London, ON - The Western Tennis Centre will act as host for the long-awaited return of the OUA Championships this weekend, as the Men's tennis team looks to defend their 2019 title. 
 
The men's team took on Brock and McMaster earlier this month and punched their ticket to the Championship by topping the qualifier. Securing top spot in Qualifier A means Western will now face the Toronto Varsity Blues on home court for the Championship this Saturday.  
 
Captain and fourth year student Matthew Oliver sees this as a huge advantage for the Western team, due to the team's familiarity with the court and it's varying conditions. The one negative of it all? COVID regulations mean that family and friends must cheer from home. 
 
"It means the world to me [to be back on the court competing] having missed my entire third year," said Oliver. "I just wish we were able to have spectators." 
 
That isn't the only difference a pandemic season has presented, as the teams also have had to reduce their time on the court.
 
"Prior to COVID my team was able to practice five days a week during our regular season," said Oliver. "Since the pandemic, our court time has been restricted to two to three days a week." 
 
Oliver hasn't let this impact his game play however, as he helped Western secure a place in the Championship with wins in both the doubles and singles categories. Of course, returning to a high-level of tennis after a long break doesn't come without its challenges. 
 
"Our student athletes were definitely rusty," said coaches Anthony Glavanic, Cameron Cross and Marc Powell when asked about the return to play. "Most tournaments over the year were cancelled and they didn't get the opportunity to compete like they normally would." 
 
Players thus had to find alternative ways to spend their time while remaining prepared for an eventual return to play. 
 
"I began to play more basketball, a sport I greatly enjoy, to stay in ideal condition physically," said Oliver. "I also continued focusing on finding a viable job to best position myself for after University. Spending time with my family was another great way I remained mentally prepared to return to play this season." 
 
With some dominant performances under their belt, the focus now turns to this weekend as the team prepares to defend their title with a lot of new faces. 
 
"We would obviously like to repeat," said Glavanic, Cross and Powell. "I am not sure if there is that much pressure as we are a new team with five starters playing in their first OUA finals." 
 
"It is a matter of us playing our game [and] do[ing] our best," added Glavanic. "The pressure is on everyone else knowing we are a very capable team that can win every year." 
 
Toronto will prove to be a tough matchup for Western, as they are known for their consistent competitive style that has won them a total of 34 conference titles. 
 
"The University of Toronto has a deep young team, so we have our work cut out for us," said Glavanic, Cross and Powell. "The doubles point could be the determining factor, so we're focused on that."  
 
From a player's standpoint, going through the motions is the most effective type of preparation.   
 
"I am trying to get out and practice as much as possible. I have been working out every day with extra condition[ing] training on the side," said Oliver. "One of the most important things I have started doing is going to sleep early. We play at 9am on Saturday, so it is important to make sure my sleeping schedule aligns with the match time." 
 
Saturday's Championship will consist of the top six singles players and three doubles pairs competing, with the Championship being awarded to the team that accumulates the most points. 
 
No matter the outcome, this weekend will prove to be an entertaining matchup that both teams can leave feeling proud of, especially considering the unprecedented nature of the season and its additional challenges. 
 
"I'm just trying to win a game and get a degree; things could be a lot worse," concluded Oliver.