Inverloch Tennis Club crowns winners

INVERLOCH Tennis Club’s (ITC) 2022 Open Club championships kicked off recently with a great turnout of 24 members participating in the men’s and women’s singles events. 

The winners were as follows:

The men’s winner was Ben Clements, runner-up was Sam Robson and consolation winner was Brendan Hislop.

The women’s Winner - Penny Galbraith, Runner-up - Alexis Van Oss and consolation winner Sharon Clements.

The club would like to give their thanks to Matt Leffler for organising tournament. 

Also, back on December 21, with a hint of not-too-distant sleigh bells whispering through the trees of Thompsons reserve, the ITC held the grand-final of their latest night doubles competition.

Arriving at the climax of the season was Ben Morgan’s team 12 (Ben Morgan, Wes Morgan, Anita McMillan and Penny Gailbraith) and Connor Sim’s team five (Conner Sim, Zack Thorrowgood, Luke Haustorfer and Alex Prins).

The two teams were underpinned by players returning to the game from absences of 20 and 15 years respectively (Prins and the fleet-footed Gailbraith). 

Both had spent the season regaining the form of their younger years, promising a close contest over the four sets, played out to eight games.

And so it proved to be, with Ben Morgan and his son Wes prevailing 8-4 over the young combination of Sim and Thorrowgood, who had been steadily reeled in, and then surpassed, after a lightning start. 

But on the other court the much-anticipated battle of the competition’s dominant three and four combinations proved to be the epitome of the score not reflecting the play.

Haustorfer and Prins managing to slip away from a hard-fought early contest before Haustorfer was obliged to serve out a marathon final game to take a lopsided set, 8-2.

So, all was to play for in the final sets, with only two games separating the contestants. 

But things soon looked ominous for team 12 as Thorrowgood’s first serve started to come on song, supported by Prins’ fast improving net game. 

Morgan and Galbraith were not so easily finished off, however, their fine play threatening a late comeback before Thorrowgood and Prins managed to close it out with an 8-4 win.

While on the other court the lead see-sawed to 5-5 before Sim and Haustorfer settled to the task at hand, prevailing 8-5. 

The final score saw Team five (3 sets, 28 games) defeating team 12 (1 set, 19 games), taking out the coveted coffee mugs in a contest that was far tighter than the scoreboard might suggest. 

Congratulations the winners and runners up. 

The next season commences in February 2023, and the club is looking to grow this much - enjoyed competition by recruiting former players, along with beginners and regular players new to the district. 

Please contact the club on 0418 583 090 if you are interested in signing up for a place on a regular team, or for the fill-in list.