WITH Wimbledon just around the corner, it was the turn of the Borders' best tennis players to test themselves during last week.

Despite unseasonal, and at times Arctic, weather conditions the Scottish Borders Senior Confined Championships were held at Kelso Orchard and St Boswells clubs.

And the competition has never been closer across almost every section, with five of the finals going to tie-breakers.

And three of them continued until the final sets were won 10-8.

Progress to the finals was also tough with one of the 40+ Women's Doubles semi-finals being won 15-13 in the deciding set, and the final set of a Mixed Doubles quarter-final going 14-12.

Although Claire Townsend only required two sets to win the 40+ Women's title against Toni Lemmon, the all-St Boswells final lasted just over 110 minutes.

Melrose couple Brian and Brenda Lumley won the 70+ Mixed Doubles for the fifth consecutive year.

But they required a 10-8 tie-break decider to edge out Charles Strang of St Boswells and Selkirk's Helene Williamson.

A spokeswoman for the Championships told us: "The Committee thanks all entrants, without whom we’d have no tournament, and congratulates all players on their competitiveness, sporting behaviour even when losing, and fortitude in the poor weather conditions.

"The Kelso club and its volunteers are thanked for the use of their facilities and for the super tuck shop they provided.

"St Boswells club is also thanked for the use of its courts, which ensured that all matches could be played before final stages, and Christine Lawrie thanked for refereeing and bringing the event to a timeous conclusion."

A total of eight Borders clubs were represented at the Championships.

70+ Mixed Doubles: 1st Brian Lumley & Brenda Lumley (Melrose Waverley TC), 2nd Charles Strang & Helene Williamson (St Boswells LTC/Selkirk TC).

70+ Men’s Doubles: 1st Michael Green & Charles Strang (Melrose Waverley TC/St Boswells LTC), 2nd Philip Dixon & Brian Lumley (Duns LTC/Melrose Waverley TC)

55+ Mixed Doubles: 1st William Fleming & Hilary Jackson (Melrose Waverley TC), 2nd Andrew Plenderleith & Susan Smith (Duns LTC), C-1 James Collin & Judith Dixon (Duns LTC), C-2 (Mike Turner & Elizabeth Dixon (Melrose Waverley TC/Duns LTC)

55+ Women’s Doubles: 1st Christine Jackson & Susan Smith (Duns LTC), 2nd Barbara Archer & Maggie Stewart (Kelso Orchard TC), C-1 Kerstin Cameron & Vivien Waddell (Kelso Orchard TC), C-2 Elizabeth Dixon & Judith Dixon (Duns LTC).

55+ Men’s Doubles: 1st Andrew Plenderleith & Mike Turner (Duns LTC/Melrose Waverley TC), 2nd William Fleming & Charles Strang (Melrose Waverley TC/St Boswells LTC)

40+ Mixed Doubles: 1st Mike Turner & Juliet Smith (Melrose Waverley TC/Peebles TC), 2nd William Fleming & Hilary Jackson (Melrose Waverley TC, C-1 Glen Gordon & Alison Moore (Melrose Waverley TC), C-2 Nick Rodwell & Lesley Thomas (Kelso Orchard TC)

40+ Women’s Doubles: 1st Lisa Campbell & Juliet Smith (Peebles TC), 2nd Susan Lawrence & Lesley Thomas (Kelso Orchard TC), C-1 Barbara Archer & Maggie Stewart (Kelso Orchard TC), C-2 Alison Moore & Lesley Watters (Melrose Waverley TC)

40+ Men’s Doubles: 1st Ian Ballard & Andrew Plenderleith (Duns LTC), 2nd Glen Gordon & John Reid (Melrose Waverley TC), C-1 William Fleming & Mike Turner (Melrose Waverley TC), C-2 Charles Strang & Campbell Fraser (St Boswells LTC)

40+ Women’s Singles: 1st Claire Townsend (St Boswells LTC), 2nd Toni Lemmon (St Boswells LTC), C-1 Kerstin Cameron (Kelso Orchard TC), C-2 Alison Moore (Melrose Waverley TC)

40+ Men’s Singles: 1st Glen Gordon (Melrose Waverley TC), 2nd Colin Green (Earlston LTC), C-1 Mike Turner (Melrose Waverley TC), C-2 James Collin (Duns LTC)