Slazenger Harrogate and District League: A remarkable 40-match unbeaten run by Northallerton has been ended.

They were beaten 5-4 by Thirsk A team in Division Three, suffering their first defeat since joining the league four seasons ago.

Each year they had won successive promotion, proving invincible until Thirsk grabbed their slender but memorable win.

League secretary Ian Hargreaves said: "It was a tremendous achievement to go so long without losing, particularly for a new side coming into the league."

Match scores - Thirsk A 5 Northallerton 4 (Thirsk names first): Andrew Parry and Tes Williamson halved with Graham Iveson and Margaret Fenwick 6-4, 5-6; beat Paul Collier and Sue Pratt 6-2; beat Chris Brown and Cath Place 6-0, 6-2.

Jonathan Charge and Anne Titchmarsh lost to Iveson and Fenwick 2-6, 4-6; halved with Collier and Pratt 5-6, 6-2; beat Brown and Place 6-4.

Duncan Holme and Debbie Williamson lost to Iveson and Fenwick 2-6; halved with Collier and Pratt 6-3, 1-6; halved with Brown and Place 6-2, 2-6.

There was double delight for the Thirsk club when their first team captured top spot in Division One.

Last season's runners-up for the title edged home to a 5-4 win over Harrogate Racquets' second team, having beaten newly-promoted Bedale 8-1 earlier.

Thirsk won their latest match despite being without one of their key regulars Nick Hatch.

Match scores - Harrogate Racquets A 4 Thirsk 5 (Thirsk names first): Graham Parker and Carol Collinson beat Graham Pinkett and Pauline Edwards 6-1, 6-3; beat Trevor Nuttall and Pauline Rhodes 6-2, 6-1; beat John Corfield and Fritz Brown 6-0.

Andrew Parry and Debbie Hannam halved with Pinkett and Edwards 6-6; halved wth Nuttall and Rhodes 6-5, 5-6; beat Corfield and Brown 6-1, 6-2.

Jonathan Charge and Anne Titchmarsh lost to Pinkett and Edwards 1-6, 0-6; lost to Nuttall and Rhodes 1-6; lost to Corfield and Brown 0-6, 1-6.

Meanwhile champions Harlow were surprisingly held to a 4.5-4.5 draw against Harrogate Spa.

There was a surprise setback for the Harlow first pair Simon Daly and Sophie Jacob when they went down to Spa's second string pairing of Rob Dearing and Jo Craven 6-1 in a single set clash.

Match scores - Spa 4.5 Harlow 4.5 (Spa names first): Chris Dight and Nicola Pratt lost to Simon Daly and Sophie Jacob 3-6, 3-6; lost to Colin Smith and Gaye Wright 4-6; beat Simon Belcher and Pauline Knight 6-3.

Rob Dearing and Jo Craven beat Daly and Jacobv 6-1; beat Smith and Wright 6-4, 6-1; beat Belcher and Knight 6-2.

Tom Bentley and Roxanne Sammel lost to Daly and Jacob 2-6; lost to Smith and Wright 1-6; halved with Belcher and Knight 4-6, 6-4.

Division One: Bedale 2.5 Boroughbridge 6.5; Harrogate Racquets A 4 Thirsk 5; Spa 4.5 Harlow 4.5.

Division Two: Raskelf 7 Harrogate Racquets B 2; Dacre 7 Harlow A 2; Harlow B 5 Knaresborough 4.

Division Three: Thirsk A 5 Northallerton 4; Northallerton 8.5 Masham 0.5; West Tanfield 3 Thirsk A 6; Wetherby 3 Ripon 3; Harlow C 4 Harrogate Racquets C 5.

Division Five: Ripon B 5 Birstwith 4; Birstwth 5.5 Wetherby B 3.5; Thirsk B 9 West Tanfield A 0; Masham A 6 Bedale A 3.

Division Six: Bedale B 3.5 Ripon C 5.5; Harrogate Racquets D 3 Birstwith A 6; Spa B 4 Northallerton B 5; Starbeck A 6 Burton Leonard 3; Knaresborough B 2 Dacre B 7; Thirsk C 6.5 Raskelf A 2.5.

Barkston Ash League

Champions Horsforth have won their opening two matches in the First Division.

Their most impressive performance came against last season's runners-up Whitkirk who were routed 69-39.

Horsforth went top of the table after trouncing Roundhay 81-27.

