EXPERIENCED home duo Richard Pears and Jill McCreedy swept to victory in the 28th Fulford Spring Cup tennis tournament.

They beat Fulford pairing 16-year-old Daniel Bruce and Eleanor Crooks 6-4 in the final.

The home club dominated the event with all four semi-finalists coming from Fulford. Bruce and Crooks had beaten twins Patrick Atkinson and Dominique Morrisey 6-5 in the semi-finals while Pears and McCreedy knocked out Nigel Skelton and Jackie Heels, also 6-5.

Pick of the visiting couples were Mike Taylor and Denise Bolam (Dunnington), who won 20 games in the round-robin stages. Graham Butcher, son of one-time York champion Jack, and Karen Hornby (Copmanthorpe) won 18 games as did Andrew Loadman (Tong Bridge) and Kirtsy Godwin (Selby).

A total of 20 couples took part in the event which was originally played as a pre-season run out between Fulford and Malton Tennis Clubs. It was the brainchild of Malton's John Bendall as his club had grass courts and could not practice in the winter months.

Updated: 10:04 Tuesday, April 19, 2005