The weather managed to hold out just long enough for play to go ahead for the second week of Tennis Geelong’s Monday Women’s Doubles Pilot.
Registrations of teams and players meant that 11 teams are playing in a six-week trial to see what they think of the new offering from the association, the first time women’s tennis has been tried across the city at night.
The aim of the trial is to look at what the players think of the format, the amount of play and a number of other factors before rolling out the new competition in February next year.
The teams were split into two sections, with four matches played this week, at Highton, St Mary’s and Wandana Heights.
Section 1 saw non-club teams Acing Gracefully and Platypi face off at St Mary’s. The Aces Jo Puckett, Fiona Walker, Mimi Armstrong and Sara Williams proved too strong on the night taking all four sets, but they didn’t have it all their own way with several games producing multiple deuce points.
The second match was a much closer affair when Highton 1 hosted Drysdale Clifton Springs. The teams were evenly matched with Sophie Harris and Rachel Shanks taking the first set 8-3 for the visitors, while Michelle Dawson and Kirsty Rixon countered for Highton winning the second 8-5. Harris then paired with Nicole Nicholls to take the third 8-5, and
Highton’s Rixon and Nerida Povey took the last to give Drysdale Clifton Springs a two-game win.
Section 2 also had two non-club teams, Wallabies and Sunday Tennis Ladies, compete, with Wallabies getting over the line. Wallabies made good use of pool emergency Lisa Sherwell with the team, also consisting of Breanna Hulands, Grace Wrigley and Joanna Harriott, winning four sets to love.
In the final match, Western Warriors (Western Heights Uniting) and Wandana Warriors (Wandana Heights) battled it out at Western’s substitute home, Wandana Heights, and made the most of the evening. Kelley Callanan and Ruth Shirley kicked off the night with a 8-4 win which team mates Karen Barlett and Debra Brackley matched in the second.
Wandana hit back in the third with Jules Gower and Jacqui Blampied scoring a 8-5 win, but Western Warriors sealed the win with Callanan and Brackley getting up in the last 8-2.
