RISING stars at Hartford Tennis Club shone during a thrilling match against Congleton on Sunday.

Alice Hillis and Andy Firth – playing a match together for the first time – raced into a 5-2 lead in a set that would decide whether Hartford A recorded a victory in a South and Mid Cheshire League Mixed Division One encounter.

They were pegged back to 5-5, but managed to win Firth’s next service game to clinch the narrowest of wins.

Earlier, Di Fielding and Andrew Moores had split sets with the hosts’ first pair and won a set against the second combination before their opponents conceded after sustaining an injury.

In what continues to be one of Hartford’s most successful seasons, the men’s F team is already certain to be promoted with three matches to go.

They need only a single point from their remaining matches to secure the Division Three title.

Meanwhile the Hartford E, captained by Andy Yearsley, have been consistently strong throughout the campaign and look almost certain to take fourth spot in Division Two.

That means the Chester Road outfit will have half-a-dozen teams in the top two sections for the 2018 summer term – more than any of their rivals.

A battle for first prize in Division One looks likely to go down to the final round with leaders Nantwich A still one point better off than their Hartford counterparts.

Results

South and Mid Cheshire Tennis League

Week 12

Men

Division One: Hartford B 4-4 Hartford C; Nantwich A 8-0 Congleton A; Nantwich B 2-6 Hartford A; Nantwich Farmers 8-0 Winsford A.

Division Two: Hartford D 6-2 Alsager; Hartford E 6½-1½ Nantwich C; Tarporley 2½-5½ Congleton B; Wistaston A 2-6 Cuddington A.

Division Three: Hartford F 8-0 Acton Bridge A; Hartford G 4-4 Goostrey A; Holmes Chapel A 4-4 Audlem; Winsford B 5-3 Cuddington B.

Division Four: Congleton C 7-1 Wistaston B; Congleton D 0-8 Nantwich D; Cuddington C 4-4 Holmes Chapel B; Nantwich E ½ -7½ Winsford C.

Division Five: Cuddington D 5-3 Congleton F; Goostrey B 8-0 Acton Bridge B; Holmes Chapel C 3-5 Wistaston C.    

Ladies

Division One: Hartford B 7½-½ Hartford C; Nantwich A 8-0 Congleton B.

Division Two: Alsager A 6-2 Goostrey A; Alsager B 2½-5½ Cuddington A; Congleton C 6-2 Hartford E; Nantwich C 4-4 Hartford D.

Division Three: Goostrey B 1-7 Cuddington C; Holmes Chapel C 1½-6½ Congleton D.

Mixed

Division One: Congleton B 1-7 Nantwich A; Hartford B 1½-6½ Congleton A; Winsford 4-4 Nantwich B.

Division Two: Alsager 2½-5½ Holmes Chapel; Cuddington C 0-8 Cuddington A; Nantwich C 7-1 Audlem.