SUNRAYSIA District Tennis Association’s junior and senior doubles championships took place last Saturday at the Aero courts, and although numbers were down on last year, SDTA records officer Robyn Herberte reported that “those who attended had some great tennis”.
In the junior A Grade, Sacred Heart’s Derek Bagacay returned to winning form with partner Will Schreiber from Red Cliffs.
The duo did not drop a set for the morning.
But the boys didn’t have it all their own way.
At 3-5 down against the Sarnia pair of Aydin Yazici and Cooper Young, it looked like an upset was brewing. However, the more experienced team rallied to win the tie-breaker and take out the title by one game.
Junior B Grade was a very tight card, with no pair being able to win all their sets.
Ethan Davis and Derek Gardiner, both of Sarnia, topped the card, losing just one tie-break set.
Runners-up were Callum Baird (St Andrews) and Archie Wilkes (Wentworth), who just pipped the two Charlottes, Hardy and Davis.
Two very strong pairs dominated the junior C Grade championship.
Eventual winners Bailey Vines and Amelia Brander, both from Wentworth, lost only seven games on their way to victory (24/7) over Sacred Heart sisters Samuella and Jessica Allieu (22/7).
Nicholas Keens (Red Cliffs) backed up his singles title with the D Grade doubles championship, ably assisted by partner and club mate Charlie Bennett.
Tori O’Shea and Jack Carter, both from Wentworth, came a close second.
Only one card of men competed for the A Grade senior men’s doubles championship.
It was great to see Aydin Yazici and Cooper Young back up their junior performance, making it nine sets for the day.
But the title belonged to Nathan Swaeney and Aaron Wilkie, both from Nichols Point, who in a blistering performance lost only four games over four sets.
Fellow Pointers Jack Burford and Chris Kimerlis were the runners-up.
There was a strong turnout for the A Grade women’s championship with six competitive pairs vying for the title.
The untried combination of Lisa Hill (Red Cliffs) and Brenda Hornsby (Sarnia) were the eventual winners, the two left-handers proving a handful for their competitors.
The lefties won two tie-break sets – one against runners-up Leanne Jordan and Kerrie Lynch (Sacred Heart) and the second playing Jess Tiller and Heather Olofsson (Nichols Point) – which proved crucial in their slender win.
Sue Hardie and Tash Pedler, both of St Andrews, combined in an almost-flawless performance to take out the B Grade women’s doubles, losing only foour games on their way to the title.
Nichols Point pair Meljo Opo and Tania Kirrirua-Gill were runners-up.
Normal pennant play resumes this Saturday as teams gear up for the run to the finals.