Match scores from Horsforth's win over Whitkirk (Horsforth names first): A Bissett and C Dodd beat E Dyke and A Rodger 10-2; beat K Dobson and C Harding 8-4; beat C Brown and S Jenkins 8-4.

M Smythe and T Weaver beat Dyke and Rodger 7-5; beat Dobson and Harding 8-4; beat Brown and Jenkins 9-3.

I Kerray and J Mort beat Dyke and Rodger 7-5; lost to Dobson and Harding 5-7; beat Brown and Jenkins 7-5.

Division One: Horsforth 69 Whitkirk 39; Roundhay 62 Whitkirk B 46; Thorner 51 Bardsey 57; Castleford 64 Whitkirk B 44; Horsforth 81 Roundhay 27; Whitkirk 53 Bardsey 55.

Division Two: Barwick 68 Selby 40; Whitkirk C 54 St Chad's 54.

Division Three: Whitkirk D 45 Alwodley 63; David Lloyd, Leeds 49 Sherburn 59; Collingham B 66, Alwoodley 42; David Lloyd, Leeds 77 Whitkirk D 31; Sherburn 67 Barwick B 41.

National Club League Division One

First results show that Tennis World Middlesbrough men have started the new season with two defeats and might be hard pushed to retain their status in a highly competitive Northern group.

Results - Men's Northern Group: Tennis World Middlesbrough 0, Holcombe Brook Bury 6; Bamford Rochdale 3, Northern Manchester 4; Wrexham 2, Hull YPI 4; Alkrington Middleton 5, NLTSRC Newcastle 1; Bamford 4, Tennis World 2; Northern 4, Holcombe Brook 2; Alkrington 3, Wrexham 4; NLTSCR 4, Hull 3.

Division Two

Sunderland U and RC have opened their first season in this section's men's Northern Group with wins over Cumbria's Kirkby Stephen by 4-2 and Shropshire's High Ercall of Telford by 5-1. Guy Galpin, Sean Galpin, Nick Lazonby and Gavin Sutcliffe have been the players to date.

The ladies of Tennis World have one win and one defeat. Their team of Laura Bailey, Joanna Cunliffe, Lynsey Davison and Claire Smith had an easy success over Northern Blackburn, but of that strong line-up only the Misses Smith and Cunliffe contested the recent fixture away in the Wirral against Neston and the result was a narrow defeat. The six rubbers of normal play were shared, but the Chester club won the special tiebreaks shoot-out by 2-1.

Results - Men's North Group: Kirkby Stephen 2, Sunderland H and RC 4; Sunderland 5, High Ercall Telford 1.

Women's North Group - Northern: Blackburn 0, Tennis World Middlesbrough 6; Neston 4, Yarm 3; Neston 4, Tennis World 3; Queens Halifax 5, Yarm 1.

BASF Junior Open Tournament

18 and under

Boys singles: final - Steven Preston (Nun) bt Richard Love (TW) 6-3 6-2; semi-finals - Love bt Tim Purdy (TW) 6-1 6-4, Preston bt Tom Sutton (Sed) 6-4 6-4; third place - Sutton bt Purdy 6-7 6-3 6-4; quarter-finals - Love bt Alex Brayson (DM) 6-0 6-1; Purdy bt Joe Elder (TW) 6-4 6-4; Sutton bt Matthew Probert (TW) 6-4 6-4; Preston bt James Lees (TW) 6-0 6-4; Preston bt James Lees 6-0 6-4.

Boys doubles: final - J Elder and R Love bt S Preston and T Sutton 6-2 2-66-4.

Girls single RR: 1 Sarah Harding (DM); 2 Fiona Staines (DA).

14 and Under

Boys Singles: final - Andrew Bailey bt Laurence Heads (TW) 1-6 7-6 6-4; semi-finals - Bailey bt Ben Docherty 6-3 6-1; Heads bt Michael Potts (TW) 6-1 6-0.

Boys doubles: final - A Bailey and Alex Brown (TW) bt Will Purdy and Niall Stewart (NB) 6-2 6-4.

Girls singles: final - Louise Johnston (TW) bt Harriett Dixon 0-6 6-2 6-1; third place Heather Robinson bt Charlotte Proctor (TW) 6-2 2-6 6-3.

12 and Under

Boys singles RR: 1 Henry Chadwick (TW); 2 Steven Alexander (TW)