The conditions were far from ideal for this week’s Junior Pennant grand finals, with some venues able to make it through, but rain delays making it impossible for others.
Twelve of the 18 section premiers were crowned with six being held over until next week.
The best performer on the day was Grovedale with three wins.
5 Boys were too strong for Bannockburn, winning three singles and a doubles in their 4-2 win.
3 Girls, who were undefeated going into their match against Geelong Lawn White, continued their form with the best win of the day, not dropping a set to be crowned premiers and champions.
The closest match of the day was 1 Girls with Grovedale down 3-1 to Western Heights Uniting after the singles. But with Ruby Egan and Annabel Wingrave winning 6-0, Grovedale were one game behind with the remaining doubles still on court.
Grovedale’s Rosie Kelly and Katelyn White fought it out with Uniting’s Milla Petrovski and Mikayla Whelan in what would decide the match. The Grovie girls took the set 6-4, and the win on the day by just one game.
Grovedale’s
Premier Girls was abandoned at 6-2 in the doubles and will continue next week against Geelong Lawn Green.
Barwon Heads were interrupted in their Premier match against Hamlyn Park and will also have to wait until next week. The Heads managed to secure the doubles 8-0 and a small start into the singles.
Their 4 Boys team came from third to cinch the win against Geelong Lawn 4-2. The match was tied at two sets all after the singles, but the pairings of Joe Escaran and Sonny Duval, along with Harry McKellar and Peter Davis both winning 6-2, secured the win for the Heads.
Minor premiers 8 Boys started slowly against St Mary’s, dropping the first two singles before taking the next four sets to secure the win.
Green Ball 2 went very close in their match with Geelong Lawn. Lawn won the first two singles before the Heads fought back winning the third and fourth, leaving Lawn one game ahead going into the doubles.
Yuvleen Kaur and William Ebeling almost guaranteed the win for Lawn winning their set 6-1 and while Beckett Lynch and Darcy McCredden won the set 6-4 for the Heads, the game difference was too great – Lawn crowned premiers.
Ocean Grove went three for three with their 2 Girls, 4 Girls and Green Ball 4 all securing 4-2 wins.
2 Girls came from third and took the win with three strong wins in the singles and doubles.
Minor Premiers 4 Girls avenged their loss to Wandana Heights in the first-semi. The team started well, winning the first two singles and proved too strong in the doubles, winning both to take the match.
There was a one-game difference between the Grove and Wandana Heights White going into the doubles in GB4, but the minor premiers proved too strong taking the sets 6-5 and 6-1, giving them the win to go through the season as champions.
The combination team Leopold/Moolap were successful in 6 Boys against Geelong Lawn. Again, the doubles proved the difference when the singles were split, giving Leopold/Moolap a 4-2 win.
Wandana Heights pulled off one of the best wins of the day in their match against Surfcoast Torquay in Green Ball 3. The match was interrupted several times by the weather, but the boys persisted and the Heights secured a 5-0 win to be crowned premiers and champions.
St Mary’s had a close encounter with Hamlyn Park in Green Ball 1, with five games between the teams, tied at two sets all after the singles. The doubles were split between the teams with the game difference still with St Mary’s, underpinned by Pinot Wang only dropping one game in her two sets.
