Olympic Park was a wash with young tennis players everywhere on Sunday as they aimed for glory in the 2022 Foundation Cup Mount Gambier Junior Series Tournament.
The bronze level tournament brought a total of 61 players to the courts in the centre of the Blue Lake city and they all gave it a red-hot crack to put on a grand show for the spectators.
Across the big day boys and girls singles were played across four age groups, but one final will live long in the memory.
Having overcome Kiele Longbottom in an epic set that almost exceeded two hours and Maggie Collins in a more one-sided contest during the minor rounds, Jayme Young was prepared for anything in the Under 14 girls final.
Her opponent in the decider was Lucy Handbury, who enjoyed a far smoother run taking less time to beat Jessica Douglas and Sienna Hawke than Young’s clash with Longbottom.
The Handbury versus Young battle lived up to expectations as they traded blows for 94 minutes.
It was difficult to split the pair across the opening stages with Young causing some trouble before Handbury gained the upper hand winning the first set 6-4.
But Young fought back to push her opponent around the court and take the second set in dominant fashion 6-1.
With both rivals having collected a set each, the final went down to the wire and neither was willing to give an inch.
During the tiebreaker the momentum swung many times, but Handbury held her nerve to win by just two games and be crowned the winner in thrilling style.
The Under 14 Boys finale was a more one-sided battle with Isaac Brian overcoming Kobe Cole in straight sets.
Cole fought hard in the first half of the game, but could not match his partner as it progressed with the contest wrapping up with the scoreboard at six-love.
Number one seed Shaunn Robinson was upstaged by Marcus McClintock in the Under 16 Boys decider.
McClintock came out of the blocks fast early winning the first set 6-1 before going even better in the second to deal the deal within an hour.
Adele McNamara was in fine form collecting the Under 12 Girls trophy only dropping four games throughout the entire campaign.
The Under 12 Boys Singles Grand Final was another tight contest between the top two seeds Samuel Herbert Haase and Hamish John Gordon.
Herbet Haase pushed John Gordon all the way in the two sets, but the latter emerged on top on both occasions to take out the victory.
Benjamin Ellis overcame Beau Maxwell 6-3 in the Under 10 Mixed Green Ball Singles.
