Cosy Dell men walked the tightrope in a match where their unbeaten record was under threat in Dunedin club tennis on Saturday.
Last season, the student-based team won every tie, but up against John McGlashan Blue in the first round, it was down on countback after the singles were shared 2-2. However, it won both doubles to snatch a comeback win.
Cosy Dell was not only missing its top man from last year in Nick Hornstein, who is in Europe, but the new No 1 Alex Low had not returned from mid-semester break.
It was its depth and supportive doubles tactics which retained the record.
James Leggett and Andrew Baird were promoted but proved no match for the school team's Harry James and Oliver Reid in singles.
But George Milne and newcomer Lance Green were almost as dominant in the lower order for Cosy Dell.
The masterstroke was selecting Milne to partner Leggett in the top double which went to the third set tie-break against James and Reid and sealed the result.
McGlashan Red beat Balmacewen 5-1 and won all four singles in straight sets.
Kyu Kim, Paddy Ou and Mitchell Sizemore showed the benefit of winter training, and were easy winners over James Bourne, George Alexander and Matt McCutcheon respectively, while Jon Bakos was the only one to provide a close call when he went down 6-4, 6-4 to Carlos Reid.
Bourne and Bakos showed a better understanding of doubles play in beating Kim and Sizemore 6-4, 6-3 and Ou and Reid were pushed to 7-6, 6-3 by Alexander and McCutcheon.
Eastern Harbour and Mornington-Roslyn are poised at 2-2 with two rubbers still to play. Campbell Higgins and Thomas McCabe were still involved with football, and their matches will be played later by mutual agreement.
Three of the four rubbers played went to three sets but Harbour holds a one set advantage on countback.
Ryan Eggers fought back to beat Adam Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in what has become his trademark fighting style, while Angus Milne, a Hutt Valley student, showed aggression and intensity in beating Ollie Scott 6-4, 6-3.
The established pairing of Scott and Williams had revenge in a three-set doubles win.
The women's team competition is yet to begin.
