SUCCESS narrowly eluded York tennis player Belinda Turnbull on two fronts at the AXA British Futures National finals in Telford.

Turnbull and fellow York player John Moore reached the semi-finals of the mixed doubles before being beaten, and in the ladies doubles Turnbull teamed up with Yeadon's Jane Donald but they were beaten at the final hurdle.

Alongside Moore, Turnbull put up a good fight in the mixed doubles but they fell in straight sets, 6-3 6-2, in the last four when they were beaten by the tournament's eventual winners Kevin Eley and Ann Driver, from South Croydon.

In the semi-finals of the ladies doubles Turnbull and Donald cruised through with a 6-1, 6-1 success over Elizbeth Burge and Lynne Skerrett, from Southampton.

The final against Hertfordshire duo Sarah and Ellen Jones proved a tight affair, the Home Counties pairing taking the lead with a 6-3 first set success, only for the Yorkshire duo to hit back in the second to level 6-3.

However, in the final set Turnbull and Donald could not keep up with the Joneses and went down 6-4.

Hopes of going one better in the national competition next year currently hang in the balance.

The British Futures scheme, which aims to promote tennis, squash and badminton on a national level, is struggling to find a sponsor for next season's competition.

Current backers AXA are stepping down to concentrate on their support of football's FA Cup and it has left the racket sports umbrella organisation with just three months to confirm a new sponsor.