The annual Godfathers Junior Tournament was another outstanding success for the Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club on Sunday.
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A total of 86 players competed, ranging in age from 7 to 16 years.
With a round robin format in place, every player participated in a minimum of three sets, ensuring plenty of tennis was played throughout the day.
It was fantastic to see competitors travelling from across the North East region, along with a very strong local contingent.
A special thank you goes to all the parents who transported players and generously assisted in various capacities during the tournament.
In the prestigious 8 & Under Girls division, local player Lilly Maslen played beautifully to win the final 6/2.
It was wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of the 8 & Under trophy winners as they proudly claimed their first-ever trophies.
The 16 & Under Girls division featured many local players, all of whom performed extremely well.
At the conclusion of the round robin matches, Lara Angwin emerged as the winner, with Elli Buerckner finishing runner-up.
There was plenty of fun throughout the division, along with some excellent shot-making.
Taylah Chessells continued her impressive recent form to win the 12 & Under Girls title.
After progressing through several strong matches, Taylah claimed the decider 6/4 against a quality opponent.
In the 10 & Under Girls division, Maeve Inchbold made a remarkable tournament debut, playing extremely well to win her pool.
Maeve’s improvement this season has been immense, and this result was a fitting reward for her dedication.
Xavier Chessells, Ernie Buerckner and Billie Buerckner all enjoyed fantastic tournaments and have developed into powerful ball strikers through regular participation in local events.
Xavier finished runner-up in the 16 & Under Boys, Billie was runner-up in the 14 & Under Girls, and Ernie placed second in the 10 & Under division.
This event would not be possible without the support of parents. A special mention goes to the many local families who went above and beyond to ensure the tournament’s success.
Thank you to the Godfathers for their continued support of this tournament and junior sport in our region. Everyone in attendance enjoyed a fantastic day.
Club Championships this weekend
The prestigious Club Championships will be held this weekend, and all members are encouraged to get involved, with a wide range of events available.
Junior age groups include 10 & Under, 12 & Under, 14 & Under and 16 & Under, with players permitted to compete in two age groups.
All junior events are singles. Play will commence on Saturday, replacing regular match play. Due to high entry numbers, events will not be completed in a single day, with remaining matches to be played on Sunday.
Senior events will also be contested on Sunday and include Open, 18 & Under and 35+ singles, as well as Open Doubles.
With many parents already attending to support junior players, it is hoped they may also take the opportunity to participate in the senior competitions.
Country Week
Yarrawonga had approximately ten players competing in Tennis Victoria Country Week last week, which was held in Shepparton.
This major event features 28 divisions, each comprising eight teams.
While none of Yarrawonga’s teams progressed to the Grand Final on Friday, reports from participants were overwhelmingly positive, highlighting what an incredible week it was both on and off the court.
Next year’s event will be staged in the Albury / Wodonga region, and members are strongly encouraged to consider participating.
Saturday Morning Juniors
Saturday morning was another fantastic session for the juniors, with increased participation resulting in no spare courts available.
The Hot Shots program was filled with fun activities while players rapidly developed their skills.
New Club Coach Grant Kendall expressed how impressed he was with the enthusiasm and ability shown by players in his coaching groups.
Grant brings a wealth of experience and is eager to see juniors hitting more than once per week. Families are encouraged to contact Grant regarding mid-week coaching opportunities to further improve their child’s game.
Premier League
Premier League returned for the second week of its second season, with four teams of 14 players competing for supremacy.
Three sets are played each week, and this round saw players contest two doubles matches, and one singles match.
The first match was a sensational contest, with the lead changing throughout the morning.
Ultimately, the Demons and Saints could not be separated, finishing with 11 sets each, a remarkable scoreline. For the Demons, Thomas Lawrence, Jack Carmichael and Winnie Cooper won all of their sets, while Cooper Beggs was undefeated for the Saints.
In the second rubber, Power proved too strong for the Blues, winning 16 sets to 6.
Standout performers for Power were Lenny Robinson, Ella Knight, Grace McQualter and Annabelle Sandral, all of whom won every match they played.
After Round 2, the ladder stands as follows: Power 36, Demons 30, Saints 22 and Blues 14. Premier League will resume on Saturday, February 28.
Younger players participating in Match Play also competed in three doubles sets.
Winter Clarke, Jack Cummins, Hayley Keenan, Ziggy Clarke, Tex Brady and Penny Perkins all performed strongly to win their respective groups.
Thursday Ladies Tennis
Season Two of Thursday Ladies Tennis continued last week and will run for six weeks.
The introduction of two shorter seasons has proven very successful, allowing players to commit without the requirement of a three- or four-month season.
The standard of tennis was high, with many long and competitive rallies.
