The 2025 Super Set Singles Tournament brought together some of the most competitive and entertaining tennis we’ve seen this season. From early upsets to closely contested finals, the day was packed with action and wicked temperatures.

Men’s ‘A’

The Men’s ‘A’ draw displayed a high-level showdown between Mark Barton and David Nickel. David advanced to the final after taking down Spencer Trachsel, who had cruised through his earlier rounds, dropping just a single game before the semis. Spencer came out firing, grabbing a 3-2 lead, but David’s smart shot selection and early ball striking turned the momentum. David reeled off four straight games to seal the deal with a 6-3 win.

On the other side of the draw, Mark Barton faced off against Jason Erb in a tactically rich semi-final. Both players blended patience with aggression, waiting for their moment to attack. With the set tied at 5-5, Mark broke Jason’s serve and then held serve to win 7-5.

The final between Mark and David was anticipated to be a battle of equals, but the brutal heat and David’s earlier matches took a toll. Mark stayed composed and energetic, executing his game plan with sharp precision to take the championship in a commanding 6-2 victory.

Men’s ‘A’ Consolation 

The ‘A’ Consolation final saw Tony Stanic take on Tyson Aitcheson in a tense, pressure-filled match. Tyson came out swinging with impressive groundstrokes and big serves, but Tony responded with crafty, relentless slice play, rarely hitting topspin and keeping the ball out of Tyson’s strike zone. His unique style paid off as he edged out a 6-4 win over Tyson.

Men’s ‘B’ 

Tyler Jantzi was unstoppable in the Men’s B draw, defeating Adam Prospero 6-0 in the final. After a tough first-round loss to a top seed in the A draw, Tyler bounced back with a vengeance, not dropping a single game in the ‘B’ bracket. Many agreed he could have made a deep run in the A consolation had the draw been different.

Men’s ‘B’ Consolation 

In the ‘B’ Consolation final, Josh Heaton defeated Nick McCabe 6-1, showcasing one of the most dynamic serving displays of the tournament. With a mix of flat rockets, slicing angles, and high bouncing kick serves, Josh consistently held serve and kept the pressure on his opponent.

Women’s ‘A’ 

The Women’s ‘A’ final featured Lisa Westlaken and Monica Eickmeyer, each coming off strong with 6-2 semifinal wins. Lisa’s athleticism and booming forehand led the charge in the final. Interestingly, she mentioned spotting Mark Barton’s fully-extended arm on his forehand in his semi-final and used that as inspiration, adding it into her own game to great effect. The adjustment paid off as she claimed the title with a solid 6-3 win.

Women’s ‘A’ Consolation

Sandie Ennett reigned victorious in the ‘A’ Consolation, defeating Johanna Billings 6-2. Johanna impressed with piercing backhand winners and consistent pressure, but Sandie’s speed and ability to hit deep consistently made the difference in the end.

Women’s B 

The most suspenseful match of the day belonged to the Women’s ‘B’ final between Jenn Nickel and Maria Donkers. Jenn came in as the underdog but rose to the occasion in a nail biter that drew a large crowd. Up 5-4 at one point, Jenn held her own as the set reached a 7-7 tie, forcing a tiebreak. Maria showed great composure and intelligent aggression to edge out Jenn 8-6 in the tiebreak.

A huge thank you to all the participants, spectators, and volunteers who made the day such a success. Looking forward to our 2025 Club Championships, which are right around the corner!

Matt Furlong

Order [Left to Right] Jenn Nickel, Maria Donkers, Lisa Westlaken, Sandie Ennett, Johanna Billings, Josh Heaton, Nick McCabe, Adam Prospero, Tyler Jantzi, Mark Barton, David Nickel, Tony Stanic, Tyson Aitcheson

The Stratford Tennis Club’s Morning Group celebrated Canada Day with a fun-filled tournament that perfectly captured the spirit of the holiday. Over the course of three hours, players competed in matches scheduled with a 20-minute time limit, creating fast-paced strategic matches.

Throughout the morning, the atmosphere was full of sportsmanship and joy. Close matches, long rallies, and encouraging cheers were the theme of the day, with players of all levels showcasing their skills and love for the game.

