Despite doubts about whether play would go ahead even up to an hour before start time, Tuesday Women’s Round 11 went ahead in what turned out to be beautiful autumn conditions.
In Section 2 there is still plenty to play for, with just three rounds to go before finals, and all teams still with the possibility of making finals.
Aireys Inlet (3rd) and Moolap (4th) were only separated on percentage going into this week’s match and Moolap travelled down the coast on a wet and miserable looking morning to find the courts damp but playable. Moolap secured a 5-1 win at home in the round 4 clash, but Aireys turned the tables, comfortably at home winning five sets to one, maintaining their position on Surfcoast Torquay Yellow, only two points ahead.
Torquay Yellow made the trip to Highton to face seventh placed Gold team and maintained their place on the ladder, with a 5-1 win. Gold challenged Yellow with close 7-6 and 6-4 losses, but Torquay were too strong on the day.
Ladder leaders Point Lonsdale were the third team to win 5-1, in their away match to Surfcoast Torquay White, with the scoreline matching the round 4 encounter almost exactly.
The Ladies from Lonny put on a consistent performance, ensuring they maintained top spot and placing them well with two of the top four to play in the final three rounds.
The closest match of the day was fifth placed Barwon Heads hosting eighth placed Highton Blue, on the blue courts under blue skies. In their round 4 meeting, Highton managed to scrape through by one game, so this week’s meeting was also expected to be close.
The teams split the first two sets with Julie Toner and Emma Webb winning the first for the home team 6-2, while Sue Pickering and Belinda Murphy battled though in a tie-break for Highton.
Highton took the lead winning the third and fourth sets 6-2, 7-6, before Pickering hurt her knee in the first game of the sixth set and was unable to continue. Highton battled in the fifth set, but the Heads’ Toner with Shelley Sutton proved too strong winning 7-5, taking the win by six games.
Sutton and Murphy had an enduring match up across the morning with all three of their sets going to seven. Despite the loss, the three sets pushed Blue from eighth to sixth, with a slim but possible chance of still making finals with Torquay White, Aireys Inlet and Moolap left to play.
With many of the top four still left to play each other, there is still plenty of opportunity for position changes within and from outside the four. All teams will need to earn their finals positions and time will tell who will.
