It was a battle of power versus precision in the AMT Goulburn Cup women's final on Monday morning.
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When first-seeded Sarah Munroe stepped on to the main court at the Goulburn Tennis Club against third-seeded Ashleigh Simes, nobody was sure who would emerge victorious.
Munroe, at 15 years old, is one of the brightest young talents in Australia, and is among the top 10 in the country for her age group. But across the net from her stood one of the hardest-hitting players in the draw, and only one year her senior.
When the match began, both girls immediately put their strengths on display. Munroe darted around the court and showed her aptitude for turning defence into attack.
Meanwhile, Simes was simply looking to punch a hole in Munroe's racket. Her shots were often followed by a loud crack, as though she were splitting wood instead of hitting a tennis ball.
The 16-year-old managed to outlast her younger opponent, and as Munroe tired at the end of the second set, Simes finished the match with some thunderous forehands to claim a very physical 6-4 7-6 (5) victory.
"She's a really tough opponent, she plays really well and hits a lot deep," Simes said of Munroe after the match.
"It was tough to get used to, especially on this surface. We both played really well. It was a tough match."
This was Simes' second time playing in the Goulburn tournament, and she was glowing in her assessment of the town.
"It was a really well-run tournament," she said.
"The community is really nice, the courts are really good."
The women's final was played at the same time as the men's due to a last-minute change in schedule.
The men's final featured Jack Lyons (third seed) and Leon Hemmings (fourth seed) in a tumultuous game in which there was little leeway.
Both players relied on placement and guile to win points, which resulted in a number of long rallies and three very tight sets.
It was eventually won by Lyons, 3-6 6-4 10-8, who said that he and Hemmings knew each other's game well.
"We're both Canberra boys, we train together nearly every day, so we knew it was going to be a tough match," Lyons said.
"I wasn't playing well in my semi-final, so I thought I was going to be done in straight sets.
"Lucky enough, I just won a few big points and got back into the match somehow."
At the conclusion of the tournament, GTC professional Dave Ridland remarked on how well it had gone.
"Unreal: the participation from last year to this year has gone through the roof," Ridland said.
"This year's gone gangbusters. With Goulburn being the central location from Sydney to Canberra, it's just made for this event.
"It'll continue to stay strong, I assume; we're going to need some more courts, though."
At 180 entrants, the tournament was almost at capacity this year. But Ridland does not want to stifle its growth, and confirmed that he was looking at solutions to allow the 2020 to grow even larger.
At the competition's end, Ridland once again thanked the club's sponsors for their invaluable support across the weekend.
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