2 October 2007
In an amazing week for Sydney University Tennis, the men's Blackwell Cup team successfully defended their NSW Hardcourt Tennis Association Slazenger Inter-District Blackwell Cup title on Sunday, 23 September, before jetting off to the Gold Coast to take part in an historic triple-crown victory at the Australian University Games.
After a rain-interrupted season this year, University went one better than their 2006 open men's Inter-District triumph in taking out the competition minor premiership by the slenderest of margins.
Following a comprehensive 8-61 to 4-44 semi-final victory over Picton at Cintra Park on the previous Sunday, the Blackwell Cup boys stunned the challengers from Bulli on finals day at Leumeah, winning 7-45 to 1-15.
The opening three singles matches on the Alf Ward Memorial Centre Court were typically one-sided affairs, with Jason Wright lining up in the first rubber at No. 4, winning 6-3 6-1 against rising Bulli junior Blake Mott.
At No. 2, Dan Davies won comfortably 6-2 6-0 against Matt DeClouett, while Adrian Somerville took out the No. 1 singles against Greg Westwood by a similar straight sets margin.
Tom Stevens wrapped up the tie by taking out a match-winning seventh set convincingly 6-0 after dropping the first set of his rubber 3-6.
Davies, Somerville and Stevens went through the season undefeated in singles matches, as did Henry Mortlock and team captain Rob Jackson in round matches played. Also making strong contributions during the rounds were Nick Crisci, Michael Hayes, Daniel Palise, Sachin Shrestha, Matt Tink and James Yeung.
With Blackwell Cup silverware firmly in hand, the Inter-District boys headed off to Surfers Paradise to take their places in the Sydney University Australian University Games team, where the men were vying for their fourth title in succession.
Due to the depth of talent enjoyed by the club at present, Sydney University - for the first time - fielded two men's teams alongside a women's team even stronger than their 2006 second-placing line-up.
Convincing wins in all of their round matches saw the Women's team and Men's No.1 team at the top of their respective pools by the quarter-finals stage of the competition. The Men's No.2 team finished second in their pool of Men's Division 2, having suffered a 2-3 loss to the University of Queensland in a Day 2 round match which went right down to the wire culminating in a marathon tie-breaker defeat in the No.1 Doubles.
After all three teams won their quarter-finals and semi-finals convincingly on Day 4, the scene was set for a thrilling afternoon of finals play-offs on Friday. The Women's team took to the courts first on the Miami Grass and were dominant against the Australian College of Physical Education, winning the three singles rubbers in style to take out the title.
At No 1, Melissa Anderson held firm to defeat the ACPE No.1 9-5, while Bianca Chidrawi made quick work of her opponent in the No.2 singles to win without losing a game.
Lauren Russell was solid at No. 3, winning 9-3 to nail the victory.
Anderson and Chidrawi finished the week undefeated in both singles and doubles matches, and were ably supported by Victoria Forsdick, Erin Myers, Russell and Sasha Uher in the round matches.
Meanwhile, at the adjacent Gold Coast Veterans complex, both the Men's matches were developing into monumental dogfights. The Men's No. 2 team took to the courts against arch-nemeses UQ, who fielded a side strengthened by the inclusion of their regular No. 1 player.
However, as with his round match substitute, he proved no match for SU's Henry Mortlock, who continued his undefeated run in the competition in taking out the No.1 singles 9-5. At No. 2, Willard Hui also kept his unbeaten record intact in a close 9-7 win, while the UQ No. 3 was too strong for SU's Daniel Palise in a 5-9 scoreline.
Palise teamed up with Sachin Shrestha in the No. 2 doubles, but after another tight contest the UQ pair took out the rubber by a similar margin. The No. 1 doubles was a see-sawing affair as both pairs swapped service breaks. Mortlock and Hui eventually gained the ascendancy and closed out the set 9-6 to take the gold. Uni's No. 5, Ollie Williams, provided valuable playing support during the competition rounds.
The victorious players from the Women's team and Men's No, 2 team then took up seats on the sidelines alongside Tom Stevens and James Yeung of the Men's No. 1 team to support the team's quest for a monumental fourth straight championship pennant.
At No. 1 singles, SU's AUG Team Manager Adrian Somerville fought hard as ever despite being hampered by a hip flexor injury, eventually losing 6-9 to his in-form Monash opponent.
Dan Davies was as always untroubled at No. 2, taking out the rubber 9-3 to keep a three-year winning streak intact. The No. 3 singles saw Cumbo fresher Matt Tink take to the court after team-mate Tom Stevens was ruled out following a frustrating arm injury incurred on Day 1. Playing the match of his life, Tink's diminutive Monash opponent came back from 1-5 down in the tie-break to snare the set.
Down 1-2 in the match, SU were now set the task of winning both doubles rubbers, a position they had never before found themselves in, in order to retain the coveted title.
A tactical 11th-hour change to the pairings saw Davies and Wright gradually wear down their Monash opponents in the No. 2 doubles, while in the No. 1 match-up, Somerville and Tink lost serve, broke back to be even at 5-5, then lost serve again to be down 8-6.
Defeat looming at the brink, Tink and his captain stepped up a gear and again broke the Monash No. 1's serve to set up an emotional and historic tie-break victory and fourth consecutive national title pennant.
As well as sweeping the tennis gold medals, SU picked up five Green and Gold Tennis places at the games: Melissa Anderson, Bianca Chidrawi, Dan Davies, Henry Mortlock and Adrian Somerville.