‘A’ Division Champions: Tom Warnock & Julie Redfern

In a thrilling final, Tom Warnock and Julie Redfern edged out Jared Smith and Donna Simpson in a 3-2 nail-biter. Both women played steady and smart, while the men brought contrasting styles. Jared’s power shots kept Tom and Julie on the back foot, but Tom masterfully absorbed the pace and redirected shots to difficult spots. Jared’s youthful movement kept the pressure on, but ultimately Tom and Julie’s consistency and court awareness sealed the deal.

‘A’ Consolation Champions: Diane Rychliski & Yoshi Yamauchi

The A Consolation final was another close and entertaining match, with Diane Rychliski and Yoshi Yamauchi defeating Janet Niezen and Tom Hislop 3-2. Janet and Tom demonstrated impressive net play, which is very important in doubles. Despite their strength at the net, Diane and Yoshi’s steady baseline game proved to be too consistent in the end, earning them the ‘A’ Consolation title.

‘B’ Division Champions: Lisa Tigani & Ken Reibling

In the B Division final, Lisa Tigani and Ken Reibling took home the title after a 3-1 victory over Linda Edwards and Hoai Nguyen. Lisa stood out with her athleticism and consistent baseline play, while Ken contributed with smart shot selection, ultimately creating a deadly combination in doubles.

‘B’ Consolation Champions: Deb Mitchell & John McCarroll

Deb Mitchell and John McCarroll claimed the B Consolation title with a 4-1 win over Bharti Patel and Clive Clark. While the scoreline might suggest a comfortable win, the match was filled with long and intense rallies. Deb and John’s composure under pressure helped them stay focused and pull through a competitive and entertaining final.

After the matches wrapped up, players and spectators gathered in the park for a potluck barbecue. Burgers, salads, and plenty of good conversation rounded out the perfect Canada Day celebration.

A big thank you goes out to all the players from our Morning Group for bringing such a positive energy to the club. 

Happy Canada Day!

Matt Furlong

This past weekend, our club hosted our annual Royal LePage Hiller Realty ‘French Open’ Junior Grand Slam Tournament, showcasing impressive talent and sportsmanship from our young athletes. Despite the wicked temperature, the juniors persevered through long rallies and tough matchups to deliver an exciting day of tennis.

With three players competing in the U18 Boys category, a round-robin format was adopted to ensure fair play. The opening match saw Josh Heaton dominate his younger brother Will Heaton, cruising to an 8–0 victory. Despite recovering from a recent skateboard injury, Will showed resilience stepping onto the court and fighting for every point.

In the next match, Jared Smith overcame Will Heaton 8–4. Jared’s aggressive play with powerful serves and heavy forehands, proved to be overwhelming, while Will’s consistency kept the match competitive.
The title came down to the final showdown between Josh Heaton and Jared Smith. Jared came out swinging, attacking Josh’s second serves and grabbing an early lead. But Josh’s cool composure and consistency in the heat turned the table, and he claimed the U18 Boys title with an 8–5 win.

Francis Nguyen put on an impressive performance to take the U14 Boys title. In the final, he defeated Lincoln Rae 8–3 by utilizing his deep forehands that pinned Lincoln to the back of the court. In earlier rounds, Lincoln had showcased his athleticism in a hard-fought semi-final win over Ryan Yang, but Francis proved too strong.

In the U14 boys consolation bracket, Ryan Yang rebounded from his semi-final loss. He opened with an 8–0 win over Vihaan Tammanaa, showing off smart, steady play. Jeremy Lee also found redemption, narrowly edging Daisuke Faigaux 8–5 in a match where both participants relied on their consistency and endurance.
In the consolation final, Ryan Yang faced Jeremy Lee. Ryan’s deeper shots and relentless court coverage earned him a dominant 8–0 win to take the U14 Consolation title.

In the U18 Girls draw, Nell McIntosh and Clara Kee emerged as the standouts. Nell opened her tournament with a commanding 8–0 win over Trisha Panwala, while Clara outlasted Sophie Keene 8–2 in a match full of extended rallies.
The main draw final between Nell and Clara impressed all the spectators. Clara’s excellent footwork and positioning kept her in many rallies, but Nell’s strategic play and composed demeanor guided her to an 8–4 victory and the U18 Girls title.
In the consolation final, Sophie Keene defeated Trisha Panwala 8–6 in the closest match of the day. Both players battled fatigue and the heat in a match defined by long rallies.

