THE Weymouth Town Tennis Tournament got underway last night in almost winter-like conditions at Greenhill Gardens but at least there was no rain to spoil some entertaining men's singles clashes.

There was no doubt about the game of the night though as last year's surprise package Mark Mathias traded blows from the baseline with Oxford physics undergraduate Peter Roberts for two hours and 15 minutes on his way to a two sets to one triumph.

The Bridport youngster, a county junior at table tennis, used his top-spin to maximum effect, keeping balls in court throughout in very blustery conditions as he sneaked the opening set 7-5.

Roberts' consistency improved early in the second set as he racked up a handsome 5-1 lead but that was whittled right down as Mathias fought back and he only just levelled it for a deciding set at 7-5 with both players now finding it increasingly difficult to serve.

Mathias, a beaten semi-finalist last summer, was clearly in the ascendancy and at 2-1 down in the third he began to win all the key points to forge ahead.

Roberts was making far too many errors late on and, impatient, often gambled at the net to no avail as Matthias found some fine passing winners that brought him five consecutive games and a 6-2 final set win.

In other first round games Peter Notley just had the measure of 17-year-old Weymouth College student Robbie Hayter 6-3, 6-2 while a rusty Luke Bartlett went down fighting to Sam Marland 6-2, 6-0.

However, fellow Chickereller, 16-year-old Daniel Morgan, bowed out of the singles having put up a brave fight against Bridport's Liam Thomas but took no games in two quick sets.

Finally Andy Moore from Swanage overwhelmed Andy Bell 6-0, 6-1 to reach the second round.

Results: Men's singles, first round: P Notley bt R Hayter 6-3, 6-2; S Marland bt L Bartlett 6-2, 6-0; L Thomas bt D Morgan 6-0, 6-0; A Moore bt A Bell 6-0, 6-1; M Mathias bt P Roberts 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

TONIGHT'S ORDER OF PLAY; 6pm: Men's singles - A Cash v S Marland, R Peters v E Evans, J May v D Cartwright.

7pm: Men's doubles - J DeKretser & C Nelson v J Frederick & C Westhead, E & J May v A & S Wood, A Cash & L Thomas v P & R Roberts.