ON the fourth day of the Maffra Lawn Tennis Club’s 97th Easter Tournament, four major finals were decided in intense super tiebreakers.
The prestigious President’s Cup singles events were taken out by Traralgon’s David Hough and Kooyong’s Ksenija Varesanovic, whom their competitors challenged to the end.
In the women’s singles, Varesanovic, who came into the tournament as the second seed, cruised into the final after defeating Traralgon’s Brooke Marshall in straight sets during the semi-final.
However, coming up against Sale’s Jess Board – a player with a lot of match play and a successful 2023/24 Summer Pennant season under her belt – meant Varesanovic had a fight on her hands.
The No. 2 seed took the first set 6-4, but Board fought back to take the second 6-4. As the scoreline sat at a set apiece, it became clear how evenly matched the players were.
It was hard to separate the two – both possessing powerful groundstrokes and dangerous service games.
Finishing in just under two hours, Varesanovic triumphed 10-7 in a nail-biting super tiebreaker.
THE men’s singles match between Hough and Sam Young-Mathers, which lasted two hours and 20 minutes, was an Easter feast for spectators.
Hough is a veteran of the President’s Cup, having first made an appearance in 2011.
With a player profile that includes playing in San Diego State University’s tennis program in California and securing three President’s Cup titles (2015, ’16, ’21) already, whenever Hough’s name appears on the entries list, he is expected to make a run deep in the tournament.
Given his historic rivalry with Maffra’s Mitch Allman, spectators would have anticipated a potential rematch of last year’s final, when Allman got the best of Hough.
However, Allman’s finals hopes were dashed by young gun Sam Young-Mathers in the quarterfinals – a lengthy match decided in a third set 6-4, 3-6, 10-6.
Young-Mathers, debuting in this year’s Maffra Easter Tournament, was a dark horse.
However, the Mt Martha local had confidence and firepower: his line-chasing backhand combined with his quick agility made for a damaging combination.
Nonetheless, Young-Mathers birthday wish (which he celebrated on Monday) for a finals win did not come true.
Hough, the No. 4 seed, took out the first set 6-3, before Young-Mathers held his own to win the second set tiebreaker. But Hough got the best of the youngster in the super tiebreaker 10-5 to win his fourth President’s Cup.
Hough has joined an exclusive club of Easter Tournament legends to have won three or more President’s Cup singles titles, including Allman. Players must win at least three singles championships to receive the time-honoured Maffra Lawn Tennis Club green jacket.
The day’s third match that went the distance was the highly anticipated Open Men’s Double final.
Allman stepped onto the centre court with doubles partner Daniel Stormon. The pair are well-acquainted on the tennis court after playing two seasons for Narre Warren North Tennis Club in the Tennis Victoria Pennant – they were part of a Grade 1 winning team last year.
They faced Hugh Callaghan and Matthew Pocklington, who got off to a great start by taking the first set 6-4.
Callaghan executed every shot with seamless precision. His picture-perfect technique looked effortless from the slice backhand, a grass court staple, to his pinpoint accurate serves.
The match grew tense as it progressed, marked by Allman’s classic self-deprecating yet possibly self-motivating exclamation, “Oh Mitchell!” as the second set drew to a close. Frustration boiled over as he unleashed several powerful shots from his racquet, venting his emotions on the court.
Stormon’s driving forehand had Pocklington’s reflexes on the net coming unstuck and turned things around in the second set.
But what’s more synonymous with a grass court than a one-handed backhand? (If you know, you know.) Of his groundstrokes, Stormon’s one-handed backhand was sublime. He used it to sneak passing shots down the line – a crowd favourite. It’s a shot that has pace and grace and makes for an even better viewing experience.
Allman showcased his trademark dynamism, particularly with his airborne drive backhand – a signature move that he expertly leverages to seize control of the game and consistently puts pressure on his opponents by intercepting the ball early and leaving them with little time to react. The pair took the second set 6-4.
In the deciding set, each player was challenged on serve. However, Stormon was stoic, breaking Pocklington’s serve where it counted.
Match point was converted with a break of Callaghan’s serve. A rocketing forehand return through the middle of the court used to effect by Stormon throughout the day, sealed the deal for him and Allman, winning 10-6 in the super tiebreaker.
IN the Open Women’s doubles, the No. 1 seeded pair, Jess Board and Grace Darcy, only needed two sets to secure victory against Ksenija Varesanovic and Brooke Marshall.
You didn’t need a radar gun to tell there was a great deal of sting behind every ball.
Board was brutal on the forehand side while Darcy was dominant from the backhand side – using all the court to the very edge of the tram lines to push the ball out of Varesanovic’s reach.
The match was a spectator’s delight: each pair’s game style was aggressive but punctuated with tactical match play, including passing shots, well-timed net crosses and lobs.
Tense rallies ended with all players inside the service box as back and forth volleys pinged from player to player.
Separating the pairs in any way other than the end scoreline of 6-4, 6-2 proves hard, given that both sides were stacked with talent – a President’s Cup singles finalist and semi-finalist on each team.
Rounding out the open competition with another third set super tiebreaker decider, Mitch Allman and Ksenija Varesanovic triumphed in the Mixed Doubles over Jess Board and David Hough, 3-6, 7-6, 10-7.
