Geelong’s aspiring tennis stars squared off in pairs on Sunday in a ranking competition hampered by rain and strong winds.
“The weather wasn’t on our side this week,” Tennis Geelong president Donna Schoenmaekers said.
“But given the adverse conditions, play was competitive at the three venues.”
The events were based on the players’ Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), which pits competitors of similar abilities against each other rather than grouping them by age or grade.
The system rates players on a scale of 1 to 16.5, including international competitors. For example, World number one Novak Djokovich currently holds a UTR of 15.77.
Surfcoast Tennis Club in Torquay hosted six pairs in the 1-2.99 band, with two groups of three playing best-of-three six-game sets.
The initial matches were both boys versus girls with the results going one each way.
The second and third rounds saw alternating rain delays and bright sunshine, making conditions difficult.
Group one was very even with Vaishnavi Xiao and Trusha Jani, and Matilda Sutherland and Georgia Carr winning a rubber each.
Chrisopher Watkins and Lachie Smith drew ahead in the third match before play was abandoned due to another heavy shower.
Group two managed to finish, with Spencer Durno and Lachlan Murphy outplaying their opposition of Ruby Egan and Hanna Schoenmaekers and Eli Egan and Nate Schoenmaekers with a win in both matches.
Band 3-4.99 saw four pairs play at Ocean Grove Tennis Club.
“Matches here were close, and everyone enjoying some competitive tennis,” Schoenmaekers said.
Moolap Tennis Club hosted band 5-6.99 with three pairs taking on each other and the weather.
Most matches were close, with Jefferey Bacareza and Abbie Figuracion winning their two best-of-three Fast4 matches.
Paul Bond and Daniel Smith improved on their first match loss (4-1, 4-0) to Bacareza and Figuracion, to push Mick and Riley Kotwic to a third set, but went down 10-6 in the deciding tie-break.
“In general the day was a success, despite the weather,” Schoenmaekers said.
