The ladies’ singles final was an incredible three-hour match. Canberra’s Ashleigh Simes took the honours 4/6, 6/4, 6/3 against the Gold Coast’s Cara Korhonen. The crowd was in awe of the match, and the tennis was superb.
The men’s singles final was of equally high quality, with Perth’s Scott Jones overcoming big-serving Josh Charlton from Traralgon 6/4, 6/4.
Scott managed to break Josh once in each set, which made the difference. The rallies between the pair had spectators glued to the match from start to finish.
Local Jack Bassett performed well, winning two matches in the qualifying draw. Jack then won his first match in the main draw before succumbing to an opponent who had previously won the Junior Singles at the Australian Open. It was a great effort by Jack against elite competition.
This was the first time Yarrawonga hosted an event of this calibre.
Tournament Director Tom Floyd from Tennis Victoria was glowing in his praise of the courts. Thanks also to our groundsmen, who ensure the courts are always top class.
We appreciate the Sweet and Sour Sisters for catering the event—they were, as always, outstanding. Thanks to the volunteers over the five days who assisted in a range of capacities.
As usual, Gert Brunner was exceptional, giving up her time for the entire tournament and ensuring everything ran smoothly.
Saturday Morning Juniors
Due to the tennis tournament concluding on Saturday and the Gather Round using our hard courts, junior tennis was moved to Friday night. In perfect conditions, the courts were packed as usual. It was great to see even more parents than normal relaxing after a week of work.
Hot Shots and coaching groups enjoyed a variety of drills and skills, preparing the participants for the next step in their tennis careers. The progression of these groups has been very pleasing, thanks to the band of junior coaches supported by club coach Grant Kendall.
Players who participated in matches had a lot of fun. Due to time constraints, each group played three sets of doubles. It was great to see the laughter and banter on court.
This week is the final week of junior tennis, and we will return to our regular Saturday morning times. Participants who play matches will take part in the Parent/Child Doubles, a great way to finish the season.
Thursday Ladies Tennis
Thursday ladies tennis concluded last week. During the season, there were two separate competitions lasting around seven weeks each. This has proven very successful, as it ensures ladies don’t have to commit for a long season.
As usual, the final night was a rankings shootout, with players competing against others of similar ability.
The matches were extremely close, with outstanding tennis played. Each group was tight, with winners being Sarah Govan, Zoe Jones, Sandra Banks, and Jo Taylor.
The winning team for the season was also celebrated, with Zoe Jones’ team being the top performers throughout the season, winning every night they played. Well done to Zoe Jones, Beth Robinson, Alice Cooper, and Natalie Linehan on a very consistent season.
Well done to everyone involved in Thursday ladies tennis. This competition is unique and visiting representatives from Tennis Victoria were amazed that so many ladies play every week.
A special thank you to Narelle Bassett for organising the season. Her efforts ensure everyone has a great time each week.
Tuesday Men’s Tennis
After a one-week delay due to rain, the semi-finals took place last week for Tuesday men’s tennis. To ensure every team had a hit, there were A, B, and C finals. Even with an early start, most matches finished in darkness due to long rallies and the improvement shown across the board.
In the first A-grade semi-final, top-placed Edberg played fourth-placed Becker. Edberg demonstrated why they had been on top of the ladder for most of the season, winning 5 sets to 1.
Fill-ins Grant Lewis and Brendan Foran were best for Edberg, winning all their sets.
Gary Page and Nev Page also played very well to win two sets. For Becker, John Arnold and Matt Prestage were their sole set winners.
The second A-grade semi-final saw second-placed Lendl take on third-placed Nadal.
Nadal clinched victory 4 sets to 2, winning on games by 5. Jim Zanin was best on court for the victors, winning all his matches, aided by teammates Noel Thomas, Andrew Brew, and Anthony Nieuwenhout. Josh Buerckner was best for Lendl, winning 2 sets.
Tuesday night will see Edberg play Nadal in the A-grade final, a match expected to be very close with fantastic tennis on display. Everyone else will participate in matches with finals in B-grade and C-grade. There will even be consolation winners for the “losers of the losers.”
At the conclusion of the night, there will be pizzas and refreshments. Each team will be analysed, and a great time is expected for all.
Goulburn Murray Tennis
Numurkah’s Division 1 team is through to the grand final after a comprehensive semi-final win on Saturday at Cobram. Taking on top-placed Shepparton, Numurkah’s players were in fantastic form, clinching victory 10 sets to 2 and by 32 games.
Yarrawonga’s representatives Grant Chappell, Jack Bassett, Lucy Bassett, and Tess Bassett were substantial contributors to the win. Grant won both his doubles matches, the last with Jack 8/1.
Jack continued his good form to win all his sets on the day, including an 8/3 singles win.
Lucy and Tess went down in doubles but bounced back in their other matches, with Lucy winning her singles 8/1 and Tess taking out her mixed 8/3.
Numurkah have won the last four premierships in a row and will be hoping to claim another against Shepparton in Shepparton next Saturday.
Rock Up and Play Sessions
YLTC holds social, aggregate-style tennis on Tuesday mornings at 9.00 a.m. for ladies and Wednesday at 9am for men’s social hits. There is no obligation to attend every week, although once you have tried it, it will be hard not to keep coming back.
Presentation Night
This season has been very successful. To celebrate, our presentation night will be on Sunday, March 22, commencing at 5.30pm and concluding by 7.30pm.
Club Champion, Premier League, and other Saturday morning trophies will be presented.
As in previous years, the main meal will consist of a range of pizzas, and each family attending is asked to bring a dessert. Drinks will be available for purchase. The cost is $10 per person or $30 per family.
