[visiongallery set =72157633402334375]
Photos: Nicole Sorlie
A tense atmosphere shrouded the outdoor tennis courts on Saturday as the Men’s 2nd team tennis matches came to a dramatic conclusion. Lancaster fought to achieve victory in what was a superb clash during a third set tiebreak of the final doubles match of the afternoon.
Winning four of their six games, York entered the doubles stage needing only one match to take the two points.
Team captain Alasdair Killin played sublimely to hand York their first triumph of the morning in the men’s singles. Alasdair conquered his opponent Chris Blackburn in straight sets, winning both 6-2. Lancaster formed a quick response as York’s Satoshi Ono was dismissed by ruthless Lancastrian Lee Cardy, losing 6-0 and 6-4.
Adam Playle made quick work of disposing of his opposite man, Johnny Clayton. Playle comfortably dictated play, dumping Clayton out in straight sets 6-2 and 6-1.
York were still unable to pull away and put some distance between themselves and their Lancashire opponents, as Benja Arnott fell in straight sets to Lancaster’s team captain Dami Yussuf.
The remaining games were hard fought on both sides and the two final singles sets came down to tiebreaks. York capitalised on both occasions, winning 7-0 and 7-5 and positioned themselves comfortably to enter the doubles needing only one victory to secure a well earned two points.
However, it was evident that Lancaster had more than one formidable pairing in the doubles. Two of York’s teams struggled to establish themselves, with Lancaster taking both of the first sets.
An immediate contrast was established between the singles and doubles matches when things did not improve as Alasdair and Benja lost their final set, setting the score at 7-5 6-1. Daryl Ong and Satoshi Ono were also unable to recover from a first set defeat and crashed out with a 6-2 6-3 loss following the last set of the match.
Eyes now turned to the self proclaimed “doubles specialist” Josh Drake and his partner Max Treharne. Both were playing to the standard that York so desperately required to keep their hopes of victory alive. Such hopes were given a boost when the York partnership took the first set. Nerves began to jangle however, when Lancaster fought from behind to secure a second set victory. This meant that the two points would be decided over a ten point tiebreak
In what was truly one of the most dramatic climaxes of Roses 2013, York made a positive start to the tiebreak and took the lead with three match points in their favour, only to be stunned by a relentless Lancaster duo who would not lie down. The two points were finally snatched from York’s grasp when Lancaster claimed victory over their rivals with an 11-9 final score.
York were hard done to not to take the two points, but it cannot be denied the Lancaster 2nd team deserved the spoils following a stunning doubles team turn around.