Prevailing wisdom will tell you none of us are getting any younger and you can bet your bottom dollar Craig Louis needed little convincing after facing teen sensation Andrew Osmond in Sunday’s men’s singles final of the Gunnedah Tennis Club Championships.

Battered, bruised and beaten, it looked like the beginning of the end for Louis after bowing out of the first set 6-4.

“It meant I had to work a whole lot harder just to get back even,” Louis said. 

“I really started to doubt myself.

“(Andrew) has so much firepower and his ground strokes are so strong.

“It was 4-all at one stage and I had the chance to get up but missed a high volley.”

In the following set some smart play by the youngster forced Louis, a now six-time club singles winner, to part from his usual match strategy.

“I had to change my game plan,” he said.

“He’s so good off the back of the court.

“To serve and volley was really tough for me.”

Confidence returned after a win in the second set but it was far from smooth sailing.

Long games ensued from the outset but remarkably, both held serve.

It was only the late stages of the match, when the strain of fatigue and frustration became more prevalent in Osmond, that Louis was able to seize his opportunity and take the set 6-3 and ultimately, championship victory.

“It was a big relief to finally get the win,” Louis said. “Because every point was tough.”

Earlier in the championships Louis downed another rising star on the representative tennis scene, Sam O’Gorman, to secure his finals berth.

“I knew that match was going to be tough and it was,” he said.

Across court, fellow club veteran Dale Martin battled through injury before eventually going down to Osmond in the semi-final.

Louis bettered last year’s runner-up title in the men’s doubles with victory this year alongside Andrew George against the young pairing of O’Gorman and Osmond.

“We won in two sets,” Louis said.

“We kept coming forward and probably had that little bit more experience on them.”

The two powerhouses of Gabby O’Gorman and Emily Osmond battled out the women’s division one final in a replay of the 2013 decider.

After a close opening set, Gabby eventually triumphed  7/6, 6/1.

Gunnedah Tennis Club President Ben Robertson said the competition was equally competitive in division two where Pat Rankmore found a second wind to win 7/5, 4/6, 6/4 against Wade Hudson.

“I think (Pat) was a little rattled early but regained his composure to win in the end,” Robertson said.

Wade partnered sister, Kristie, in the division 2 mixed doubles to beat experienced hands, John Shaw and Amanda White.

But apparently the family win came of little help to Kristie.

“I think she is the first to admit she lets Wade do most of the hitting,” Roberston chuckled.

Next on the Gunnedah club schedule is its AGM on September 6 starting 5.30pm, which will follow the club semi-final matches.

2014 Gunnedah Tennis Club Championships results:

Division 1 Mixed Doubles: Sam and Gabby O’Gorman beat Craig Louis and Jodie Moore 6/4, 6/2.

Division 1 Men’s Doubles: Craig Louis and Andrew George beat Sam O’Gorman and Andrew Osmond 6/4, 6/2.

Division 1 Ladies Doubles:  Jodie Moore and Gabby O’Gorman beat Annette and Emily Osmond 7/6, 6/2.

Division 1 Mens Singles: Craig Louis beat Andrew Osmond 4/6, 6/4, 6/3.

Division 1 Ladies Singles: Gabby O’Gorman beat Emily Osmond 7/6, 6/1.

Division 2 Mixed Doubles: Wade and Kristie Hudson beat John Shaw and Amanda White 7/6, 6/2.

Division 2 Mens Doubles: Wade Hudson and Pat Rankmore beat Ian Gardner and Paul Sheedy 6/4, 6/2.

Division 2 Ladies Doubles: Ashley Gardner and Kristie Hudson beat Lucy Loveridge and Nenita Robinson 2/6, 7/5, 6/3.

Division 2 Ladies Singles: Brandy Harris beat Nenita Robinson 6/3, 7/5.

Division 2 Mens Singles: Pat Rankmore beat Wade Hudson 7/5, 4/6, 6/4.