NORTH West picked up the bronze medal in the NSW Boys’ CHS Tennis Championships in Rockdale yesterday following a six sets-all final, winning 54-49 on games.
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Coach Rowena Teege said the boys’ strength had been their doubles performances all week and the playoff for third against Sydney East was no different.
The boys won three out of the four doubles matches yesterday morning, only dropping the one game in a tense tiebreaker.
Going into the singles down 3-1, it didn’t take long for Sydney East to kick back, aceing the North West’s top three players.
Number one Zac McCann found himself facing yet another very tough opponent who toppled the Gunnedah High student 6-2.
Fellow Gunnedah player and number two Sam O’Gorman went down 6-4, followed by Farrer number three Angus Dickson, who battled every point out but was beaten 6-3 in a game that easily could have gone the other way.
With Sydney East now on a roll, it was Oxley High’s Tom Fitzgerald who again got North West back on track with a 6-3 victory that squared the ledger.
Unfortunately fellow Oxley player Lachlan Wasson was beaten at number five to put Sydney East back in front.
In stepped Jack Reed, the Barraba number six, who pulled off the upset of the tournament to put North West back in the race for the bronze.
In a match that looked one- sided on form, Reed shook off some illness and pulled one out of the bag to inflict a clinical 6-1 win.
“It was a really exciting upset,” Teege said.
“Jack has been playing well but this win was unexpected.”
Reed’s win levelled the contest and it was another upset from number nine Joshua Frost that broke the deadlock.
The Peel High player has been so impressive all week that Teege had promoted him up the list and into a singles spot at number eight.
Frost didn’t let the coach down, pulling off a 6-2 win to seal the bronze.
“Jack and Josh won it for us at the end but it has been a team effort all week,” Teege said.
“Tom Fitzgerald has been amazing all week.”
Fitzgerald had a great week in the singles but also, partnered with Dickson, didn’t lose a doubles match all tournament. The performances earned him the North West medal and a spot in the CHS merit squad.
“This week has been the best tennis I have ever seen him play,” Teege said.
