WA players have continued to prove their dominance on the national stage, with West Australian young guns Taylah Preston and Zach Viiala claiming the 14/U Singles titles at the Australian Grasscourt Championships hosted by Cottesloe Tennis Club last week.
Preston played an impeccable tournament as the country’s top ranked Australian female (2005 birth year) and number one seed; dropping just one set in the Final to claim the eventual victory over Queensland’s Zara Larke 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.
Viiala had an equally impressive tournament as the country’s top ranked Australian male (2005 birth year), claiming the Singles title 6-3, 6-3 over fellow West Australian James Newton.
Furthering WA’s dominance at the National Championships, Preston teamed with compatriot Jessie Culley to claim the 14/U Australian Grasscourt Doubles Title; the duos third consecutive title having claimed back to back wins at the South Australian Junior International and Adelaide Junior International events.
Impressively, WA performed well in doubles matches across the championships with Viiala and fellow West Australian Alexander Despoja finishing as Finalists in the 14/U boys event, whilst Jake Dembo and Gautham Santhosh (QLD) also finished as Finalists in the 12/U boys draw.
Yuvna G Dass also finished as a Semi-finalist in the girls 12/U doubles event alongside Gaby Gregg of NSW.
Other notable West Australian achievements included a Quarterfinals appearance for both Scott Black and Jake Dembo in the 12/U Boys Singles draw alongside a Quarterfinals showdown for Rhea Makesar and Semifinals appearance for Lily Fairclough in the 14/U girl’s event.
WA was well represented at the 12/U and 14/U Grasscourt Championships with 18 local players stepping on court alongside the top ranked players across the nation from each respective age group.
Tennis West Manager of Competitions and Tournaments Mrs Loretta Hughes says the tournament was a wonderful week of tennis for everyone involved.
“Hosting the Australian Grasscourts Championships at Cottesloe was a fantastic opportunity to witness some of the country’s most promising young players hit the courts right here in WA,”
“The week certainly didn’t disappoint with high level matches on display throughout the championships,”
“It’s not often our players have the opportunity to play such prestigious competitions at home, and the results clearly speak for themselves,”
“Claiming three national titles in the girls 14/U Singles, boys 14/U Singles, in addition to the girls 14/U Doubles titles further cements WA’s position as a powerhouse for some of the country’s most exciting junior talent,” said Hughes.
The Australian Grasscourt Championships are one of just three National Championship competitions available to the country’s rising stars.
For a full wrap up of results follow here: https://bit.ly/2p05CQU
Latest
WA