The men’s tennis Blues have retained their position at the top of the Midland 1A League with an emphatic 10-2 defeat of Birmingham University.

Facing opponents who had lost two of their first three matches, the Blues expected, and were expected, to win but needed to be sharp from the off. In the opening doubles, little and large teamed up in the form of Repton’s Jamie Muirhead and Sydney’s Sven Sylvester. Both served explosively. Muirhead was lithe and agile at the net to cross off low dying returns, and Sylvester made the most of his six feet three inches to pummel smashes down into the court and up into the rafters.

They nicked the opening set 6-4 and were handed a break at the start of the second when their opponent hit three double faults, just the encouragement the Cambridge pair needed to canter to victory, 6-1.

Yorkshire’s Cameron Johnston and Cyprus’s Constantine Markides complemented each other effectively on the adjoining court to take the first set 6-1. Johnston’s served well early on to take the pressure of his partner at the net, while in the return games Markides compensated for Johnston’s suspect backhand flaps with laser-like returns and the odd sumptuous lob.

The Cambridge pair broke in the first game of the second set and seemed set to give their opponents a thrashing, but Markides’s serve misfired in game two to give the Midlanders renewed hope. Revived, they threatened repeatedly to break Johnston’s serve and only a fortuitous half-volley and the Birmingham pair’s jangling nerves prevented a breakthrough.

The Light Blue had steadied the ship and struck back in game nine to secure that elusive break and, in time, the match.At 4-0 up after two matches, the Blues needed only two wins from four singles to win the tie. Muirhead, at number three, and Sylvester, at number four, were first to take to the court. Muirhead faced an unusual opponent in Finn McNally, who combined the flat forehand of Michael Llodra with the Eastern grip of Tim Henman.

After some early tussles, Muirhead brought his backhand to bear, hitting some screaming winners to both corners and thus recording a routine win, 6-4, 6-2.Sylvester also started well. He dictated with his rhythmic serves, and cannily directed his groundstrokes to his opponent’s weak backhand rather than to an erratic but potentially dangerous forehand.

At 6-3 up, he looked the victor, but he allowed Henderson to sneak back into the match by dropping his opening service game of the second set. Thereafter, his momentum ebbed away and the Birmingham man took the match, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.Markides needed no encouragement to preserve his unbeaten record at number two. He looked fitter and stronger than his pallid, spindly-legged opponent and pulled him from side to side like a marionette.

The Cypriot’s tee-shirt, reading ‘Run’, proved to be ironically appropriate since his match amounted to a fitness lesson. Yet he also spared his finesse for some glorious lobs that would have graced any highlight reel of the French wizard, Fabrice Santoro. At number one, Johnston took his cue from Rafael Nadal in assuming a ‘buen cara’, or good face; he tried to look impassive in both triumph and adversity.

This demeanour proved invaluable against a temperamental opponent, Joab Wayne, who repeatedly threw his racket into the back netting. A combination of good serving and aggressive forehand returns gave Johnston the first set 6-3. Dejected, Wayne rolled over in the second to hand Johnston the set and the match.

After four matches, the Blues have won 73 per cent of the sets and 62 per cent of the games played. Most importantly, however, they still top the Midlands 1A division.