TENNIS
FOURTH place finisher Yonnex entered last Tuesday’s women’s tennis grand final against Dunlop perched on the brink of an upset after a sensational semi-final heist.
The first two sets went to tie-breakers with each team taking one in blustery conditions.
A couple of brief showers during play tested concentration and consistency but Yonnex weathered the storm to win the next two sets.
Megan Agostino and Val Kennedy won 8-6 over Trish Henry and Robina May, before Patrice Fitzpatrick and the much improved Miwako Inagi took their set comfortably 8-2 from Emma Robinson and Tanya Goodwin, giving Yonnex a 3-1 set lead and an eight game buffer.
The stage was set for a fantastic finale on both courts and the crowd was not disappointed when play resumed.
Dunlop came out hard to lead the next set 6-1 when rain forced a short delay.
Yonnex duo Agostino and Miwako steadied on resumption to pick up a pivotal three games. Dunlop went on to win 8-4 but had to keep Yonnex to less than four games in the last set to have any chance of winning.
Fitpatrick and Kennedy could see the finishing line and took the set and match for Yonnex 8-3.
Patrice Fitzpatrick won her three sets for Yonnex, but the whole team showed great determination to win the title four sets to two after coming from nowhere to reach the grand final.
The consolation final between Reebok and Adidas was an absolute thriller.
This match also went one set apiece after tie breakers in the early stages before Reebok’s Amanda Dawson and Maho Terasaka enjoyed an 8-5 set win from Adidas’ Christina Elliott and Debbie Albanese.
Adidas rallied to claim the next set 8-6 when Wendy Moore and Jess Drava held off Nicki Townsend and Heidi Devlin.
After four sets of furious tennis the two teams were separated by just one game.
The last two sets were also shared, both ending 8-3, as Reebok took the spoils from Adidas three sets all, 40 games to 39. Jess Drava took her three sets for Adidas but it was not enough to scrape home in a nailbiter. The player of the finals was Val Kennedy for Yonnex who put on a great display of tennis over two weeks of playoffs.
The aggregate winner for the season went to Lyndal Pettie, followed closely by Maxine Murray only one point behind.
The players’ choice award winner, voted by her peers for being the fairest and most valuable team player, went to Helen Hyde.
After another exciting season players will be keen to resume on grading day on 4 February, 2014, with pennant commencing on 11 February. For more information or to get involved phone Wendy Moore on
5166 1509 or Traralgon Tennis Association on 5174 4626.
