Hitchin Tennis Club's fourth team have secured promotion from Division 6A in the Datchworth summer league.

Captain Jon Harris's side, currently top of the division, are eight sets clear of third-placed Legends 4s with only two matches remaining and a maximum of 6 sets available to the chasers.

It means Hitchin 4s are guaranteed to finish in the top 2 and gain promotion to Division 5B next season.

The way the feat was achieved was something of an anti-climax however, with Hitchin 4s given 3-0 a walkover on Monday against Welwyn 7s, who were unable to field a full team. 

Hitchin will now attempt to secure the divisional title in their final two matches. They lead second-placed Watton 3s – the only team who can catch them – by 2 sets. 

Hitchin 3s gave themselves some breathing space against the threat of relegation with a 2-1 win against Wymondley in Division 3B.

In a nail-biting away match, the teams split the two mixed doubles sets before club chairman Tim Boughen and Grahame Bardsell combined in the men's doubles to win 8-5 and claim the decider. 

It puts Hitchin 3s on 14 sets, 6 ahead of second-from-bottom Watton. 

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The team's plight has not been helped by an injury to captain Suji Owen but she confirmed she will be returning to action for next week's match against top-of-the-table Codicote 2s.

"We were promoted this season, so we are getting used to the higher standard," Owen said.

"We have two home games to come on our hard courts but our final three games are against the top three teams in the division, so it will be a tough job."

Hitchin's first team won two matches in two days to leap up to third place in Division 1.

On Monday against Knebworth at Bancroft Gardens, captain Claire Morrison and Finn Firth won a tight first set 7-6 before Morrison and Kyle Wingate combined to take the second 10-3. Knebworth restored some pride in the men's doubles as Firth and Wingate narrowly lost the third set 7-6 to make the final score 2-1. 

Hitchin then beat Codicote 2-1 in a rearranged match on Tuesday. They are now level on sets with second-placed Codicote but it would take an epic collapse for leaders Orchard, who are 9 sets ahead of the nearest challengers, not to win the title.

Hitchin 6s extended their winning streak to five games against Legends. Fielding the same line-up for the second week in a row, captain Holly Hourihan, Paul Taylor and Matthew Ellinger combined for a 2-1 away win. Knebworth 7s also won 2-1 to stay a set ahead of Hitchin in second place in Division 8A, setting the scene nicely for next week's promotion clash between the two sides. 

Hitchin 2s also won 2-1, beating Digswell 2s at home. They are 5th in Division 3A and, sitting 6 sets behind second-placed Odyssey, their promotion hopes remain slim with 3 matches to play this season.

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