ROYAL Kings Park (RKPTC) and Hensman Park tennis clubs have won the 2019 women’s and men’s State League competitions respectively.
In the women’s final, minor premiers and crowd favourites Cottesloe hosted RKPTC with Lexie Weir delivering the first rubber for Cottesloe after a two and a half hour, three-set battle over Janelle Cuthbertson 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
Five mins later, RKPTC junior Shanelle Iaconi had struck back with a similar 6-0, 6-7, 7-5 epic and both teams were locked and stayed that way all day.
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READ NOWThe major upset of the day was a stirring win by RKPTC’s Jelena Stojanovic 6-3, 6-4 over Cottesloe champion Alicia Molik.
However, Cottesloe were not done and Lauren Nikoloski’s straight sets 7-6, 6-4 win over Nina Catovic levelled the tie two rubbers, five sets all with RKPTC ahead on games.
The match was busted wide open with a decisive doubles win by RKPTC’s Bojana Bobusic and Janelle Cuthbertson 6-1, 6-2 over Natasha Camer-Pesci and Ruby Culley and RKPTC had an unassailable lead on games to capture thrilling back to back league wins.
Bobusic, who has struggled with a foot injury all season, was ecstatic after the win.
“I haven’t been able to play singles but I trusted that our team was strong enough in the singles line-up to get us in front,” she said.
“Overall it was just a great team effort from everyone on the day.”
In a heart breaking mirror finish to the men’s final, the Dalkeith Tennis Club (DTC) hosted Hensman Park at home and got away to a great start with convincing wins by Tristan Schoolkate 6-4. 6-3 over Hensman’s Zach Itzstein in a high-quality match and Dylan McCloskey continued his winning form with a thumping win over Brendan Malarkey 6-3, 6-1.
Dalkeith was two rubbers up and ahead on games in front of a supportive crowd.
In the much anticipated match, Brydan Klein defeated a travel weary Tom Fancutt 6-3, 6-4 and a win by Vuk Velickovic 6-0, 6-4 over DTC’s Ollie Henderson had the match locked at two rubbers, four sets, 35 games apiece.
In the deciding doubles, Velickovic teamed with Klein to play a brilliant match against DTC’s Fancutt and McCloskey to deliver Hensman a 6-2, 6-2 lead to snatch a win against the minor premiers.