BY ALEX TIGANI
Not even the recent rainfall could delay the Howe Park Tennis Club championships for 2021.
Dean Mathews held off last year’s club champion Mitchell Ryan to take out the Men’s A-Grade title.
The 24-year-old fell short in the second set and trailed Ryan 3-1 in the final set before storming home for his first title. “I haven’t won one of these before,” Mathews told The Hunter River Times.
“I’ve made the final twice against Gary Brenton and now its third time lucky.”
Mathews first picked up a racquet at the age of four and joined the club at the age of eight.
“In our round robin Mitch beat me 6-4 and so there was a good comeback in the final,” he explained.
“It feels good knowing that I now have a championship under my belt, it means I can play at that level and win.”
MEANWHILE Drew Parnell held off Xander Sheath in the Boys A-Grade Junior Final this week.
2021 HOWE PARK TENNIS CLUB SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ladies Open Singles
Winner – Heidi Stanford
Runner up – Polly Trost
Ladies Open Doubles
Winner – Kim Brindley and Deidre Girdler
Runner up – Polly Trost and Elizabeth Moule
Men’s A Grade Singles
Winner – Dean Mathews
Runner up – Mitchell Ryan
Men’s AR Grade Singles
Winner – Mark Rix
Runner up – Xander Sheath
Men’s B Grade Singles
Winner – Hank Hochfaerber
Runner up – Alex Tigani
Men’s A Grade Doubles
Winner – Mitchell Ryan and Cameron Phillips
Runner up – Charl Botes and Dean Mathews
Men’s AR Grade Doubles
Winner – Mark Rix and Lachlan Evans
Runner up – Drew Parnell and Xander Sheath
A Grade Girls
Winner – Kirra Pearce
Runner up – Clare Hayes
B Grade Girls
Winner- Sybella Muddiman
Runner up – Clancy Parkes
C Grade Girls
Winner – Maggie Parkes
Runner up – Charlotte Stanford-lucas
A Grade Girls Doubles
Winners – Clare Hayes
Abbey Whiting
Runner up – Clancy Parkes
Lillian Stanford-Lucas
C Grade Girls Doubles
Winners – Annabelle Wieland
Hannah Bowring
Runner up – Charlotte Stanford-lucas
Maggie Parkes
A Grade Boys
Winner – Drew Parnell
Runner up – Xander Sheath
AR Grade Boys
Winner – Gaigher Uys
Runner up – Samuel Redgrove
B Grade Boys
Winner – Cooper Bailey
Runner up – Harry Land
C Grade Boys
Winner – Cade Stevenson-Byrnes
Runner up – Maxwell Sponberg
A Grade Boys Doubles
Winner – Drew Parnell
Dominic Rohr
Runner up – Bastian Hochfaerber
John Jerusalem
B Grade Boys Doubles
Winner – Harry Land
Hunter Sanderson
Runner up – Carson McNamara
Cooper Bailey
C Grade Boys Doubles
Winner – Cade Stevenson-Byrnes
Rhys Wetherspoon-Mills
Runner up – Maxwell Sponberg
Santoro Maviglia
