On Saturday, the Varsity women’s tennis team won its fourth straight gold medal against Université du Montreal 4-3. The win capped off a season where the Blues went 5-2 and won a thrilling semi-final match against York 4-3 on Friday, after a third doubles match in which Aisha Bhimla and Maia Kirk won 8-7 to boost the Blues into the finals.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Blues coach Nabil Tadros. “I am really happy for the new players, that’s where the real excitement is. This is something they will talk about for the rest of their lives.”
The Blues were led by the strong play of their number one, Natalia Lech, who extended her twoyear unbeaten streak, winning in straight sets in the finals. “I just played my game. I did what I had to do and came through,” she said.
The Blues were able to take the doubles point with two demanding 8-2 wins. This was due to great serving and smart baseline action, forcing errors on Montreal’s part.
“Our doubles have great chemistry,” said Blues player Roxana Soica, “everyone here gets along so well that it creates a no-pressure atmosphere and you can just play without worry.”
The Blues were not as strong in the singles matches, but managed to hold off Montreal for the 4-3 victory. The highlight of the singles matches was Roxana Soica’s straight sets 7-5, 7-5 victory, coming back from 5-2 and 5-3 deficits in the first and second sets, respectively.
“I just had to play, and not think. I adjusted to the way the game was going and played my slice shots. You just can’t give up,” explained Soica.
“This just shows the type of pressure player Roxana is. She has a great competitive edge and being down 5-2 is nothing for her,” said Tadros.
Throughout the afternoon the Blues played tough and made the shots they had to, frustrating a Montreal squad with their precise use of the width and length of the court.
“It isn’t enough for a player to be able to play the court up and down. They must be able to move side to side and that is where our players were able to play their shots to capitalize,” said Tadros. This victory shows the strength and power of the women’s tennis program at U of T. With four straight OUA championships, the women have become strong opponents to OUA teams. They now hold the record for the most number of consecutive gold medal wins in OUA championship history, beating York’s record. Though they lost two matches this year, their ability to win close matches and capitalize in important situations, like against Montreal on Saturday, show how good the team and the tennis program have been.
“Each year we have new players. This year we were fortunate enough to get players like Aisha Bhimla, Maia Kirk, and Roxana Soica. They are all top players and they bring something special to our team,” Tadros said. “School comes first. For the ladies on this team to play so strongly and be into their studies shows just the kind of people they are,” he remarked.
Saturday was far from cloudy for women’s tennis—it was golden.
