The men’s and women’s interclub competition resumed at the weekend.
For both competitions, a round robin format will be used, with playoffs at the end. Each team has three players with two singles and two doubles played in each tie.
On the men’s side, five teams — Balmacewen 1, Balmacewen 2, Taieri, Andersons Bay Campbell and Andersons Bay Smith — will jostle for the title.
In the opening round, Balmacewen 2 played Taieri.
Alby Hailes (Balmacewen 2) continued his unbeaten streak from last year at top singles as he took down Charlie Byers 6-1, 6-2.
He then teamed up with Matt Nolan to beat Byers and Connor Morrison 6-3, 6-1.
Taieri pulled back the No 2 doubles as Bilal Ahmad and Morrison won a closely contested match against Max Gaffaney and Nolan 6-4, 7-6.
The match of the day came at No 2 singles, with Ahmad withstanding a late charge from Gaffaney, winning 6-2, 1-6, 10-7.
Crucially, the set from Gaffaney gave Balmacewen 2 a 2-2 countback win.
The other tie was a local derby between Andy Bay Campbell and Andy Bay Smith.
At top singles, Sasha Milentijevic-Vague (Andy Bay Smith) sent a message to the competition as he beat Sergey Sanin 6-0, 6-1.
Andy Bay Campbell got one back at bottom doubles as the veteran pair of Jeff Elliotte and Andrew Coe showed their experience against Rafferty McIntosh and Marshal McChlery, winning 5-7, 6-0, 10-4.
McIntosh then sealed the win for Andy Bay Smith as he beat Coe 6-2, 6-1.
On the women’s side, four teams are vying for the championship: Andy Bay Dolphins, Andy Bay Sharks, Balmacewen and Mornington/Roslyn.
Andy Bay Dolphins got off to a great start as the team of Aminah Ahmad, Heike Cebulla and Simone Hart were too strong for Balmacewen’s Ella Richardson, Tessa Richardson and Billie Fraser, winning all four matches.
In the other tie, between Mornington and Andy Bay Sharks, the top singles featured Erin O’Neill finishing strongly to beat Jenna Bowie 6-7(4), 6-3, 10-0.
Andy Bay Sharks then pulled one back at bottom doubles as Mackenzie Phillips and Jordyn Phillips won in straight sets over Amelia McKeown and Amelia Homes.
Carrying the momentum, Jordyn Phillips sealed the tie for Andy Bay Sharks with a clinical 6-2, 6-0 win over McKeown.
By Paddy Ou
