Tennis

Recent fixtures in the Northern Division saw a triple success for the teams based in North Yorkshire, with Ripon beating Tennis World Middlesbrough 3-1, Next Generation York doing the same to David Lloyd Newcastle, and North Yorkshire just sneaking home by five sets to four away at Puma Sunderland.

David Darke and Doug Keen were unbeaten for Ripon; whilst Marius Barnard and Gareth Adams also won twice for York. Although on the losing side, Graham Fowler and Stephen Baker won twice for Puma.

The table shows Esporta Sunderland and Next Generation York jointly at the top with eight points each from two victories and just ahead of North Yorkshire whose eight points have come from three fixtures.

Results: Ripon 3, Tennis World Middlesbrough 1, David Darke and Doug Keen beat Nigel Beavers and Mark Franklin 7-5, 7-6, beat Richard Love and Kevin Rudd 6-2, 6-2; Will Brannan and Andy O'Donnell lost to Beavers and Franklin 3-6 3-6, beat Love and Rudd 6-4 6-4.

Puma Sunderland 2 (4) North Yorkshire 2 (5): Stephen Baker and Graham Fowler beat Steven Preston and Ian Spears 7-5 3-6 6-0, beat Michael Hall and Graham Parker 6-0 6-2; Nick Osmond and Joe Valks lost to Preston and Spears 2-6 5-7, lost to Hall and Parker 2-6 2-6.

Next Generation York 3, David Lloyd Newcastle 1: Gareth Adams and Marius Barnard beat Stefan Muehleisen and Oliver Schu 6-0, 6-2, beat Simon Telfer and Graeme Wright 6-1 7-5; Steve Smith and Greg Whitecross lost to Muehleisen and Schu 4-6 4-6, beat Telfer and Wright 6-1 6-4.

North East Club Winter League

Latest results: Red Group: Jesmond II 8, Gosforth II 0; Tynedale 0, Jessmond II 8; Gosforth II 0, Morpeth 8.

Orange Group: Rothbury 0, Jesmond I 8; Beverley Park 6, DSS 2.

Yellow Group: Blaydon II 2, Ponteland 6; Blaydon II 5, Burnmoor 3; Ponteland 0, Cullercoats 8.

Green Group: Durham University I 7, Lanchester 1; Blaydon I 8, Hild and Bede 0; Durham Archery I 8, Durham Moor II 0.

Blue Group: Shotely and Benfieldside 9, Durham University II 0; Durham Archery III 6, The Tennis Factory 2; Durham Archery III 7, Blaydon III 1.

Indigo Group: Wellfield 2, Bishop Auckland I 6.

Violet Group: New Blackwell 7, Bishop Auckland II 1; Durham Archery II 0, David Lloyd Stockton I 8; Bishop Auckland II 1, Durham Archery II 7, Eldon Grove 4 (38), David Lloyd 1 4 (34).

White Group: Stokesley 1, Nunthorpe 7; Thirsk 8, Great Broughton and Kirby 0; Nunthorpe 3, Great Ayton 5; Stokesley 4 (35), Thirsk 4 (40).

British Rankings

The North-East can boast six Yorkshire players and three from Durham and Cleveland in the current order of merit with Sarah Borwell from Middlesbrough and Jonathan Marray from Sheffield as the leading pair, at respectively twelfth and sixth.

British ranking (selected with world placings): Men's Singles: 1 T Henman (Oxf) 15, 2 G Rusedski (Unat) 113, 3 Arvind Parmar (Ber) 169, 12 Jonathan Marray (Yor) 542, 15 David Sherwood (Yor) 587, 20 Daniel Kiernan (D&C) 737, 23 Andrew Banks (Yor) 957.

Women's Singles: 1 A Keothavong (Mid) 177, J O'Donoghue (Lan) 235, 3 L Ahl (Dev) 251, 6 S Borwell (D&C) 348, 18 A Mackenzie (Yor) 725, 21 L Davison (D&C) 796, 22 K O'Brien (Yor) 805, 31 R Fong (Yor) 1090.

Men's Doubles: 1 D Sherwood 189, T Henman 206, 3 J Marray 237, 4 D Kiernan 247, 5 A Parmar 288.