We are very proud of our juniors for their incredible effort and attitude. Battling through hot conditions and tough matches. We’re excited to see what’s next for this talented group of juniors from the Stratford Tennis Club.

Article published by Matt Furlong

The Stratford Tennis Club held its annual Super Set Doubles tournament this past weekend. On a beautiful day for tennis , the 21 teams and many spectators enjoyed a wonderful Saturday in the Park. 

The Ladies ‘A’ final was a battle between the mother/daughter team of Kim and Abbie Straus and  the upset queens of the day Lindsay Murray and Jess Lawson. Murray and Lawson knocked off two higher seeded teams to reach the final, in their first tournament together. Team Straus had dominated their way to their first final. The championship match was more of the same. Kim and Abbie were on their game from the opening point. Murray and Lawson had run out of gas and couldn’t keep up with the pace of team Straus. Kim and Abbie Straus were crowned champions with an 8-0 victory. This the first Super Set title for Kim and Abbie Straus.

The Ladies ‘B’ final was the best ladies match of the day. Michelle Thomson and Sadie Ennett faced of against Marta Andrekovic and Sarah Heaton. In a match that saw many long rallies and some impressive defense, Thompson and Ennett outlasted their opponents to take the title with an 8-6 victory.  

The Men’s ‘A’ final was a battle of the top 2 seeds. #1 seeds, Mark Barton and Liam Benton had advanced to the final with an 8-3 win over David Nickel and Joey Hishon in their semifinal. Their opponents and #2 seeds Matt Furlong and Kent McPherson took out Rob Munford and Tony Stanic 8-4 in their semi to set up the final showdown. Barton and Benton showed off their experience in the final. After an impressive couple of high school tournaments , where they won both Huron Perth doubles, and WOSSA doubles, Barton and Benton added to their title haul with an 8-2 win. This is Mark and Liam’s first Super Set ‘A’ Doubles championship.

The Men’s ‘A’ consolation final was one of the matches of the day. Bob Tamblyn (who was playing left handed due to a shoulder injury) and longtime partner Jason Erb faced off against another experienced team in Pat McCarroll and Murray Schiedel. At the end of a long day they went the distance, needing a tiebreaker to decide the title. In the tiebreaker, Tamblyn and Erb prevailed. The 8-7 (7 points to 5 in the tiebreaker) win entertained the crowd from start to finish.

The Men’s ‘B’ final was a battle between first time teammates. Sri Dugalam and Michael De Angelis faced off against John McCarroll and Ron Zehnal. Both teams had won matches in tiebreakers to advance forward in the ‘B’ draw. The final saw the consistency of Dugalam and de Angelis be the difference as they took the title with a well deserved 8-3 win.

The Men’s ‘B’ consolation final had another parent/child team see success. Neil Cave and his 11 year old son Liam took out Jared Smith and Kevin Vogt in their semi to advance to the final. Their opponents would be teenage brothers Josh and Will Heaton, who edged out Stuart Arkett and Brian Arens in their semifinal. The final had multiple momentum swings and saw team Cave make a comeback against team Heaton to force a tiebreaker that would decide the title.  Neil and Liam Cave won the tiebreaker 7 points to 3 to secure the 8-7 match win and take the championship. At 11 years old, Liam Cave becomes the youngest Super Set champion in the tournaments history.

Picture 1 : Ladies ‘A’ Doubles (l to r)  Abbie Straus and Kim Straus ‘A’ Champions,  Jess Lawson and Lindsay Murray ‘A’ Finalists

Picture 2 : Men’s ‘A’ Doubles (l to r)   Mark Barton and Liam Benton ‘A’ Champions, Matt Furlong and Kent McPherson ‘A’ Finalists

Story by Bill White

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The Stratford Tennis Club held its annual Super Set Doubles tournament this past weekend. On a beautiful day for tennis , the 21 teams and many spectators enjoyed a wonderful Saturday in the Park. 

Abbie Straus and Kim Straus ‘A’ Champions,  Jess Lawson and Lindsay Murray ‘A’ Finalists

Mark Barton and Liam Benton ‘A’ Champions, Matt Furlong and Kent McPherson ‘A’ Finalists