LOCAL TENNIS with Donna Schoenmaekers
The Tennis Geelong Saturday Senior Pennant has concluded and premiers have been crowned for another season.
Moolap had a successful day at home with 6 Mixed winning 4-2 over Drysdale, highlighted by Cameron Dempster winning his three sets.
Sophie de Wit also led the charge in 1 Mixed winning her three sets in their 4-2 win over Highton, while 4 Open won both singles and the final doubles to take their final over All Saints three rubbers to one.
Grovedale had the most success for the day winning through in four of their six finals, with 4 Mixed, and 1, 3 and 5 Open getting over the line. Steve Tomkins and Saxon Richardson led the charge in 1 Open upsetting minor premiers Geelong West three rubbers to one, while the father son combination of Andrew and Lachie Smith remained undefeated in 5 Open’s win over
Lara Blue.
One of the closest matches for the day was 3 Open where the junior Premier A runner-ups Malachi Hedt and Tano-Li Quach rallied along with CJ Watkins to get over Ocean Grove three rubbers, four sets, 33 games to one rubber, four sets, 36 games. The club was guaranteed the flag in 4 Mixed, with Black and Yellow teams facing off, and despite Matt Allen winning his three sets for Yellow, Black proved too consistent taking the match by four games.
Jason Murnane suffered the same fate as Allen in 1 Men winning his three sets for the day for Waurn Ponds, but this wasn’t enough to stop Barwon Heads getting up by three games.
The best win in the Men’s sections went to Inverleigh with their 6-0 score over Ocean Grove in 3 Men. Ocean Grove had Inverleigh’s measure through the home and away season, but Inverleigh countered in the first-semi and followed up in the final.
Wandana Heights had a clean sweep against Moolap in 2 Open, avenging their semi final loss. The Heights had won both home and away matches against Moolap, but missed out on the minor premiership in the last round on percentage. Moolap came away with the win in the first Semi, but the Heights rallied when it counted to win out in the end.
Clifton Springs/Drysdale came from fourth in 3 Mixed to upset minor premiers Moriac. After Moriac took the first set, the combination team took control winning the next five sets, spearheaded by Andrew Vlahovic winning his three sets.
Tom Crosbie won his three sets in St Mary’s 4-2 win over minor premiers Grovedale in 2 Mixed. The team won the first two sets, and with the balance of the sets split, this was enough to get them over the line.
The closest result in the mixed sections went to Surfcoast Jan Juc in 5 Mixed against Moolap. Jan Juc made it through to the grand final with a two-game win over Moolap, and it was the same difference in the final, although with three sets decided 7-5, the match was a cliffhanger with the result in the balance until the very end.
Highton had wins in both their finals with Adam Thomas winning his three sets to lead 2 Men to a 4-2 win over Bannockburn, while Anthony Eyles won his singles and doubles in 6 Open to help his team to a seven-game win, with the rubbers and sets level.
With the summer season now done players will enjoy a break until the start of the winter season on April 27.
