The Irishman Tom McGrath returned to Deniliquin to defend his 2022 Western Riverina Easter Tennis Tourament title and has again claimed the Open Men’s Singles.
McGrath plays for Royal Park Tennis Club in Melbourne.
In the final, McGrath played the number two seed Deagan Tomkins.
The score was 6/3 and 6/3. Both sets were played out in a similar pattern.
McGrath got away with the first two games and Tomkins won the next three to get a lead.
But it was to no avail, as McGrath won the set 6/3. The second played out much the same.
The only local playing with the ‘big boys’ was Riley Hamilton, who fronted after his Friday night footy win for the Rams against Finley.
He was defeated by Luca Cowan, 7/6 and 6/3.
In the B-grade Ladies Singles, past local Jemima Middleton - now playing in Tumbarumba - had a good run winning her first two matches.
But she was eventually defeated by Michelle McKindlay in the final.
In the Open Men’s Doubles, a strong field of 32 played out the championships over three days.
Local Jon Gatacre and Riley Hamilton drew the eventual winners Paul Luke and Tom Pope, and didn't progress past round one.
It was the same for Dom Moore playing with Will Edge.
Eric Moore and Jarrad Brown progressed past their first match, but lost to finalists Chandler and John Zahra.
Rob Wettenhall and partner Matthew Goldsworth took honours in the B-grade Doubles, after a disreupted match.
Wettenhall and Goldsworth had three wins under their belt heading into the match, which was played under lights on Sunday.
They were 5/3 up and on match point when the lights went out, forcing both teams to return to the courts Monday morning to complete the match.
The winners got the point they needed within moments of the match resuming.
In the Open Mixed Doubles Jenny Hogan played with husband Harley Moore but they were defeated by mother and son pairing of Libby Geason and Charlie 6/4 6/1.
In the Open Ladies Doubles, the final was won by Sharyn Frawley and Judy Hooppell.
They defeated Lucinda Cooper and Jemima Middleton 8/4.
Copper was successful in the Open Ladies Singles however, winning against Michelle McKindlay, 8/3.
Dom Moore outlasted the rest of his family to win the B-grade Men’s Singles from a field of 26 players. Dom, the second seed, elimated brother Eric while their father Harley Moore elimated Lewis Toffolo.
Harley was then eliminated by Steve Evans, 8/4.
Undoubtedly the run of the tournament was for Jamie Chadderton in the Men’s C-grade Singles.
Chadderton played four matches on his way to a final against number one seed Felix McKillop.
In his fifth set, Chadderton lost 8/3. He commented after the match, when he had regained his breath, that all the players in the twilight competition should have put themselves forward into the Easter Tournament.
He said they would have had a ‘wow of a time’, as he had.
Tournament manager Dean Irwin said while numbers were restricted by the recent floods and damage to McLean Beach Caravan Park, standards had improved from last year across the range of players.
In the junior tournaments, James Gatacre won 8/4 in the final against Bayden White.
James also paired with Henry Robinson to win the card for the under-14 Boys Doubles from Toby Rae and Keiran Flanagan.
Albert Middleton won the under-16 Boys Singles, 8/2, against Kyden White.
In the under-14s Girls Singles, Mary Middleton won against Caitlyn Foley.