Angus Macdonald and Anthony Leung will join a long list of Mudgee tennis champions after winning the club’s men’s doubles title.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In what was the championship’s return after a hiatus, Macdonald and Leung combined well to defeat Bruce Kurtz and Geoff Gilmore 6-2, 6-0 in the decider.
“We have never really played together. We play in the same division so we have played against each other plenty of times,” Macdonald said of his playing partner.
“So it is very different when you are both on the same side of the net and when you’re under the pressure of being in a final and you have people watching you.”
Kurtz and Gilmore won their first pool match against hot favourites Luke Spencer and Andrew Channon 6-2 6-2 in what was one of the day’s biggest upsets.
The pair then went on to play in the decider but ran into the in-form duo of Macdonald and Leung.
Spencer and Channon redeemed themselves by comfortably winning the Pool B plate competition. Bruce’s brother Ross Kurtz and his teammate Claudio Calzavara won the men’s Pool C plate competition.
In the ladies draw, Rachel Kearins and Sheridan Smith won their final against mother and daughter duo Annie Johnson and Amanda Johnson 6-3 6-5.
The winners of the ladies Pool B plate competition were Heather Cregan and Mary Collins with Karen Callaghan and Melissa Parrotta winning the Pool C plate title.
Both championship pairings will have their names immortalised on the winning trophies as they join a long list of local winners.
Inclement weather forced the postponement of the mixed doubles on Sunday with Macdonald believing it may be a blessing in disguise and will allow more people to play.
The new date is mooted for June 28 however that is subject to change.
“We had a lot of great feedback from the day and some of it was that people were looking forward to playing Sunday but that it was going to be tough after such a big first day,” Macdonald said.
“So I think it will actually help in terms of playing numbers for the mixed doubles, which is a really good chance for that ‘cross-pollination’ in the club.
“But it’s very important to have the club champs back because it brings the whole club together. We had five presidents there on Saturday and kids around two years old to other members who have been there for decades.
“So it was a great opportunity to bring the whole club together, because that’s what makes a strong club.”