AFTER a hiatus of four years, the Basingstoke tennis league's men's veterans doubles made a highly anticipated return, gracing the courts of Preston Candover Tennis Club in October.

Despite a relatively modest field of six pairs hailing from various clubs, the competition was fierce and the matches were filled with excitement.

The format of the tournament had each pair facing off against every other pair over one set, with the first to five games claiming victory.

Basingstoke Gazette: Dan Cole and Chris Pearce with their trophyDan Cole and Chris Pearce with their trophy (Image: Contributed)

The standout duo of the day proved to be Dan Cole and Chris Pearce from Kintbury, who displayed remarkable consistency by remaining undefeated, securing a total of 25 games.

Their path to victory was not without challenges, as they faced strong opposition from pairs such as Carl Pavey (Old Basing) and Tony Vanderslott (Waverley), as well as John Howell and Chris Proctor (Kintbury), both of whom also notched up 20 games each.

Joining the ranks of the 20-game winners were Kevin Beaumont and Simon Syed from Waverley, along with Dan De Marco and James Magner from Andover.

Barclay and Wade Martin from Oakley also participated in the event.