In the opening match, Inglis and Tomljanovic were locked in a tight contest, each winning three sets before Inglis prevailed by three games, 28–25.
Emily Linehan was best on court, winning all three of her sets.
Jones displayed strong form against Hon, winning five sets to one. Zoe Jones and Bec Whinray led the way, remaining undefeated.
In the final match of the evening, Hunter defeated Birrell four sets to two. Donna Head continued her excellent form for Hunter, winning all of her games.
After Round 2, the ladder stands at: Jones 13, Hunter 10, Joint 9, Hon 8, Inglis 7, Tomljanovic 6 and Birrell 3.
Tuesday Men’s Tennis
Tuesday Men’s Tennis continued last week, once again delivering plenty of banter and enjoyment.
Connors and Laver played several tight sets before Connors edged ahead to win four sets to two. Gareth Oughton was in excellent form for the winners, claiming all of his sets.
Agassi and Djokovic produced the match of the night, splitting sets three apiece.
Agassi ultimately claimed victory on games, 32–29.
Veteran Simon De Oleveira once again secured three winning sets.
Edberg dominated McEnroe, winning all six sets.
Chris Page, Gary Page, Nev Page and Brendan Foran are all in outstanding form heading into finals.
Nadal recorded a strong five sets to one win over Wilander, with Jim Zanin and Andrew Brew combining superbly to win all of their sets.
Lendl and Becker contested many close matches before Lendl secured a four sets to two victory.
Reflecting the closeness of the tie, no player won all of their sets.
After Round 11, the ladder reads: Edberg 62, Becker 55, Lendl 53, Nadal 47, Borg 47, Laver 44, Agassi 43, Federer 43, Sampras 41, Connors 38, Djokovic 34, Wilander 34 and McEnroe 29.
Goulburn Murray Tennis
Goulburn Murray Tennis continued on Saturday, with just two weeks remaining in the home-and-away season.
Yarrawonga’s Division 3 team hosted Central Park in a tightly contested match, eventually winning six sets to five.
The victory was set up by singles wins from Damian Cook, Xavier Chessells and Ellen Bruce. Doubles combinations of Xavier Chessells and Thomas Lawrence, and Ellen Bruce and Danielle Lawrence, consolidated the lead.
Damian Cook and Angela Mitchell secured the result with a mixed doubles win.
Numurkah’s Division 1 team recorded a comprehensive nine sets to three victories over Nathalia.
Jack Bassett won both his singles and doubles matches, Grant Chappell claimed his doubles, and Tess Bassett was successful in her mixed.
Numurkah’s Division 2 team had the bye.
Wilby and District
The iconic Wilby and District Tennis Association concluded its home-and-away season over the weekend. Encouragingly, most teams featured many junior players, which bodes well for the future of tennis in the region.
Telford and Burramine met at Yarrawonga on Friday night. Telford’s men continued their strong form, winning five sets to one, with Andrew Banks and Jim Zanin undefeated.
The ladies’ contest was much closer, with sets shared and Burramine winning by a single game.
Chris Hawkins was best on court for Telford, winning all of her matches. Telford secured the mixed three sets to one, taking the night by 34 games and winning six points to two.
Tungamah hosted Mulwala on Friday night.
Tungamah’s men played strongly to win five sets to one, with veteran Josh Buerckner claiming three wins.
Mulwala reversed the scoreline in the ladies, winning five sets to one, as Kerryn Lyons and Paula Mifka remained undefeated.
Tungamah claimed the mixed three sets to one to win by 21 games and secure six points to two.
The final match saw Wilby travel to Savernake on Saturday.
Both teams fielded many juniors, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Wilby started strongly, taking the men’s four sets to two, with Brendan Lawrence winning three sets. Savernake responded by winning the ladies’ four sets to two, with no player undefeated.
The mixed was extremely close, with two sets apiece, but Savernake edged ahead by two games to win overall by six games and secure six points to two.
The final ladder standings are: Telford 73, Tungamah 63, Savernake 58, Burramine 50, Wilby 21 and Mulwala 19.
Semi-finals will be played on Friday night, with Telford facing Burramine at Yarrawonga and Tungamah hosting Savernake.
Thursday Ladies Tennis – upcoming season
The Thursday Ladies competition enjoyed a highly successful first season, which concluded in December.
The next six-week season will commence on Thursday, February 5. Teams have been created to ensure competitive and enjoyable matches each week, and fill-in players are always welcome.
Rock up and play sessions
The YLTC hosts social aggregate-style tennis on Tuesday mornings at 9.00am for ladies and Wednesday mornings at 9.00am for men.
There is no obligation to attend weekly; however, once you have experienced the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, it is difficult not to return.