Tenterden Tennis Club go on unbeaten run to win Lower Great Southern Tennis Association’s Interclub Challenge

A clinical Tenterden Tennis Club finished undefeated to clinch bragging rights over their regional counterparts at the 2024 Lower Great Southern Tennis Association’s Interclub Challenge last month. The annual event, which was held at Emu Point Sporting Club on April 28, draws tennis clubs from across the region to square off in a round-robin tournament to end the tennis season. After being locked at 2-2 with eventual runners-up Albany Tennis Club, Tenterden edged out their determined opponents to win on games countback 20-16 — a victory which would ultimately mark them as champions. They started strong with 4-0 victories over Bremer Bay Tennis Club and OnCourt Tennis before clinching thrillers against Emu Point Sporting Club and Albany. Tenterden also escaped with a narrow victory over Kendenup after drawing with them 2-2, but emerging victorious with a nail-biting 17-16 on games countback. Tenterden won a remarkable 20 sets and 131 games across their six matches, while dropping only 59 games. Albany settled for second place after clinching a narrow countback win 17-12 over third-placed Emu Point in their round three match-up. The event was highlighted by a strong contingent of players from Albany’s young tennis program OnCourt, who made their first appearance in the tournament and perhaps scored the most satisfying win of the day. Competing against adults, the youngsters lost their first five matches before clinching a sensational 2-2 (18-16) victory in the final round of the tournament against Denmark. Second-placed Albany clinched 18 sets through their five victories with 122 triumphant games, dropping 78, while Emu Point finished third with four wins and claiming 14 sets. After taking out three wins, Kendenup were fourth with 11 sets claiming 90 games and losing 103 and Denmark finished fifth managing to win just one match, nine sets and 77 games while losing 111. Bremer Bay claimed the sixth spot owning one win from their seven victorious sets while giving up 122 games. LGSTA president Les Bairstow said the tournament was contested in high spirits and the addition of the OnCourt tennis players was promising for the growth of the sport in the region. “It was great to get all our clubs together at one venue to contest our end-of-season event in its new format,” he said. “I was really pleased to welcome Denmark and Bremer Bay back to the event and fantastic to have a team of our up-and-coming juniors from Oncourt Tennis playing as well.”