Tennis Victoria’s Associations Junior Pennant (AJP) had an unusual end to the season this week, with several finals washed out for a second time.
The competition, which runs on Sundays starting in September, gives juniors within various associations the chance to play against each other in various age groups, and eight associations were represented.
Tennis Geelong had seven teams participate this year across all age groups, with four boys teams and three girls.
In the Boys, there were two 14 and under teams, one in 14D, who finished fifth, and 14B, who had close results against both finalists, Waverley and NSJTA (1), finishing in third.
There were also two teams competing in Open grades, one in Pool A and Pool C. Open A saw a number of players from last year’s Section B team take the step up, and after a slow start facing the eventual finalists in the first two rounds, found their feet and had a competitive remainder of the season, finishing sixth. Open C fared better in what was one of the closest results at the end of home and away, with only two points separating first from third.
Tennis Geelong finished second and faced off against Eastern Region Tennis (ERT) in darkening skies at North Ringwood. The teams had posted a win each against the other during home and away, so the team of Josh Severin-Harvey, Tom Smith, Max Harbison, Louis Smith, Oliver Mitrevski and Luca Kara, were hoping match ups would be in their favour.
ERT started well and managed to win all four singles, before Smith and Kara put Tennis Geelong on the board winning the second doubles 9-7. ERT took the remaining doubles before the skies opened with Tennis Geelong runners-up.
Tennis Geelong fielded teams in Girls 12 and under, 14 and under and Open, and the teams had mixed results. Open B were competitive through the season with several wins, finishing fourth. 14A had a tough season, struggling to fill the team at times, finishing seventh in their grade. 12B was a section of six with all teams registering wins through the season, with the girls finishing second after home and away.
The team of Elsa Grgic, Lexi Miller, Esther White and Zara Wilson were set to play Berwick and District (BDTA), over whom the team had had a narrow win four weeks before. Grgic and Miller started their singles matches and had both won the first set of their rubber and were part way through the second set when the rain started to pour at Doveton with the match eventually abandoned and rescheduled for the following week.
The girls were back at Doveton on Sunday, but with the weather against them again, play couldn’t continue, so the match was awarded to the minor premiers, BDTA.
