It was 2nd against 4th in the Tuesday Women’s Winter Pennant Section 1 grand final with Ocean Grove the underdogs to Moriac.
Alison Lugg and Kate Lockhart got Ocean Grove an early break to go 2-0 in the first set, but Bridget Laird and Fiona Blood clawed their way back for Moriac to a 7-1 win in a tie-break while on the other court Mel Keating and Judi Broad continued their winning form getting up 6-2 for the Grove.
Moriac got out to a three-1 lead with Laird and Charlotte Wilson taking a 7-5 win against in-form Lockhart and Susan Bissett while Blood and Sue Maibaum had an easier time winning 6-1.
Broad and Lockhart were determined not to let the match get away with Broad labouring in the first game, but with steely resolve, the Ocean Grove pair moved out to a 3-0 lead, continuing to apply pressure, running down shots and being assertive with their overheads, eventual winners 6-1, leaving Keating and Bissett to win the final set to win the match.
The teams went game for game to 3-all before Laird and Maibaum broke to go up 4-3, but with the set finishing on the other court, Keating and Bissett stepped up to win the next three games to take the set and the premiership.
Point Lonsdale was favourite going into the match against Surfcoast Torquay in Section 2, however, Torquay came to play, and play they did.
The teams split the first two sets, but Winsome Batchelor and Jenni Aitken won 6-3 and Josephine Long and Joanne Forde 6-2 put Torquay ahead 3-1. Anne Hainsworth and Linda Muratori kept Lonny in the match, winning the sixth 6-3, but Forde, and Batchelor winning her third set for the day, put Surfcoast over the line.
In Section 3, Clifton Springs hosted Highton and each took a set at the start with Highton four games ahead before taking took a 3-1 lead thanks to Pauline Edmunds and Anna Goli, and Liz Worpel and Lousie Mayall winning 6-3, 6-2.
The Springs fought back with Kristine Mortimer and Denise McGennisken and Debbie McLennan and Julie Bolton winning 6-4, 6-4, but Highton held the game advantage while tied at three sets all to take the win.
Teesdale took on Drysdale in Section 4 and Jan Schefferle and Lynette Wood kicked off the day with a 6-3 win in the first, but Helen Glavocih and Deborah Peacock kept Drysdale in touch winning 7-5.
Teesdale took the lead through the middle with Schefferle and Judi Evans winning 7-5 and Wood with Annette Connors 6-3. The final two sets were split 6-3 and with Schefferle winning her third set for the day, in a match featuring long rallies and great sportsmanship, Teesdale took the win 4-2.
It was a guaranteed win to Grovedale in Section 5 with its Yellow and Black teams facing off.
Yellow’s Tina Thorburn, Stacey Jensen, Jenny Finch, Jinara Schmidt and Dora Abdullah powered through the first three sets before Kerrie’s Grinter and Carlin put the brakes on, winning the fourth 6-4 for Black.
Grinter followed up in the sixth with Vicki Castven to win 6-3, but Thorburn and Schmidt sealed the win 4-2 with a 6-1 win in the fifth.
Barwon Heads hosted Wandana Heights Green in Section 6. Katie Hedley and Dallas Cronwright took the first set for the hosts 6-4 while Wendy Coleman and Cheryl Fox tied it for Wandana 7-5. Hedley and Maura Sweet took a comfortable 6-1 in the third, but Coleman and Adrienne Minchinton reduced the Heads to a one-game lead, winning 6-2.
Fox and Sue Gear put Wandana in the box seat, winning 6-1 leaving Barwon Heads needing to win the final set 6-1 to clinch victory, and while Cronwright and Margie Sanders did get up, Coleman and Glenys Robertson pushed them to 6-4, leaving Wandana with the game advantage to take the flag.
Minor premiers Grovedale took a commanding lead winning the first three sets in Section 7, but St Mary’s was not done with Christie Moores and Maria Kitjapanon taking the fourth 6-2.
Kitjapanon followed up in the fifth with Pauline Collier winning 6-2 to give her team a chance of a come from behind win, but Heather Graham and Robyn Elliott were not having any of that, taking the final set 7-5, helping teammates Justine Rice, Steph Thomas and Anne Waldron to victory.
