LAST year's runners-up Littleton stuttered to a 3-1 defeat in their opening Prudden Road Surfacing Summer Tennis League Division One fixture.

Unkberrow profited to win a close encounter 3-1.

Inkberrow's Adam Hill and Jonathan Bradshaw opened with a two-set victory over the Littleton pairing of Sean Witheford and Dave Rudge 6-4, 6-2.

The tables were turned when the village pair met Frank Meadows and Dave Hubbard who gave Littleton hope with a tight 7-6, 6-4 victory in a thrilling match.

Inkberrow's other couple, Doug Duggan and Graham Rankin also struggled against Meadows and Hubbard before securing their rubber, but it took three sets to overcome thestrong Littleton opponents, which they eventually did 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The final rubber saw another scintillating match before Duggan and Rankin nudged out Witheford and Rudge in a third set tie-break 2-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Stratford B stamped their authority over newly promoted Tanworth-in-Arden with an emphatic 4-0 drubbing.

Stratford coach Simon Roach and his partner Trevor Martin comfortably disposed of Tanworth's Nick Danks and Phil Wells 6-0, 6-3.

They then overran Ken Jones and Ian Phillips 6-1, 6-2.

Stratford captain Tim Page with veteran George Goodman were also impressive dropping only seven games by beating Jones and Phillips 6-1, 6-3, then Danks and Wells 6-3, 6-0.

The match between champions Studley and Stratford C has been rearranged for 15th May.