5-6 only with serve.

For the men Fairhurst and Tait had 6-1, 2-6 sets and Hargreaves and Duress were level at 6-5, 5-6. An injury to Fiona McKernan with Sophie Hardy hindered any further hope of progress and Walmer lost decisively.

in the mens leagues, the A team recorded a victory at Ellesmere but it was too late to save their Division 1 status.

Andy Davies and Adam Worsley led the way with 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 wins and Steve Routledge and Rick Morley won 1 and a half sets. The decisive set was won by Mike Davies and mark Booth to give Walmer a win by 5 and a half to 3 and a half.

The B team lost an important game at home to Bradshaw B where John Biggins and Stuart Hardy won 2 sets with 6-4, 7-5, 3-6 results. Julian Nuttall and Paul Biggins won one set 6-1 and Brian Richards and Matt Hargreaves also took one set before losing 4-6, 3-6.

The mixed C team suffered the proverbial "whitewash" at Tyldsley B, the runaway winners of Division 7, and in Division 8 the D team lost 1 and a half to 7 and a half with a good performance from Chris Vipond and Phil Cooper who won the 1 and a half sets.