The men Warriors anticipated a hard battle with York, last year's OUA champions but instead met a team that was missing several of its' key players from last year's winning team.  The Warriors, far from disappointed, took full advantage of the situation and came away with a 5-2 win.

Continuing from last weekend's doubles success, the Warriors won all three of the doubles matches. The toughest of the matches was that played by the #1 pair of Vincent Chan (Markham/) and Pete Szpahowski who won an exciting hard-hitting match 8-7. With the doubles point in hand, the Warriors then earned four more from their four top players, #1 Chan 6-0, 6-1, #2 Kevin Lam (Markham/) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1,  #3 Nachiket Yardi (Mississauga/) 6-3, 6-1, #4 Szpahowski 6-4, 6-1 to win the tie 5-2. #6 Steve Nieboer lost a heart-breaker 6-3, 3-6, 9-11. #5 Alex Sahu, still to play to his potential, lost 2-6, 3-6.

Women's Recap

Like the men, the women expected to do battle against a strong team and they weren't disappointed in this respect losing 2-5 to the York women.

The York team won all three doubles matches with the closest being contested by the # 1 doubles pair of Alison Drainie (Toronto/) and Paige Long (Claremont/) who let slip a lead to lose 7-8.  The two singles wins came from #1 Alison Drainie (Toronto/) and #5 Lindsay Munch (Collingwood/). Both matches went to three sets. Drainie started off slowly against an aggressive hard-hitting opponent. The first set was lost 1-6. However, playing with determination she rounded into form and with more errors being made by her opponent Drainie took the second set 6-2. The tie-break to decide the third set was keenly contested  with Drainie prevailing 10-8. Munch, too, went the distance, coming back to win the last two sets after giving up the first. She won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Sunday, Oct. 3 vs. McMaster

Men – Waterloo 7, McMaster 0
Women – Waterloo 4, McMaster 3

Men's Recap

Unlike the past two weekends, the men Warriors broke the 1-1 pattern to beat McMaster 7-0, making it the most successful weekend of the season.

Playing a different lineup from the previous day, the Warriors were no less effective. Winning all three doubles matches and earning the doubles point, they then won all six singles. Most of the wins were by comfortable margins but two went the distance. #4 Alex Sahu won the first set 6-4 only to lose the second 0-6 but rebounded to win the third set tie-break 10-6. #5 Aaron Au (Richmond Hill/) also won his first set at 6-3 but lost the second 4-6. The third set tie-break was hard fought by both players who each played some very fine points but it was Au who found the extra gear to win it at 10-8  giving the Warriors the clean sweep over McMaster.

Women's Recap

The women followed the pattern of maintaining a 50% winning average when they edged McMaster 4-3.  Unlike previous efforts, the Warriors won all three doubles matches and so earned the doubles point. This point was to prove critical in their overall result. The often over-looked middle order came through for the women Warriors this day with solid performances coming from #3 Brittany Sinclair 6-4, 6-1, #4 Courtney Winter (Toronto/) 6-3, 6-4, and #6 Alejandra Garavito (Oakville/) winning a free- swinging match 6-3, 6-1 to give the Warriors the necessary singles wins to clinch the tie.  #1 Alison Drainie (Toronto/) suffered only her second loss of the season by a score of  0-6, 2-6, but the score belies the competitiveness of the match. Playing a counter-puncher in very good form, Drainie, though playing well, couldn't produce the aggressive shots, of which she is capable, to overcome her opponent.

The matches played this weekend were the last of the regular season and that there is now a two-week break from competition. The next competition is the Team Championships which is being hosted by University of Western Ontario Oct 15-17 . The winning teams of that competition will be invited to play in the Nationals at the Rexall Centre during the Rogers Cup next year. The team championships will be followed by the women's singles competition the following weekend Oct 22-24 when team banners and gold and silver medals will be awarded to the winners. The tennis season will wrap up with the men's singles tournament which is scheduled to be played Nov 12-14 at York University.