By MARJORIE BLACKWOOD
SPECIAL TO THE DRIFTWOOD
When Mother Nature decreed a rainstorm take place on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, tournament director Justene Tedder and competitors were sent scurrying across the road from Portlock Park to the Salt Spring Indoor Tennis Centre to finish the final matches of the Gulf Islands Open under cover.
It was a changing of the guard in the men’s singles, with Salt Spring Island’s 15-year-old Scott Goddard taking down former local David Barclay, a multiple past winner of the men’s singles title who now lives in Victoria.
Goddard has been training with Salt Spring coaches Marjorie Blackwood and Peter Schelling for seven years, and is currently working with the new highly regarded Salt Spring Tennis Association coach Mukul Karthekanian (AKA McKoolio). The local adult tennis community has been instrumental in mentoring and hitting with Goddard over the years, giving him much needed matchplay and practice hours, something all our aspiring juniors will need as they develop their skills.
Gulf Islands Open Results:
Men’s singles: Scott Goddard defeated David Barclay 6-1, 6-3.
Men’s consolation: Nate Kray-Gibson defeated Michael Powell 4-6, 6-4, 10-4.
Men’s doubles: Andrew Ross-Collins/Blair Carley defeated Goddard/Kray-Gibson 6-3, 7-6.
Women’s doubles: Deborah Orange/Tracey McKinlay in a round-robin.
Mixed doubles: Carley/Orange defeated Jenny Pickering/Ross-Collins 6-3, 6-2.