Sutton Tennis and Squash Club have reached the LTA National Club League but only just.

They needed at least a 5-1 win at Globe Tennis Club to guarantee entry, but had to settle for a 4-2 win.

Sutton, represented by Gabriel Ledru, Nick Lester, Mike Walker and Roger Draper, started well with the first three winning in straight sets.

Roger Draper had a harder task in his match, and eventually succumbed two sets to one in an arduous rubber that lasted two hours and 40 minutes.

The same four players went into the doubles needing to win both matches to secure the league title.

Mike Walker and Roger Draper came through in straight sets, unfortunately Gabriel Ledru and Nick Lester were outplayed by an awesome Globe doubles pair and lost 2-0.

Having won the match 4-2, Sutton were left waiting on results from Sutton Junior Centre and St Georges Hill to determine the final positions.

Phones

Tennis rackets were replaced by mobile phones as the captain Steve Tiddy and his team desperately trawled through their LTA phone books to find out the relevant results.

The news was not good, both the Junior Tennis Centre and St Georges had won their matches 6-0 leaving all three teams on the same number of points, with six wins and a loss each, at the top of the league.

The LTA officials had to count the percentage of sets won by each club to confirm the league places.

It was only on Monday morning, after a hot sleepless night for all concerned, that STSC were confirmed as the regional league champions by 0.02 per cent on sets won over St Georges Hill, Weybridge.

Sutton Junior Centre finished in third place. Sutton will now play a second placed team from one of the other seven regions at a neutral venue on July 14. The winner qualifies for the final in September.

An ecstatic Tiddy said: We have won a league that boasted both the overall winners and runners-up of last years event

Tremendous.

It is a tremendous achievement by everyone.

Weve got great teams, great members, a thriving junior section and, by the end of the summer, we should have new courts.

This club is going from strength to strength.

For play-off details call Sutton Tennis and Squash Club on 020 8642 0209.

By.Steve Clarke