Lancaster and York’s finest players took to the courts for Roses mixed doubles in the 2012 tennis tournament.
Lancaster University started with a disappointing default point given to York, after one of Lancaster’s players failed to show up at the courts. Lancaster’s disheartening false start gave York University an immediate lead.
As the games unfolded and the sun began to shine through the grey clouds, Lancaster’s enthusiasm grew and scores peaked with Lancaster’s first win of 6-2 in the first set and 6-1 in the second.
The final doubles team played a long match lasting over an hour, with two sets leading to a champion tiebreaker, ending with Lancaster winning with a score of 11-9. The two Lancaster players, Nathan Worrell and Sofija Dolgova pushed for a final win and ensured Lancaster tied with York with the 3-3 score and all importantly, avoided a York advantage at all costs.
Sofija Dolgova told SCAN ‘I am so shocked. I don’t think I have ever won a tiebreak before today.’
Worrell stated, ‘I thought I nearly lost it when we were initially three points down, but then I thought of Lancaster and pulled through.’
The mixed tennis doubles is worth four Roses points; therefore Lancaster’s tied score with York earned both Universities two points each.
