Newstead extends unbeaten run by winning- under 17 championship

Newstead Girls College Negombo extended their supremacy in Sri Lankan school tennis by clinching the Under-17 Championship title for the second consecutive year at the All Island Tennis Championship, organized by the Sri Lanka Schools Tennis Association, took place at the Gymkhana Tennis Courts in Queen’s Club, Colombo.

The Newstead girls, who have remained unbeaten since 2015, proved their strength once again, defeating Musaeus College in a thrilling final. The match began with Oneli Samarawickrama securing the first singles victory, defeating Gihansa 7-5, 6-3. In the first doubles, Arushi Thomas and Mohindee Fernando dominated with a 6-1, 6-0 win. Akeesha Silva fought hard in the second singles, winning the first set 7-5 but losing the second 3-6. The match then moved to a super tiebreaker, where she triumphed 10-7, giving Newstead another point. The second doubles saw Newstead’s victory in a tight contest, with a 3-6 loss in the first set, a 6-2 win in the second, and a 10-6 victory in the super tiebreaker.

In the semi-finals, Newstead faced Visakha Vidyalaya, where Oneli Samarawickrama again proved her prowess, winning the first singles 10-7 in a super tiebreaker. Arushi Thomas and Mohindee Fernando cruised to a 4-1, 4-0 victory in doubles, and Akeesha Silva completed the sweep with a 4-1, 4-0 win in the second singles.

Newstead’s road to the finals was impressive, as they went undefeated in the round-robin stage. They defeated Ave Maria Convent Negombo, Bishop’s College Colombo, Hillwood College Kandy, and Ladies’ College Colombo to qualify directly for the semi-finals.

The Newstead tennis team, under the guidance of coach Srimal Kannangara, has been on an unbeaten streak since 2015. Starting from the junior levels with Grade Two in 2015, they won the Red Ball, Orange Ball (2018), and Green Ball (2018) titles. They then went on to win the Under-13 Championship in 2019 and 2020, followed by the Under-15 title in 2021.

Although the pandemic paused their winning streak in 2021 and 2022, the team bounced back to clinch the Under-17 title in 2023, marking their ninth consecutive victory in the All Island Championship.

 Source:Daily News