Highton Tennis Club has solidified its lead in the final round of Geelong’s premier competition.
Highton thrashed Ocean Grove in the Section 1 men’s 6-0 to hand them the wooden spoon.
Third-placed Barwon Heads narrowly defeated second-placed Grovedale by three games, with both sides winning three sets.
But the result did not change the ladder, with finals to begin in a fortnight following a break for the Labour Day weekend.
The first semi-final between Highton and Grovedale should be a tight encounter, with both teams winning one each of their two clashes earlier this season
The do-or-die second semi-final will see Leopold travel to Barwon Heads in a rematch of round 13.
Barwon Heads took that match 4-2 with Toby Mitchell and Greg Luke as stand outs.
But Leopold young guns Taj Cayzer, Jason and Gavin D’Souza, and Saxon Richardson should take it to the more experienced Barwon Heads.
Section 1 mixed saw Waurn Ponds win comfortably 6-0 over fourth-placed Grovedale Black.
Nicole and Mikaela Mullen outplayed their opposition dropping just nine games.
The men’s set proved the closest of the day with Billy Spicer and Jason Tomicic winning in a tie-break over Tyler Krumholz and Brent May.
In the Grovedale grudge match third-placed Yellow upstaged second-placed Gold on games, but the result was not enough for Yellow overtake Gold on the ladder.
Waurn Ponds will face Gold for a place in the grand final, after winning both sides’ previous clashes comfortably.
Gold will need the right combinations, and look to Jo Puckett and Jason Schoenmaekers for their experience, for a chance at a win.
Yellow will face Grovedale Black in a less predictable knockout semi-final.
Black’s Matt Squire is playing great tennis, while Yellow are enjoying having Grant Thompson back playing himself into form with long-time teammates Jared Bromley and Dave Meehan.
Bianca Duff has dominated the ladies for Yellow, not dropping a single set against Black in their past two encounters.
The match could depend on the plans of Black’s Mimi Armstrong, Lisa Sherwell and Catrina Saltalamacchia to counter this.
