Solid performances in the final round matches of the Tennis Sydney Badge competition on the weekend see several Sydney University teams into the semi-finals this Saturday.
Four out of the five Sydney University women’s teams have secured semi-final berths after Saturday’s final round matches, with Rouna Daley’s SU4 team taking out the minor premiership convincingly in Grade 2/1 and Fiona Wong’s SU5 team with the bye holding onto fourth spot on the ladder in Grade 2/2.
SU1 women consolidated third spot on the Grade 1/1 ladder with a 4-33 to 4-27 win over Manly 1 at SUSAC. Casey Cross and Benita Milenkiewicz cruised through their four sets, dropping only three games in total, while Rachel and Kirsty Assef had chances on the adjacent court but couldn’t capitalise.
The Grade 1/1 men’s clash against fourth-placed Hills DTA 1 at Manning was a more even affair. Brian Ly and Mike Power split sets with both opposing pairs, while Steve Goh and Tony Tuong won their first two sets before dropping a close tie-breaker in the first set of the reverse rubber. Bad light stopped play with the home side in an unassailable position leading by 4-41 to 3-31. The win locks up second spot on the ladder and guarantees the Usyd boys a home semi-final against Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre 1 next Saturday.
In other men’s grades, a full-strength SU2 men’s side put in one of their best performances of the season at Manning to register a 3-31 to 4-34 draw against Grade 1/2 semi-final contenders Macquarie Uni 1; however, the result will not be enough to stave off relegation for the Usyd boys next season.
Meanwhile, a semi-final spot was up for grabs as SU12 lined up against Strathfield 4 on Manning courts 1 and 2. Sydney Uni’s Tom Boele and Alex Bunting took a while to find their range, dropping their first set 1/6 but then recouped to win the next set 6/4. Nicco Vivarelli and Germano Heinzelmann held firm on the adjacent court to win their first two sets 6/1 6/2. Leading by 3 rubbers to 1 at the change-over, the Usyd pairs shifted up a gear to take the first set in both reverse rubbers and put the match beyond doubt, Usyd eventually claiming fourth place on the Grade 3/2 ladder with a hard-fought 5-39 to 3-33 victory.
