Banner Season: Thanksgiving Table Set for Medal Matches at OUA Tennis Championships
Markam, Ont. (via York Lions) - The Toronto Varsity Blues will be looking to strike gold twice for the second time in three years after narrowly missing out on a double-gold in 2024, as they advanced to the gold medal matches on Saturday at the OUA Tennis Championships.
The Blues took down the host York Lions in the women’s semi-final, taking all three doubles matches to get on the board, before winning all but one singles match en route to a dominant 6-1 victory. On the men’s side, the powerhouse Blues dispatched the Queen’s Gaels, also by a 6-1 margin. They swept doubles play before dropping just a lone singles match to run away with the victory, setting up a double-bill of Blues banner pursuits on Sunday.
While Toronto playing for gold isn’t a surprise, a pair of upstart programs stole the show Saturday, and will face the Blues for a chance at OUA tennis’ ultimate prize. The women’s matchup will be between Toronto and the No. 7-seed Queen’s Gaels, who, after upsetting the No. 2-seed McMaster Marauders, stunned the Western Mustangs in Saturday’s semi-final, by the narrowest margin. The teams split singles play, but the doubles duos of Nawal Youssef and Amy Mucea, and Alexa Rakochevich and Mila Lardiez provided the Gaels with the deciding point to advance them to the final.
On the men’s side, Toronto will play opposite the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the No. 5 seed who beat the Waterloo Warriors in the quarters before pulling off a shocker of their own over the Mustangs, the defending men’s champions. The Mustangs pocketed the doubles point by taking two of three matches, but singles wins from Alex Lungu, Filip Popadich, Will Adamson and Lior Waldman of Ottawa sealed the stunning upset.
In addition to the semi-finals, Saturday also played host to the consolation semis and fifth-place matches. The women’s fifth-place tilt pitted the Waterloo Warriors, who beat the Brock Badgers in the consolation semi, against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, who downed the McMaster Marauders in the other. It was the Black and Gold taking the doubles match with Thea Bozsitz and Ksenia Li taking down Andrea Dimitrev and Jenna Jenkins 8-0, before they took three of the four singles matches to seal a 4-1 win.
On the men’s side, the consolation final featured the York Lions – who defeated their rivals down the QEW, the McMaster Marauders in one consolation semi-final – and the Brock Badgers, who wounded the Waterloo Warriors in the other consolation semi. Brock was able to handle the hosts in all five matches to earn a clean sweep and a 5-0 win.
Meanwhile, the women’s 7th-place contest saw Badgers battle the Marauders in a Highway 403 showdown, with the doubles match ending in a 5-5 tie, before McMaster made quick work of Brock in singles play for a 4-0 win. The men’s 7th-place match was won by the Waterloo Warriors who took down McMaster 4-1.
Below is Sunday’s schedule: Follow along HERE
9:30 am
Women’s Bronze Medal Match: (5) York vs. (2) Western (Doubles)
10:30 am
Women’s Bronze Medal Match: (5) York vs. (2) Western (Singles)
Men’s Bronze Medal Match: (6) Queen’s vs. (1) Western (Doubles)
12:00 pm
Women’s Gold Medal Match: (7) Queen’s vs. (1) Toronto (Doubles)
Men’s Bronze Medal Match: (6) Queen’s vs. (1) Western (Singles)
1:30 pm
Men’s Gold Medal Match: (5) Ottawa vs. (2) Toronto (Doubles)
Women’s Gold Medal Match: (7) Queen’s vs. (1) Toronto (Singles)
3:00 pm
Men’s Gold Medal Match: (5) Ottawa vs. (2) Toronto (Singles)