Recently a squad of the region’s best juniors travelled to Horsham to compete in the annual Pat Cash Cup, a regional teams event encompassing both metro and country associations across four different age brackets.
The event consisted of six sets in each age group – two boys singles, two girls singles and two mixed doubles for 12 and under, 14 and under, 1 and under and 18 and under.
The initial format was first to six game sets, but these were reduced to four games when the venue was hit with rain, resulting in a five-and-a-half hour delay.
With 13 regions competing, teams were split into three pools, with Barwon drawn in Pool C. The team started well in their first match against PTA/MPR Blue with Lachie Rae and Emily Carr winning their completed singles in 12 and under and in nine of the incomplete singles matches Barwon were ahead. After the rain, Barwon continued as they started, winning five of the eight mixed matches.
The second match on Saturday for Barwon didn’t go as well as the team would have liked, with Waverley taking a convincing win 22 sets to two.
Hazel Kadera (14 and under singles) and Gus Maibaum and Jess Lee (16 and under mixed) were the winners of the two sets.
Unfortunately things didn’t improve for the team when they faced North Suburban Junior TA in the third round. Tano-Li Quach and Georgia Carr (16 and under mixed) and Lily Duff (18 and under singles) managed to win their sets, but NSJTA showed good form taking the balance of the match.
In the final pool match against Goulburn, Barwon improved their fortunes, particularly in the boys singles with Lachie Rae and Zane Ryan (12 and under), Oliver White (14 and under), Gus Maibaum (16 and under) and Rhys McNabb winning their matches. Lily Duff (8 and under) also won both her matches, teaming with Jack Remilton in the mixed, but the team went down 17 sets to seven.
The team finished ninth overall after the pool rounds, and after a close win over Wimmera in the play-off, that was the team’s final placement. It was a good team effort in the 13-11 victory, with almost every player winning a set.
The overall winners were Bayside TA, followed by Eastern Region TA and Waverley TA. Most of the team was part of the January Interregional Country Championships, and were happy to be playing with these team mates again.
Comments were made through the weekend about the encouragement and teamwork from team mates and supporters, playing mini tennis after matches were finished, playing with different mixed partners and
against tough opponents.
