BLUE Gum Park Tennis Club has failed to defend its women’s State League Title, losing to Cottesloe in a thrilling match decided by just one set on Saturday.
Former world number 8 Alicia Molik defeated a gallant Katy O’Shea in the final singles rubber to win the tie for Cottesloe.
O’Shea capitalised on her home-side support to explode out of the blocks, leading 4-1, then 5-2 in the first set before Molik secured the first set in a tiebreak and the second set 6-1.
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READ NOWIn the other singles matches, Cottesloe’s Teiwa Casey won the first rubber of the day, with a three-set win over Marisa Gianotti 3-6, 6-3, 4-6.
Blue Gum Park captain Sheridan Currie defeated Lexie Weir 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 and Madelaine Muller-Hughes defeated Cottesloe captain Brenda Plint in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.
The teams then headed into the doubles tied on both rubbers and sets, leaving only one game to separate them.
Charlotte Connon and Muller-Hughes teamed up for Blue Gum Park to defeat Plint and Weir in a match that was decided by a third set tie-break 3-6, 6-4, 10-5.
With the first doubles match still in progress on the next court, Blue Gum’s O’Shea and Currie took on the formidable duo of Molik and Casey.
The Cottesloe pair built on their winning singles form to take the match 6-3, 6-4.
The straight-sets win meant Cottesloe to secured the final by just one set and four games, winning 3-8-75 to Blue Gum Park’s 3-7-71.