Team GC prove their worth on the state level
TEAM GC.
They nominated, they were selected, they formed a team, they competed. Then they won.
The Gold Coast under-11 A tennis team won the biggest and most prestigious event on the state’s junior tennis calendar – the 2019 Queensland junior teams carnival.
A five-day festival which saw 477 players from 67 teams, representing 10 regions from Queensland, NSW, NT and South Australia, across four age groups at six venues.
For our 11s it was a battle among 16 teams at UQ Tennis Centre in Brisbane.
Day one started with Team GC defeating three other teams to land a spot in the position 1-8 playoff.
Throughout days three and four they topped that pool to earn one of four semi spots.
There the team played Brisbane
Metropolitan and after all matches were complete the score was four sets and 52 games each, taking it to a mixed doubles tie-break shootout whereby each team needed to be first to 10 points (and win by two). Despite nerves, Team GC remained focused and won their way through to the finals.
Then the under-11 Gold Coast A team defeated Sunshine Coast A 47 games to 39. So let’s meet the team … Cody Atkinson (Queens Park), Fynn Busuttin (Somerset Tennis), Taiki Takizawa (Discovery Park Tennis Club), Anastasija Stokic (Queens Park), Tayla Hunter-Geppert (JR Pro Tennis), Elise Virr (KDV Sport) – mentored and guided by team coach Lachlan Treacher (Somerset Tennis).
While the team competed together in the morning, each afternoon they played in a singles event – a junior tour Australian ranking tournament.
To top off an awesome performance in the teams event Atkinson won his way to claim victory of the under-11 boys, while Anastasija Stokic did the same in the under-11 girls.
Teammate Elise Virr, only nine, claimed the runner-up title in the consolation draw.
Team GC had eight teams over four age groups compete in the tournament.