The Stratford Tennis League playoffs began this week. The semifinal match ups had first place La Debonaire Hair Design face Snap in the early game, while second place Donkers Agri took on third place Sunrise Health Services in the late game.

The early game was all La Debonaire. The ladies #1 doubles saw La Debonaire’s Krista Plociennik and Sandie Ennett take out Johanna Billings and Linda Doig  6-4  6-4. Ginny Smith and Sandra Hofing of La Debonaire dominated Nancy Chung and Noella Schiedel 6-0  6-2 in the ladies #2 doubles. La Debonaire also swept the men’s #1 doubles as Nathan Duh and Grant McPherson defeated Murray Schiedel and Luke Fischer 7-6 (7 points to 4 in the tie-breaker)  6-2. Jim Wilson and Cameron Kramer scored a 7-5  6-4 win over Gary Henry and Stuart Arkett in the men’s #2 doubles to give La Debonaire two more sets. 

 Snap got on the board by winning the #1 mixed doubles as Billings and Schiedel pounded Plociennik and Duh 6-2. La Debonaire took the #2 mixed set as Ennett and McPherson doubled up Doig and Fischer 6-3. The #3 mixed also went to La Debonaire as Smith and Wilson defeated Chung and Henry 6-4. The domination continued in the #4 mixed as La Debonaire’s Hofing and Kramer beat Schiedel and Arkett 6-3. La Debonaire advances to the ‘A’ championship game with their 11-1 victory.

The late game was as close as it could get, and unfortunately was affected by an in match injury. Things began with a split in the ladies #1 doubles. Claire Scott and Debbie Murphy of Sunrise won the first set 6-2 while Donkers’ Marta Andrekovic and Lise Couture took the second set 6-2. The ladies #2 doubles was a close match with Erma Weernink and Michele Thomson of Donkers leading Marilyn Leasa and Nancy Rheaume 4-3 when Thomson suffered a leg injury. The sets were awarded to Sunrise. The men’s #1 doubles went to Donkers as Bob Tamblyn and Greg Vivian downed John Noble and Spencer Trachsel 6-2  6-2. Sunrise took the #2 men’s doubles as Pat McCarroll and Jagdish Patel scored a 6-1  6-1 victory over Mike Furlong and Bill Steele. 

The mixed began with Donkers’ Andrekovic and Tamblyn winning the #1 match 6-2 over Scott and Noble. The #2 mixed also went to Donkers as Couture and Vivian edged Murphy and Trachsel 6-4. Leasa and McCarroll won the #3 mixed for Sunrise 6-2 over Weernink and Furlong. With Thomson’s injury the #4 mixed set was awarded to Sunrise. This gave Sunrise a 7-5 victory to send them to the ‘A’ championship match.

Next week the championship matches will be played. The early game will see Donkers Agri face Snap for the ‘B’ championship. The late game sees La Debonaire Hair Design take on Sunrise Health Services for the ‘A’ championship.