The South Warwickshire Summer Tennis League, which includes parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire played it's opening fixtures for the 2013 season. In the Premier Division Henley-in-Arden got off to a good start with a 3-1 win over Evesham. Alcester also made a winning start to the season 3-1 over Claverdon. Champions Stratford-on-Avon opened with a 4-0 victory over Shipston-on-Stour, while newly promoted teams Littleton and Chipping Campden played each other in a close battle which saw Campden emerge as 3-1 victors.
Henley's result was reasonably comfortable as their main pair Neil Suppersstone & Max Retallack beat Chris Francis & J. Clarke ( Evesham) 6-4, 6-3 and then beat Simon Wall & J. Crowther (Evesham) 6-4, 7-6. Meanwhile Henley's second pair D. Taylor & J. Hunt lost to Wall & Crowther 4-6, 0-6, but beat Francis & Clarke 6-3, 7-6.
Alcester had to win a championship tie-break to triumph over Claverdon. Their top pair of Tim Kenneally & Stuart Beach defeated Claverdon's James Courier & John Turner 6-0, 7-5 and then Richard Butler & Carsten Asthfimer 6-2, 6-4. Alcester's second pair squeezed out the win after losing to Butler & Asthfimer 3-6, 3-6, by battling to a 0-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-8) after a championship tie-break over Courier & Turner.
The two promoted clubs Littleton and Chipping Campden met and it was last years Division One runners-up Campden who surprisingly beat champions Littleton 3-1. It was a hard fought result though as visitors Campden top pair Ollie Coombes & Geoff Vaughan beat Andrew Reynolds & Richard Herborn (Littleton) 7-6, 6-2, but had to ease past Ken Dawson & Mark Jepson 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (11-9) on a tie-break. On the other court Jack Philpott & Ian Smith (Campden) lost to Dawson & Jepson 2-6, 6-7, but beat Reynolds & Herborn 6-4, 6-4.
In Division One Ardencote Manor celebrated their first fixture with a 4-0 straight sets win over Studley. Bidford-on-Avon managed an away draw 2-2 at Pershore, while Inkberrow entertained newly promoted Alcester B resulting in a 3-1 victory for Ardencote.
Stratford B began their campaign in Division Two with a 3-1 win over Studley B. Snitterfield had to settle for a 2-2 draw with visitors Whitnash, while Campden B beat Claverdon B 3-1.
Division Three saw Moreton-in-Marsh defeat Inkberrow B 3-1. Ilmington beat Littleton B 4-0 and FISSC drew with Henley B 2-2.
Division Four saw Wildmoor Spa open their season with a good result 3-1 over Snitterfield B. Alcester C hosted Pershore B and managed a 3-1 victory. Newly promoted teams Claverdon C and Ardencote B clashed resulting in a resounding 4-0 win for Ardencote.
Finally, in Division Five Campden C headed the table after a tough but decisive 4-0 victory against Inkberrow C. Studley C took on Henley C and dominated them 4-0 to join Campden C at the top. The final fixture saw Bidford B enjoy a good 3-1 win over Moreton B.