Team Malta had one silver medal to show on the final day of competition at the Montenegro GSSE in Budva, Montenegro.
After Friday’s heroics in athletics and shooting, tennis players Francesca Curmi and Elaine Genovese were beaten by Cypriot duo Raluka Serban and Elena Louka 6-3 6-2 in the women’s doubles final to finish second in the tournament.
That result meant that Team Malta returns home with 27 medals – six gold, 12 silver and nine bronze, which ranks as one of the best performances in a GSSE held away from our shores.
Curmi and Elaine Genovese were the only athletes vying for another gold medal yesterday.
Buoyed by their impressive showing against the tournament second seeds Montenegro in Friday’s semi-final, there were hopes that the Maltese duo could upset the highly-rated Cypriots.
However, Serban and Louka were soon in control breaking the Maltese players twice early in the first set to easily win the opener 6-2.
In the second set the Maltese tried to fight back and they did managed to pull counter-break one of the two breaks of serves they conceded to their opponents but still it was not enough as Serbian and Louka cruised home to complete a 6-2 6-3 victory.
“It wasn’t the best of performances,” Genovese admitted just after the final.
“On Thursday, we faced the tournament second seeds Montenegro and we played one of our best matches of the competition. But today it simply didn’t work out for us. Although the scoreline might suggest that it was a one-sided affair we did have some opportunities to get back into the match but we failed to take them.
“But still we can still be satisfied to be returning home with a silver medal.”
For Genovese this was her second medal won in Montenegro after taking a bronze in the women’s singles.
Asked how she thought Maltese tennis players ranked against their fellow GSSE counterparts, Genovese thinks that they were in no way inferior to their opponents.
“We don’t feel inferior to the other GSSE countries,” Genovese said.
“The Maltese players that are here are used to play tournaments abroad against the same players that we faced here and personally I think that our level is on a par with other countries.”
On her part, Francesca Curmi said that for her this participation at the Montenegro GSSE was all part of tennis education.
“Personally, I just take every tournament as a lesson,” she said.
“I always analyse my performances and see where I can better my game so I can only improve for the next tournament.”