Slazenger Harrogate and District League

The victory lifted Bedale to third from bottom following what was only their second win of the season in six matches.

Spa remain bottom with The Academy in the other relegation hot seat.

Fewer matches were played in the latest round because of the Harrogate Tennis Championships.

Division One: Spa 3.5 Bedale 5.5.

Division Two: Dacre 1.5 Harlow A 7.5.

Division Three: Starbeck 6 Ripon A 3; Ripon 1.5 Northallerton 7.5.

Division Five: Harlow D 2.5 Wetherby B 6.5; Wetherby B 7.5 Starbeck A 1.5.

Division Six: West Tanfield B 5 Thirsk C 4; Raskelf A 3 West Tanfield A 6; West Tanfield A 4.5 Knaresborough B 4.5; Birstwith A 5.5 Bedale B 3.5; Raskelf A 4.5 Burton Leonard 4.5; Ripon C 7.5 Dacre B 1.5.

Harrogate and District Championships

The Championships which hit the doldrums with low entries and little enthusiasm a few years ago are back with a bang.

Not even rain, which interrupted the two singles finals just as they were moving into top gear, could take the shine off the week-long event's overall success.

Some events were eventually completed but others, notably the men's eagerly-awaited singles' final was postponed until last night - again at the same venue Harrogate Racquets Club.

Meanwhile the mixed doubles were being held at Harrogate's Spa Tennis Club and the restricted mixed were taking place last night also at the Racquets Club.

The high profile players in the men's singles has done much to give the whole tournament a shot in the arm. This year, in addition to men's singles' favourite Doug Keen, the Harrogate-based American pastor, there was Frenchman Phillippe Bourgeois, who went out 6-2 6-0 to Keen in the quarters.

Italian Gianfranco Cavestro, who was beaten 6-0 6-4 by Harrogate newcomer Andy Carter, 6-0 6-4 also in the quarters, was joined in the international line up by Czech Tomas David whose past form back home had bypassed the attention of tournament officials. Carter defeated David 7-5 7-5, denying the newcomer a place in the semis.

The Keen-Carter final was at 2-1 in Keen's favour when rain intervened wth both players promising a high calibre match.

Keen, pastor at Bilton's Calvary evangelical church, showed his fitness before a competitive ball was struck by a succession of standing leaps from the ground with his knees almost hitting the chin zone. It was a powerful message to his rival over the net.

Carter, unbeaten in the league this season since his arrival from Nottingham via a place in the Leicestershire county side, will already know he faces a tough battle to derail Keen from capturing his fourth successive title.

But Carter, 25, was beginning to gain in confidence when the rains forced a dash for cover. Then came a five-day wait for resumption of business.

Meanwhile a 38-year-old mother of three recaptured a title with a plucky fight back against her 23-year-old rival.

Sophie Jacob has now won the women's open singles title at the Slazenger Harrogate Tennis Championships on seven occasions.

But she was made to work hard for her success and had to recover from a 0-4 deficit in the opening set to take a 7-5 6-3 victory against Bedale's Helen Broadwith.

In the one and a half hour clash Broadwith, who had lost to Jacob (Harlow) in the final two years ago, showed pep and verve with some searing winners in the opening exchanges. One down the line winner left her racket while she was airborne.

Jacob, however, had clawed back to 4-5 before rain halted play.

When play did resume after a lengthy break there was a remarkable change in fortunes for the player dubbed queen of Harrogate tennis.

The damp court did not suit Broadwith's bid to finish rallies quickly and Jacob gained confidence with each point she garnered.

Broadwith, who graduated through the ranks at Bedale High School, confessed she had never been coached apart from a few lessons at a tennis centre.

There was a double delight for Jacob when she won the women's doubles in partnership with Nicola Pratt (Spa). They took a 6-1 6-3 victory over Broadwith and Althea Draper (Bedale).

Hopes of a hat-trick are still alive for Jacob whose mixed doubles in partnership with her Harlow club colleague Andy Carter was being played at Harrogate Spa this week.

The pair will face host club players Chris Dight and Nicola Pratt.

The men's doubles, completed before the downpour, was a highlight of the tournament.

Carter took the title in partnership with veteran Harrogate trophy winner Colin Smith showed remarkable stickability for an age he was not prepared to reveal.

The Harlow pair were involved in a clash quality street clash against favourites Graeme Campbell and Ian Grasby who both play for Boroughbridge.

The two and a half hour thriller had the crowd on their toes in a high tension as it moved into a tie-break finale. The Carter-Smith combination came through 4-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6) after the shoot out decider was locked at 4-4 amid some amazing rallies which were a credit to players on both sides of the net.

Open Men's Singles: Doug Keen (The Academy) leads Andy Carter (Harlow) 2-1. Match to be completed last night at Harrogate Racquets Club (5pm).

Men's Doubles: Andy Carter (Harlow) and Colin Smith (Harlow) beat Graeme Campbell (Boroughbridge) and Ian Grasby (Boroughbridge) 4-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6).

Women's Singles: Sophie Jacob (Harlow) beat Helen Broadwith (Bedale) 7-5 6-3.

Women's Doubles: Sophie Jacob (Harlow) and Nicola Pratt (Spa) beat Helen Broadwith (Bedale) and Althea Draper (Bedale) 6-1 6-3.

Mixed Doubles: Andy Carter (Harlow) and Sophie Jacob (Harlow) versus Chris Dight (Spa) and Nicola Pratt (Spa). To be played on Wednesday at Spa.

Restricted events: Men's singles: Gary Saunders (Starbeck) beat Gary Ede (Starbeck) 6-2 6-4.

Men's doubles: Simon Jones (Wetherby) and Rob Osborne (Wetherby) beat Grant Dorwood (Starbeck) and Richard Noland (Starbeck) 6-2 6-4.

Mixed doubles: Gary Saunders (Starbeck) and Diana Lang (Starbeck) versus Adrian Bury (Wetherby) and Dawn Steel (Wetherby). To be played at Harrogate Racquets Club on Friday (8pm).