The 2020-21 Lakes Junior Tennis season finished in grand style with two big days of action to decide the premiers at Olympic Park. Divisions A and B took centre stage on Friday night before the lower grades hit the courts on Saturday morning.
West Gambier proved too strong for the combined Mil Lel/Suttontown/Mount Schank team in the Division 1 Girls decider four sets to two. The victors took control during the singles with Jessica Stutley, Emily Jolley and Ella Jolley all undefeated.
Abbey Hood gave the combined team some home in the final singles battle. Despite a 6-2 win from Hood and Shae Delaney, West took home the title after Stutley and Emily Jolley won their doubles fixture.
Reidy Park was an unstoppable force to the A Boys premiership. Zayne Young, Cade Kelly, Joel Childs and Noah Gazzard won every singles and doubles match to seal a six-love win over Mil Lel. Mil Lel finally managed to overturn the results with success in a tight B Division Boys finale.
Both Mil Lel and West Gambier evenly shared the six sets to ensure a thrilling battle. The closest on-court battle was the Pattrick Robinson and Lochie Arnold versus Angus Urquhart and Tate Smith double.
Eventually Urquhart and Smith won 5-4 for West, but a 5-2 doubles triumph to James Braun and Riley Boneham proved critical to Mil Lel’s overall three-game success. The B Girls flag went the way of Reidy Park after Maggie Collins, Sarah Brown and Milla Walmsley went undefeated in the grand final against Mount Gambier.
Mil Lel White could not stop West Gambier from securing the C Boys trophy. Owen Feetom and Peyton Robinson were the key contributors behind the 4-23 to 2-16 win. The C Girls grand final proved to be a one-sided affair with West strolling to a six-love win over Reidy Red.
Layla McPherson, Kyra Kuchel, Rylee Kuchel, Kasey Sims and Tillie McEachern did not put a foot wrong. Mount Gambier tasted success in D Boys after a solid battle with Glencoe. With Mount Gambier only one set up, the final doubles encounter was critical.
But Henry Medhurst and Hugh Bailey proved they had more than enough for the big game by winning 5-0 to give their side a two-set victory. Mount Gambier combined with Uniting Church in D Girls, but could not overcome West Blue in the grand final.
Strong performances from Ashlyn Cornolo, Zoe Davison and Maggi Dyson ensured West Blue won by two sets. Moorak enjoyed an untroubled journey to the E Boys flag after William Pearson, Mason Rogers, Alex Kanahs, Ryan Pearson and Lachlan Paltridge won all six sets against Uniting Church.
Despite the disappointment, the Uniting Church’s E Girls were on fire in the final with Mount Gambier. After losing the first two singles, Ava and Olivia Hosking, Zara Cole and Eliza Peters bounced back to give their team a 4-23 to 2-17 victory.
West Gambier Blue was awarded with the F Green Ball title over runner-up Uniting Church White. Although another Lakes Junior Tennis season has finished the young stars will still be seen on the court.
This weekend the tennis world switches its focus on the upper South East when the 55th Lucindale Easter Tournament takes off tomorrow. The beautifully presented grass courts at the Lucindale Country Club will be full of activity this weekend as 178 players of all ages fight for supremacy in 27 different events.
Games are open to anyone from Under 11’s Singles to Veteran’s Mixed Doubles in the respected event which brings players from the city and country together. The tournament starts tomorrow and finishes on Sunday afternoon.
