It didn’t seem possible with two rounds to go but Kooyong’s men’s and women’s Tennis Victoria Premier League teams have reached the final with stunning performances in the semi finals.
The women were in sterling form when they defeated and injury depleted Grace Park side in the semi final.
Destanee Aiava dominated in both singles and doubles to lead the team to a brilliant win and a chance to go one step better than in 2013. Aiava teamed up with Molly Polak in the doubles and they dominated from the outset against Nives Baric and Danielle McIntyre 6/0 6/0 to get the Kooyong side off to the perfect start.
The second doubles rubber was extremely close as both pairs dominated for parts of the match. Annabelle Andrinopoulos and Kate Antosik started slowly against Karolina Wlodarczak and Michelle Pits and lost the first set 6/4 but they started to pick things up in the second set and levelled the match at a set apiece when they won the set 6/4. The match tiebreaker was all Grace Park as Wlodarczak and Pits again lifted and they were able to win a vital rubber for the visiting team.
Aiava and Polak then stepped out to play their singles matches against Baric and McIntyre respectively and it was all Kooyong as they both dominated their matches to setup the win. Aiava won her singles 6/2 6/1 while Polak took one extra game to win 6/2 6/2 to end the contest and send the team through to the final.
The men’s match was another fantastic performance by a Kooyong side missing several stars as they asserted their authority early.
Daniel Byrnes and Andrew Coelho were always going to be tough to handle for any pair, even a Waverley pair that had been dominant throughout the regular season, and they showed their class against Aaron Leeder-Chard and Daniel Feretti. The first set was extremely tight and it took a tiebreaker to separate the teams and it was Byrnes and Coelho who came out on top and from there it was all Kooyong as they ran away with the rubber 7/6 6/0.
The second doubles saw David Bidmeade pair up with Matthew Nickels against the NSW pair of Jason and Adam Taylor and things didn’t start to plan as Taylor and Taylor dominated the first set to win it 6/2. Bidmeade and Nickels started to work their way into the match in the second set but it was tight throughout and it was a tiebreaker that decided it. Luckily the Kooyong pair was able to get over the line and sent it to a match tiebreaker to decide the rubber. It was another close contest as both teams looked for the crucial rubber but it was Bidmeade and Nickels who held their nerve to get the win 2/6 7/6 10/8 to go up two rubbers to nil.
Daniel Byrnes then flew out of the blocks in his singles rubber against Aaron Leeder-Chard and never looked in doubt as he won in straight sets 6/3 6/4 to put Kooyong within a whisker of making the final and when Coelho and Ricky Robertson won the first set in their singles matches it was enough to end the contest with Kooyong holding an unassailable seven set advantage and they now have the chance to defend their title.
Both teams now move on to play in the final on April 13th at 1pm to be held at Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club.
The men will tackle a very talented Grace Park team while the women will take on an a young and exciting side from MCC. Both finals should provide a great spectacle.
