Drumchapel Community Tennis Club are Dunlop West of Scotland 2019 champions after their men’s fourth doubles team stormed to league glory last month by an impressive 11 points.

Having won their first eight matches to put themselves just three sets away from the title, the Drum, with an age range from 18 all the way to 64, went into their final match of the season against Milngavie knowing that even a high-scoring defeat would see them become champions.

Determined to keep their unbeaten record intact and playing in front of a decent crowd on a Friday night, nerves played a part for Drumchapel.

Alastair Paul and Drew Harvey narrowly lost their opening set 5-7 before battling back 6-1 in the second. The Milngavie pair upped it in the third, however, to take it 2-6 and win the first rubber.

Derek Stewart and Andrew Rhattigan grabbed a bagel in their opening set, taking it 6-0 before Milngavie got into their groove to take the next two to leave Drum looking at their first defeat of the season.

However, final pair William Reid and Gary McCann cruised to an incredible 6-2, 6-0, 6-1 victory to clinch the 5-4 win and secure the title.

Next up for the Drum club is the league winners play-off match on Monday, August 26 against Bishopton and then possible play-off final on Friday, August 30.

Alastair said: “We’ve improved year on year. We love our tennis and we’ve got the balance between trying to win but accepting the defeats.

“We were absolutely buzzing with this win. We’ve been together as a team for four years and achieving the league win has been hard work, some of us only took up tennis a few years ago. We’re itching to get started in the higher division next spring.

“We play tennis together but we’ve also become pals. The banter lifts our heads when they go down and the ribbing from the sidelines if we do silly things on court keeps us on the right track.

“It’s a fourth team win but a full club success. We couldn’t have topped the league without the support, encouragement, guidance, advice and coaching from all of the other members at all levels.”  

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