Govind Baker and Faye Garland were the first winners of the new York tennis season at Fulford’s Spring Cup.

A field of 16 couples battled it out in ideal conditions in the traditional season-opening tournament, which pits Fulford Tennis Club players against visitors from rival York clubs.

Home pair Baker and Garland emerged victorious, beating another Fulford team, Richard Parker and Eleanor Crooks, 6-0 in the final.

Baker and Garland had topped Group ‘A’ in the round-robin stage of the tournament with Parker and Crooks, who were also unbeaten, finishing second.

In Group ‘B’, defending champions Paul Birch and Karen Retief – from Dunnington and York, respectively – dominated, dropping only four games out of 36.

Fulford’s Nigel Skelton and Jill Rounce were the fourth pair to qualify for the semi-finals after bouncing back from an 8-1 defeat by Birch and Retief in their opening match.

In the last four, Skelton and Rounce took a 2-0 lead against Baker and Garland only to lose 6-2, while Parker and Crooks ended Birch and Retief’s hopes of retaining the trophy.

The reigning champions staged a comeback from 5-2 down, but Parker served out for a 6-4 win.

The final was a one-sided affair as Baker and Garland walked away with the trophy.