13 February 2024 | Tennis West

Teams battled the heat this weekend with only four of the six fixtures going ahead due to extreme heat.

 

WOMEN’S 

Hensman Park defeated Alexander Park 5-1 

Hensman Park continued their hot start to 2024 with back-to-back wins at home under lights on Friday night. This fixture was the only fixture from the Women’s State League to go ahead. The end scoreline didn’t reflect how close the match was with two rubbers going down to third set tie-breaks.

Alexander Park’s Peyton Duckett started things off well for the away side, defeating Hensman Park’s Anja Dokic in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Hensman Park’s Ella Nurkic had to come back from a set down to win the match tie-break 11-9 against Madeleine Watson. Alfee Stevens (Hensman Park) was also challenged against Sheridan Currie (Alexander Park). Stevens came from a set down to win the second set and then went on to win the match tiebreaker 10-1. The fourth rubber was a battle of the young guns with Karin Hiramatsu edging out Claudia Shearwood 6-3, 6-1. The win was Hiramatsu’s first State League win.

In the doubles fixtures, Hensman Park showed why they were the standout team in doubles matches, winning both rubbers in straight sets to make the result 5-1. Hensman Park has dropped just three doubles matches this season and won 13.

 

Applecross v Dalkeith – No result 

Heat rule applied, both teams receive 8 points (draw)

 

Royal Kings Park v Peppermint Grove – No result 

Heat rule applied, both teams receive 8 points (draw)

 

MEN’S 

Cottesloe defeated Blue Gum Park 4-2 

Cottesloe continued to hold onto top spot on the Men’s State League ladder after a win against Blue Gum Park.

The home side challenged ladder leaders Cottesloe with the singles rubbers at two rubbers a piece. For Cottesloe, Scott Webster downed Ethan Cook in straight sets while Cam Burton returned to the side, coming from a set down to defeat Nathan Schupelius. The strength of the youth of Blue Gum Park showed in the two other rubbers with up-and-coming players Jay Fairclough and Brendan Jayaprakash defeating Ethan Dunn and Adam Kehane in straight sets.

Cottesloe would prove to be too strong in the doubles with Ben joining older brother Scott Webster to overcome a fast finishing Cook and Fairclough. The Webster’s won the first set in a tie-break and went down in the second before holding their nerve to win the match tie-break 10-6. In the second doubles tie, Cottesloe’s Dunn and Kehane defeated Schupelius and Jayaprakash 7-6, 6-4.

 

Peppermint Grove defeated UWA 4-2 

In a match that followed the same scoreline as the Cottesloe v Blue Gum Park fixture, Peppermint Grove ran away victors with two big wins in the doubles rubbers to keep them in the top two.

Peppermint Grove’s Jayden Court returned for his third match of the season and defeated UWA’s Tim Gray 6-4, 6-3. UWA’s Hans Bustiman tied the scoreline up with a straight sets win over Jake Robinson while Luca Katsamakis defeated Georgie Perez 7-5, 6-3. Peppermint Grove’s Sam Chapman prevailed over Adityavikram Mann.

Peppermint Grove would prove too strong for the visiting side, however, were challenged with Court and Chapman winning in straight sets but having to win a first set tie-break against Gray and Mann. In the second doubles rubber, Robinson and Slater edged past Katsamakis and Bustiman winning two tie-breaks 7-6, 7-6.

 

Alexander Park defeated Mt Lawley/Sorrento 4-2 

Alexander Park kept their chances of a top two finish alive with a win over Mt Lawley/Sorrento at home under lights.

The No.1 and No. 2 pair of Scott Jones and Ashwin Sharma delivered convincing wins for Alexander Park, while Evan Manso continued the home team’s form with a strong 6-4, 7-5 win over Kevin Herbert. Mt Lawley/Sorrento’s Josh Carter won his fixture against Daniel Downey 7-6, 6-2.

In the doubles, Alexander Park only needed one win to claim the fixture and did so through Jones and Sharma defeating Ambler and Carter in straight sets 6-4, 6-0.