Glasgow University Tennis Club once again reiterated its strength in depth with a crushing 10-0 defeat of Strathclyde.
The result cemented their place in the nation’s top division for next season, whilst leaving them in prime position to begin to generate moment for a play-off push, as the league enters its penultimate round of fixtures.
The team’s white-washing marked an incredible dominance over their city rivals, as they repeated their early season heroics with another faultless display.
Captain James Lush spoke optimistically over the future of tennis at Glasgow University. “Last season we lost a lot of our squad, but this year we’ve been inundated with a really talented bunch of freshers.”
The club has been led by the talismanic performances of Andrew Smilie. He boasts some fairly impressive statistics, having lost only once in several years of service for the GUTC. Lush feels that but for injuries to several star players, the season could have been far more successful. Fresher star David Birrell, who boasts Judy Murray as his former coach, has seen his season hampered by injury, yet when available his emphatic performances have given plenty of encouragement for the club members.
Birrell has been partnered by fellow fresher Tim Campbell in the first squad. Campbell has forced his way into the team with a series of pivotal victories that have been vital in ensuring Glasgow’s first division status.
The men’s focus now turns to the BUCS trophy with the squad facing a trip to face Warwick University. Lush speaks confidently about the team’s chances: “This season has been frustrating for everyone. We’ve been fairly erratic and injuries have cost us in important matches . Yet we’ll go down with a strong side and if we play our best tennis we have a really good chance of progressing”
The second side,which is centred around a strong contingent of Freshers, currently top their BUCS Conference Cup pool and also have a very real chance of advancing.
Whilst the men’s team has lacked consistency, the women have been embroiled in a fierce relegation battle.
In a highly competitive league, dominated by the university teams of St Andrews and Edinburgh, a shock draw with the Fife outfit seems to have all but guaranteed safety for the ladies first team.
