The Canberra Velocity had to draft in a 14-year-old rookie to help kick-start its Asia Pacific Tennis League campaign to replace star Ashley Keir just hours before the opening round.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Keir was stuck in Gosford in a Platinum tournament and a scheduling clash forced her to miss Velocity’s match against the Stanmore Wyverns in Sydney on Wednesday.
The Velocity lost 4-2 with Tyra Calderwood claiming Canberra’s only singles win before combining with 14-year-old Maria Vais for a victory in the doubles.
Vais, from Sydney, was only recruited when Keir was unable to play.
She lost 0-4, 0-4 to Nicole Kriz in the singles but recovered in the doubles to beat Julia Moriarty and Kriz.
‘‘It was a tough day out there,’’ Velocity’s Alison Bai said.
‘‘There was a super tiebreak there and we felt like we were in it all the way. It was tough not having Ashley and our whole team there but we will be better the next time around.’’
The Velocity men’s team will start its season when it takes on the Sydney University Lions at Newington College on Friday.
Nick Kyrgios will spearhead the men’s team.
Kyrgios played in two grand slam events this year - the French Open and the US Open - and is recovering from an elbow injury.
Kyrgios is close to securing a wildcard spot for the Australian Open next year after a massive rise up the rankings.
The Velocity women’s team will play the Wyverns in a reverse match at Woden on November 16.
Stanmore Wyverns 4 bt Canberra Velocity 2: Julia Moriarty bt Alison Bai 4-1, 3-4 (3), 4-2; Ange Svinos bt Nicole Hoynaski 4-3 (3), 4-1; Pamela Boyanov lost to Tyra Calderwood 1-4, 2-4; Nicole Kriz bt Maria Vais 4-0, 4-0; Ange Svinos/Pamela Boyanov bt Alison Bai/Nicole Hoynaski 4-0, 1-4, (10-2); Julia Moriarty/Nicole Kriz lost to Tyra Calderwood/Maria Vais 2-4, 4-1, (7-10).
