Harlow kept their top of the shop place in Division One with a 6-3 win over Spa while former leaders Thirsk slipped to third place after being held to a draw against Harrogate Academy.

Harlow now lead the table on ten points from six matches, current champions Boroughbridge are second on eight points and Thirsk are third, also on eight points.

Boroughbridge, who have a match in hand on their leading rivals, romped home wth an 8-1 away victory over The Academy second team.

They were served a hat trick of victories by Graeme Campbell and Laura Gilbert, as well as the partnership of Ian Grasby and Gayle Partridge. Alistair Turnbull and Kate Needham contrbuted two rubbers.

Thirsk's 4.5-4.5 draw against The Academy first team was a major surprise in view of The Academy's poor start to the season.

With no unbeaten teams in Division One Harlow retained their top spot with the following scorelines from their 6-3 home win against Spa.

(Harlow names first): Andrew Carter and Sophie Jacob beat Chris Dight and Hannah Edwards 6-0 6-1; beat Tom Bentley and Pat Priestly 6-0; beat Ian Charters and Janet Harrison 6-1 6-0.

Colin Smith and Kate Walsh lost to Dight and Edwards 2-6 5-6; halved with Bentley and Priestly 6-2 4-6; beat Charters and Harrison 6-1.

Richard Axe and Jo Douglas lost to Dight and Edwards 5-7; halved with Bentley and Priestly 4-6 6-2; beat Charters and Harrison 6-3 6-2.

Harlow's win marked the sixth successive victory of the season for newcomer Andrew Carter who partnered Sophie Jacob at first string.

Carter, who has moved to the area from Nottingham, is being tipped to make waves in the Harrogate Championships next week at Harrogate Racquets Club, Firs Road.

Division One: The Academy 5 The Academy A 4; The Academy 4.5 Thirsk 4.5; The Academy A 1 Boroughbridge 8; Harlow 6 Spa 3.

Division Two: Knaresborough 7 Dacre 2; Ripon 6 Ben Rhydding 3; Thirsk A 1 Harlow A 8; Dacre 5 Ripon 4; Knaresborough 3.5 Harlow A 5.5; Thirsk A 0 Harrogate Racquets A 9.

Division Three: Boroughbridge A 6.5 Harrogate Racquets B 2.5; Harlow B 5.5 Masham 3.5; Wetherby 6 Northallerton 3.

Division Four: Harrogate Racquets C 7.5 Birstwith 1.5; Knaresborough A 3.5 Northallerton A 5.5; Thirsk B 3 Harlow C 6; West Tanfield 2 Wetherby A 7; West Tanfield 5.5 Knaresborough A 3.5.

Division Five: Northallerton B 5.5 Harlow D 3.5; Dacre A 3 Bedale A 6; Northallerton B 0.5 Wetherby B 7.5; Ripon B 1 Starbeck A 8; Starbeck A 4 Dacre A 5.

Division Six: Raskelf 5.5 West Tanfield B 3.5; Ripon C 5 Bedale B 4; Harrogate Racquets D 5 West Tanfield A 4.

* A nine-year-old North Yorkshire player, whose tennis exploits have already won her a county call-up, has now notched up her best indivdual performance.

Anisha Rahman, a pupil at Pannal Primary School, Harrogate, has just won the under-10 open at the Trafford Press Doncaster Tennis Championships. It is one of the leading junior events in the country.

Anisha, who has built up a reputation of beating players sometimes two years her senior, took the final by defeating Sian Morgan (Ilkley) 5-3 4-0 in the final.

And news of her success soon reached India. Anisha's family contacted her grandfather Khaja Mohideen in Madras to relay the triumph to him.

Anisha's grandfather was a state ranked player in India, which is equivalent to county status in this country. He was delighted to hear that his young granddaughter was maintaining the family tradition of playing tennis.

Anisha's 12-year-old sister Aafreen, a student at Harrogate Grammar School, is also a successful tennis player.

Anisha started playing tennis three years ago and is a member of the David Lloyd Tennis Centre at Moortown, Leeds, where she is being coached to success by Amanda Twigg.

Although the Doncaster title was the best performance of her career it has not been her only tournament triumph.

She won the Ripon Open as an eight-year-old, beating off the challenge of players two years her senior to do so.

Anisha is a member of the Yorkshire junior team which is battling at Bisham Abbey (Bucks) on June 19 in a bid to win the Inter County under-10 championship.

She is also a member of the David Lloyd under-11 national league side.