19 December 2025 | Tennis West

 Western Australia has enjoyed an exceptional week of competition at the Queensland Junior Country Championships, with both WA teams producing standout performances across all seven rounds. 

The Sam Stosur Team of Tea, Zuri, Denby and Fernando opened their campaign with a major statement, defeating the defending champions from the Gold Coast in Round 1. They backed up with a strong 6–2 win over North Queensland in Round 2, placing themselves at the top of the standings early in the week. Their momentum continued in Round 3 with a thrilling countback victory against South Australia, further proving that WA had arrived ready to compete. 

Round 4 brought another nail-biter, with the team pushing an undefeated QLD Metro Mustangs side to a dramatic countback that fell just two sets short. In Round 5, history was made when their match against North East NSW finished in a rare complete draw, tied on rubbers, sets and games. Despite the unusual outcome, WA remained firmly in contention and finished the preliminary rounds in second place. 

Rounds 6 and 7 provided an opportunity to regroup and finish strong. After a challenging encounter with the undefeated South Korean squad, the team rebounded brilliantly with a 6–2 win over Queensland Mustangs Blue to secure third place overall. They carried that form into the bronze medal match, defeating the North East NSW Sharks 5–3. Tea was a standout throughout the week, finishing unbeaten in mixed doubles and singles matches aside from a withdrawal due to illness. 

The Draper McShea Ayres Team of Dylan, Zander, Leila and Catrin also delivered an impressive campaign marked by resilience, competitiveness and continual improvement. After several close losses in the opening rounds, including multiple ties decided in match tiebreaks, they captured WA’s first clean sweep of the event with a dominant 8–0 victory over the Southern Stars Betelgeuse in Round 5. Momentum built from there and the team collected two more strong wins in Rounds 6 and 7, placing them in contention for a top five finish. 

Their final match against the Sunshine Coast Lightning Storm was another display of determination. Locked at 3–3 heading into the final singles rubbers, Catrin battled through a leg injury to claim a gritty victory that sealed fifth place overall out of 12 teams. Adding to the celebrations, Leila was awarded the prestigious Sportsmanship Award, voted on by coaches from all states and selected from a field of 400 players. 

Tennis West Regional Manager, Colin Thompson reflected on the success of this past week over east: 

“This week wasn’t just about results; it was about resilience, teamwork, and setting a new standard for WA Regional Tennis. Every challenge was met with determination, and every player showed what it means to compete. The foundation we’ve built here is just the beginning and the future looks strong!” 

This year’s Queensland Junior Country Championships have been a milestone moment for Regional WA tennis. Both teams showcased courage, discipline and pride, finishing with outstanding results that reflect the strength and potential of our emerging players. 

A sincere thank you to the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport for their ongoing support through the Regional Servicing grant. We also extend our appreciation to the Regional Working Group and Coach Lauren for their support throughout the week. The success of this campaign has created an exciting platform for 2026, with WA Regional Tennis aiming even higher as we continue to build a bright and competitive future for our athletes.