18 November 2024 | Tennis Tasmania

More than 100 combatants took to the tennis courts of Launceston on Saturday in the fifth annual North v North West Challenge. The North had a narrow win, four divisions to three, narrowly continuing the unbroken success of home teams. Matches were shared between Tennis World and the Newstead Tennis and Squash Centre. Junior boys and junior girls carried the North, with 16 sets to 2 sets and 14-4 wins, respectively.

 

Tennis North event co-ordinator Ben Holden said the sportsmanship and respectful nature of the juniors was “the highlight of the day for me”.

“Even though the junior result looked lopsided it was great quality tennis with a lot of tiebreakers.”

 

The elite division went to the North, 11-10. Campbell Young was particularly dominant as the North’s top seed, beating Balin Russell 9-1 and Rayden Cresswell 9-1. He teamed with Doug Sheppard, who also won both his singles, to beat the North-West’s Russell and Cresswell, 6-2 in the doubles.

A grade’s Laughlin Noble and Dave Glasson won their three matches as the North held sway 12 matches to 8.

In Ladies, where the North has dominated in previous years, there were six tiebreakers and the North-West won them all to take the division 14-2.

In the over-45s, Burnie Tennis Club coach Grant O’Callaghan’s doubles matches were a procession, where he won 6-0, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 in his four outings. North v North-West Challenge organiser Shaun Summers was also formidable as the NW won the division, 11-5. Legana’s Tim Wedlock and late call-up Jonno Sullivan flew the flag for the North.

In the 60+, Rod Smith and Dennis Harding were the best players for the North and the North-West’s Mick Parker and Gray Hiller produced enough quality tennis to ice the division, 9-7.

Other divisions had finished but the juniors were still playing when the North-West led 3-2 and looked to have achieved the away win but the junior girls and juniors boys brought the North home.

 

Competitors voted for player of the day in the opposition teams, based on their sportsmanship and results. The players of the day in each division were:

Elite (N 11 matches to 10): Doug Sheppard (N), Martin Crawford (NW).

A grade (N 12-8): Laughlin Noble (N), Myles Martin (NW).

Ladies (NW 14-2): Simone Morton (N), Paige Jacobsen (NW).

45+ (NW 11-5): Jonno Sullivan (N), Ant Maierhofler (NW).

60+ (NW 9-7): Dennis Harding (N), Mick Parker (NW).

Junior boys (N 16-2): Wilfred McKibben (N), Chanudha Nandasiri (NW).

Junior girls (N 14-4): Mary-Lee Mathys (N), Lacey Weinert (NW).

Written by David Scott.