Banner Season: Tennis takes centre stage to serve up first championship showdown of the season
Burlington, Ont. – Championship season is back in action, making its 2023-24 debut at Mayfair Club (East) for the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Tennis Championships. Seven teams will compete over the course of three days from October 6th to 8th, including the defending women’s and men’s champions from Western, with round robin action being served up on Friday and the banners being awarded on Sunday.
Championship Details:
When: Friday, October 6 to Sunday October 8 | FULL SCHEDULE
Where: Mayfair Club East, Toronto
Participating Schools (7): Brock Badgers, McMaster Marauders, Ottawa Gee-Gees, Toronto Varsity Blues, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs, York Lions
Defending Champions: Western Mustangs (W), Western Mustangs (M)
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Anastasiya Dyadchenko, Toronto Varsity Blues | Part of a group of first-year athletes who have shone brightly this season for Toronto, Dyadchenko and her partner Maria Popova have gone undefeated in the always tough No. 1 spot in doubles competition. The duo will eye more of those winning results when stepping onto the championship courts this weekend.
Christian Krustev, McMaster Marauders | Everyone loves a good comeback story, and after tearing his labrum in his shoulder and missing out on the 2022 OUA Tennis Championships, Christian Krustev is looking forward to returning to the court. Previously winning four OUA gold medals and two national silver medals, the Toronto, Ont. local is eager to play in his 11th championship this weekend for the Marauders.
Aleks Paramentic, Brock Badgers | The No. 1 player for Brock is entering the weekend with some momentum on her side having won her last two matches at the top spot in singles and doubles. The Niagara Falls, Ont. product brings a positive attitude to the court each time she plays and will hope to have plenty more positive outings to come on the banner season stage.
Lauryn Son, Western Mustangs | Since arriving on the scene last year, Lauryn has been a threat on the court. Coming off of her rookie of the year honours last year at the OUA Championships, Son has so far amassed a perfect record in singles this year. The lefty will look to continue her success for the purple and white and make her mark in the Mustangs starting lineup at Mayfair.
Rassam Yazdi, Toronto Varsity Blues | The 2022 OUA player of the year and an OUA all-star is picking up right where he left off heading into the 2023 provincial finale. Currently undefeated in singles action leading up to this weekend’s event along with only one loss in doubles, the Ottawa, Ont. native is looking to bring back some hardware at this year’s championship.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
Bringing back a young squad to the championship, the Brock Badgers are looking to shake up the competition, not only setting their sights on building experience and improvement in the rankings, but also potentially catching some teams off-guard.
Finishing just shy of the banner last season, the championship hosts, Toronto Varsity Blues, are looking to get back on top and take home the crown. As a team filled with veterans and young talent, the Blues are hoping that ideal combination can return them to the top of the podium in 2023.
After a fresh start last season resulting in a women’s medal for the first time in over 20 years and the majority of the roster returning, the McMaster Marauders are searching for continued success against the province’s best with the hopes of bringing even more hardware back to the hammer this year.
Both the men’s and women’s Mustangs teams are on a roll coming into this year’s championships, as both have conference titles to defend. While they enter the tournament in a different position than years past, the London crew hopes their strong performances have prepared them to battle for the banner as one of the top contenders once again.
What They’re Saying:
“So far this year, our players have come out to each match ready to play and give it their best. I believe the real strength of this team is how both the men and women are there until the very end, encouraging and supporting each other to the very last match.” - Nabil Tadros, Toronto Varsity Blues, Head Coach
“I’m proud of how hard our team has been willing to work this season. I’m really excited for the reset for OUAs with a healthy women’s team. For the men, being able to compete against York again is something we are looking forward to.” - Todd Green, Brock Badgers, Head Coach
"The league has definitely changed this year, with teams like Waterloo and York boasting much stronger lineups. It should make for an exciting and competitive championship weekend. We're looking forward to the challenge!" - Maciek Gebczynski, Western Mustangs, Co-Head Coach. Women's Team