Oshawa, Ont. - The McMaster tennis teams competed at the OUA Tennis Championships from October 5-7, hosted by the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) at the Cmapus Tennis Centre in Oshawa, Ont.
On the women's side, the Marauders were unable to win a match at the Championships. For the men, McMaster earned a total of 6.5 points over the weekend matches. Both Western Mustangs squads took the OUA titles.
The tournament wa an elimination draw divided up into 6 flights, based on players results and position during the regular season. Abbas Panju (Thornhill, Ont.) was seeded 3rd in the 1st flight, while Josh Cadesky (Thornhill, Ont.) entered the 3rd flight as the #1 seed, Jake Morris (Etobicoke, Ont.) as the #4 seed in the fourth flight, and Michael Salib (Mississauga, Ont.) went in as the #2 seed in the 6th flight. Mac's doubles team of David Pinto (Burlington, Ont.) and Ryan Lau (Mississauga, Ont.) also entered the 3rd flight of doubles as a potential medal threat, receiving a bye as well as the #1 seeded position.
Earlier in the season, McMaster had a lot of success against some of their OUA competitors. After defeating the defending champions from Montreal during the first weekend, the Marauder Men's Tennis team went on a three game match winning streak with wins over Toronto, Waterloo, and UOIT. On the last weekend, the men lost to some very strong competition from York and McGill, but finished the season at 4-3, and its first winning regular season record in several years.
The 2012 team had depth from top to bottom which has helped it to compete against the leagues toughest competition this season. #1 Panju has been solid all season, establishing himself as one of the top players in the league. Veteran Cadesky has been a solid at the #3 position all season, winning several crucial matches in Marauder victories. The 4,5,6 seeds, Morris, Matt Holland (Oakville, Ont.), and Salib, have each contributed with timely wins in match victories. Veterans Pinto and Lau have been very strong at the #3 doubles position as well.
