HEADLINE acts Matt Hicks and Carolyn McGann ensured Barwon retained its status for the best country tennis in the state.
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Barwon captured a seventh-straight Tennis Victoria Inter-Regional Championship title, setting a record reign after its dominance at Creswick this weekend.
Hicks and McGann successfully defended their open singles finals on Sunday morning to put Barwon in prime position to polish off the overall title at Mount Prospect.
McGann is now a six-time Inter-Regional singles winner.
She was pushed all the way for her latest title by Loddon’s Jessica Hartland, 7-5 7-6, in a match lasting two hours and nine minutes.
Hicks, who captured his third Inter-Regional title, made seemingly lighter work of South-West’s Matt Moloney to win 6-1 6-3.
They teamed up in the mixed doubles to defeat fellow Barwon combination Adam Lasky and Kelly Brunga – who they separately teamed up with to win the men’s and women’s doubles for a Barwon clean sweep in the open division.
Central Highlands’ top performer was Ashleigh Joliffe who, seeded number three, upset Barwon’s top seeded Nicole Mullen in three sets for the women’s 22-and-under crown, 7-5 4-6 10-8.
Goulburn finished second in overall performance but it was Northern Mallee, based in Swan Hill and Mildura, that earned the Cooke Shield for the most improved region by doubling their performance points on last summer.
Overnight rain forced Tennis Victoria organisers to move all singles finals to hard courts on Sunday morning to ensure the championships kept on program.
Heat policy was enacted to suspended play on Friday afternoon while storms and the threat of lightning cut play short on Saturday afternoon.
Tennis Victoria tournaments manager Andrew Reynolds said all players and officials had been willing to accommodate.
“We had to play reduced formats and play catch-up games and (everyone) was really accommodating. Tennis Victoria took that as a real win for those conditions,” Reynolds said.
This is the second year of a two-year deal for Central Highlands hosting the championships, with Tennis Victoria to name its next host venue in May.
The tournament moves through different regions but last year marked the Inter-Regionals’ return to the Central Highlands for the first time in 35 years.
Reynolds said Tennis Victoria was thrilled with the partnerships it had built with Central Highlands tennis and host venue Mount Prospect Tennis Association.
About 260 players representing the 11 country Victoria regions contested the championships in age divisions from 12/under to 60-plus.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
RESULTS
DAY 3 – SUNDAY
SINGLES: OPEN WOMEN
Carolyn McGann [1] d Jessica Hartland [3] 7-5 7-6 (2hrs, 9mins)
OPEN MEN
Matt Hicks [1] d Matt Moloney [5] 6-1 6-3 (1hr, 34mins)
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
Barwon (Carolyn McGann/Kelly Brunga) [1] d Loddon (Jessica Hartland/Heather Robbins) 8-3
MEN’S DOUBLES
Barwon (Adam Lasky/Matt Hicks) [1] d East Gippsland (Matthew Allman/Aiden Fitzgerald) 6-5(4)
MIXED DOUBLES
Barwon (Matt Hicks/Carolyn McGann) [1] d Barwon (Adam Lasky/Kelly Brunga) [2] 6-5(5)
DAY 2 – SATURDAY
SEMI-FINALS: OPEN MEN
Matt Hicks d Luke Dixon 6-3 7-6 (129 minutes)
Matt Moloney d Aidan Fitzgerald 6-4 1-6 10-8 (96 minutes)
OPEN WOMEN
Carolyn McGann d Brooke Starling 4-6 6-1 11-9 (101 minutes)
Jessica Hartland d Sophie Vickers 7-6 6-1 (123 minutes)
QUARTER-FINALS
SINGLES: OPEN MEN
Matt Hicks (1) d Daniel Gardner 7-6 6-2 (55 minutes)
Luke Dixon (6) d Mitch Allman 6-1 6-0 (91 minutes)
Aidan Fitzgerald (4) d Brett Kelly 6-2 6-2 (61 mninutes)
Matt Moloney (5) d Adam Lasky (2) 6-2 7-6 (78 minutes)
OPEN WOMEN
Carolyn McGann (1) d Nicole Smith 6-1 6-3 (64 minutes)
Brooke Starling (4) d Sarah Lay 6-4 6-2 (92 minutes)
Jessica Hartland (3) d Helene Steward 7-5 6-4 (95 minutes)
Sophie Vickers d Emma Hall (2) 6-2 6-2 (72 minutes)