![IN THE ZONE: Border young gun Ruby Hodgkin focuses on the task at hand during an under-14 girl's singles match at the Albury grasscourts on Sunday. Pictures: JAMES WILTSHIRE. IN THE ZONE: Border young gun Ruby Hodgkin focuses on the task at hand during an under-14 girl's singles match at the Albury grasscourts on Sunday. Pictures: JAMES WILTSHIRE.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JENdlSLDLKe9as/e1130ebb-d9c4-47ac-8d82-9304a096a50e.jpg/r0_0_4606_3071_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Players and officials at the Border's Margaret Court Cup were left to play catch-up after heat affected scheduled play on Friday.
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With Albury reaching a top of 41 degrees matches were suspended to adhere to Tennis Australia's heat policy, which outlines juniors can't be on court if the temperature exceeds 36 degrees and 38 degrees for open age players.
"We lost half a day's play to heat," tournament organiser Phil Shanahan said.
After a drop in temperature on Saturday and Sunday and the use of grass courts in Wodonga for under-10 and under-12's matches, the tournament is now back on track for the remaining two days.
"That's the luxury of having 55 grass courts," Shanahan said.
"There's been a lot of close matches and a lot of matches going to three sets, so the standard is good."
![HOLDS SERVE: Wambui Taylor serves during her under-14's clash with Ruby Hodgkin at the Margaret Court Cup on Sunday. HOLDS SERVE: Wambui Taylor serves during her under-14's clash with Ruby Hodgkin at the Margaret Court Cup on Sunday.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JENdlSLDLKe9as/8fbbb561-ff4d-44d7-a915-943f416bae28.jpg/r0_0_3953_2635_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Doubles matches commenced on Saturday while mixed doubles got underway on Sunday.
Shanahan said after a nerve-racking lead up to the annual event it was great to see so many players taking to the Border's grass courts.
"A week out from the event we weren't even sure if we were going to be able to hold it," Shanahan said.
"Five days ago with the smoke it was close to 200 on the air index reading and I think we got down to 30 yesterday (Saturday), so it's great to be able to play.
"All of a sudden the conditions change.
"It was tough for the bushfire areas, really tough, but it was good for the tennis."
![DETERMINED: Paris Ayoub in action on Sunday for the Margaret Court Cup which will continue until Tuesday on the Border. DETERMINED: Paris Ayoub in action on Sunday for the Margaret Court Cup which will continue until Tuesday on the Border.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JENdlSLDLKe9as/52b4b1a4-10cb-4b63-9a55-bd2b2b465fb2.jpg/r0_0_4015_2347_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Border tennis product and Margaret Court Cup AMT men's singles ninth seed Jade Culph won his first match of the event on Saturday, defeating Daniel Grubb 6-7, 4-6.
Culph then continued his stellar form into the next morning to down Patrick Hall 3-6, 2-6 in just under two hours to book himself a round three clash with the tournament's number seven seed David Poole.
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However, that's when Culph's run ended, going down to Poole in a tight 12-10 third set decider on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Albury young gun Ella Brown guaranteed her spot in the quarter finals of the under-14's girls singles on Saturday defeating Christiana Masvosva in two sets.
![TOPSPIN: Kirra Morris sends a backhand back to her opponent during day three of the Margaret Court Cup at the Albury grasscourts. TOPSPIN: Kirra Morris sends a backhand back to her opponent during day three of the Margaret Court Cup at the Albury grasscourts.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JENdlSLDLKe9as/47fe1de1-81bc-42b4-a794-1ff237b3996d.jpg/r0_0_3956_2909_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The number two seed faced number six seed Jasmin Sberna in the final on Sunday, with Brown snagging the win 6-3, 6-2 to see her secure a semi-finals berth to be played on Monday.
The Margaret Court Cup is set to continue over the next two days, with the open men's and women's singles finals to be played in Albury on Tuesday to conclude the tournament.
Many players will however remain in the area to contest the Victorian Junior Grass Court Championsips in Wodonga.