York Lawn Tennis Club came within one point of beating national tennis champions Rawdon before losing 2-1 in the last 16 of the A T Kearney National Inter-club Challenge at Clifton Park.

Margaret Whitehead and Wendy Stirke, playing instead of the injured Wendy Shepherd, had their match point when leading 5-4 in the final set. They then saved two match points in the tie break against Jane Donald and Sally Bickerton to level at 6-6, only to lose the next two points and the match.

Earlier, Steve Smith and Andy Cooke had given York the lead by defeating Stuart Taylor and Ian Grasby in three hard-fought sets.

The deciding mixed doubles saw Cooke and Stirke go down in straight sets against the Taylor-Donald pairing.

"It was an expensive match point to miss because if we had won we would have got a minimum of £300 for club funds and also a match against the Scottish Finalists in the last eight of the championships", said Margaret Whitehead.

Scores (York names first): Steve Smith-Andy Cooke bt Stuart Taylor-Ian Grasby 6-7 6-2 6-3. Margaret Whitehead - Wendy Stirke lost to Jane Donald - Sally Bickerton 1-6 6-3 6-7 (6-8). Cook-Stirke lost to Taylor-Donald 3-6 3-6.

Neville King, who has refereed the York Municipal Tennis Championships for the last nine years, has announced his retirement.

"I have enjoyed the experience of organising the senior and junior events, but there comes a time. I also believe it is wrong for older officials to hang on too long," said King, who has been a member of Civil Service Tennis Club for 28 years.

"I am a great traditionalist and I have tried to establish a playing pattern in recent years. But now I believe we need fresh ideas and I hope these will be forthcoming.

"Changes need to be made and I hope people will come forward with them. I get tired of those who say why don't you do so and so and then do nothing themselves to help.

"You need someone with a bit of time to be referee as the telephone rings a lot during the championships.

"If York is going to continue to have successful tennis championships, the Council needs to provide courts and facilities in keeping with the status of the event.

"I feel we have made a move towards something different by playing at York University this year rather than Rowntree Park. I accept the university lacks atmosphere but in terms of quality and facilities it is a big improvement. I would like to think York Council would see their way to equal these facilities, hopefully in the near future."

King stopped playing tennis 10 years ago after a serious back operation.

"My spine virtually collapsed and the specialist told me I was close to spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I had four operations, the last of them involving fusing my lower spine at Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.

"Thankfully things have improved a lot after the last one, which was done by a South African doctor," said King, who was a lecturer in communications at York College of Further and Higher Education before his retirement.

King's reign will official end at the tournament's annual meeting in March.

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