Oxfordshire men’s and women’s teams are struggling in the Aegon Summer County Cup The men’s team, promoted to Division 4 this year, lost their first two matches at Felixstowe, going down 6-3 to North of Scotland and 7-2 to Lincolnshire.

Led from the front by skipper Jonny Maskens, they broke their duck by recording a 6-3 win against West of Scotland to ease their relegation fears.

Oxon’s women, led for the first time by Alice Atkins, were finding it even tougher in Division 7 at Tunbridge Wells.

Atkins and Emma Poffley took the only rubber in a 8-1 defeat to Wiltshire, and they also won twice in the 6-3 loss to the Isle of Man.

Kathryn Schutterin and Taysie Gujral recorded Oxon’s two successes in the 7-2 defeat by Hereford & Worcestershire.

 

MARCHAM’S Beth Simmons has moved into the women’s singles second round at the 1st World Deaf Championships in Nottingham after beating Ukraine’s Podhorodetska 6-7, 6-2, 6-2.

“I am particularly excited to take part in the very first World Deaf Championships.

“As there is no defending champion anything can happen “It is exciting to see who will claim the world title for the first time.”

Simmons returns to Nottingham buoyed by her last previous experience of playing there, when she took multiple Deaflympic gold medallist Barbara Oddone, of Italy, to three sets at the 2006 British Open Deaf Championships.

 

TOP seed Connor Ferguson, from Drayton, near Abingdon, eased into the semi-finals of the grade 2 event at Bath with a 6-0, 6-4 win against ninth seed Matthew Cooper.

If Ferguson wins the event, he will climb to No 1 in the 12 & under British rankings.

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GABRIEL Curreli made his mark by winning the 12 & under boys' singles as the grade 3 Penny & Sinclair Championships at Virgin Active Oxford drew to a close.

The Madgalen College School pupil, who plays at North Oxford, won the event with a 6-0, 6-1 final victory over fourth seed Luke Fullard, from Gloucestershire.

OLTA BABOLAT SUMMER LEAGUE RESULTS

Men’s Div 2: Abingdon 1, Portcullis 3; Oxford City 4, Oxford Sports B 0; Virgin Active 2, Wantage 2.

Ladies’ Div 1: Cholsey 4, Banbury 0; Oxford Sports 2, Wantage 2; North Oxford 2, Woodstock 2; Portcullis 1, Virgin Active 3. Div 2: Thame 4, Goring 0. Div 3: Bicester 2, Woodstock B 2; Witney 4, Wychwoods 0.