NICK WEAL and Paul Scullard had a 100 per cent winning record but the Hampshire & Isle of Wight team still got off to a losing start in the LTA Inter-County Tennis Cup at Eastbourne yesterday.

Second pair Weal and Scullard dropped just one set winning all three of their matches in the competition, which is operated on a doubles format and which Hampshire had won three years running until pipped into second place last year.

But the Hampshire first pair of Iain Bates and Ben Haran, both full time players, could not convert their chances as Hampshire lost 6-3 against Yorkshire.

"We could have come out with a 5-4 win, but we ended up losing," said manager Martin James. "It is a tight group with a lot of good players in it this year. But we have Laurence Matthews and Chris Wilkinson available to play today and tomorrow."

More good news for Hampshire was that champions Surrey were also beaten yesterday by Kent.

Results: Bates/Haran lost 6-7 6-7 to J Murray and D Sherwood, lost 7-6 2-6 4-6 to G Henderson and J Torpey, lost 3-6 4-6 to B Ribey and S Heron, Scullard/Weal beat Murray/Sherwood 6-7 6-2 6-3, beat Henderson/Torpey 6-3 6-3, beat Ribey/Heron 7-6 6-2, Julian Godfrey and Daniel Lobb lost to Murray/Sherwood 5-7 6-7, lost to Henderson/Torpey 3-6 3-6, lost to Ribey/Heron 6-2 3-6 4-6.

It was not all gloom for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Ladies team despite an 8-1 humbling from Derbyshire in their Group 5 match at Cheltenham.

Hampshire, without top pair Catherine Gunn and Julia Wright, were boosted by the performance of a 15-year-old. Debut-making Tanya Hasking from Basingstoke partnered Wendy Burnston to the county's only win and the pair also put up two other good performances.

And Hampshire, with Gunn and Nicola McCormick available to strengthen the team later in the week, have much to play for.

Results: Fiona Nicholson (nee Scott) and Gemma Vaughan lost to Sarah Batty and Kathryn Cook 3-6 4-6, lost to Jenny Batty and Kathryn Webster 2-6 7-6 2-6, lost to Amy Morell and Jane Rushby 0-6 1-6.

Sue Espley and Harriet Piercy lost to S Batty/Cook 6-7 0-6, lost to J Batty/Webster 3- 1-6, lost to Morrell/Rushby 6-4 3-6 0-6.

Burnston/Hasking lost to S Batty/Cook 6-7 0-6, beat J Batty/Webster 6-4 6-4, lost to Morrell/Rushby 4-6 5-7.