It was semi-finals week for Tennis Geelong’s Saturday Pennants with the six team sections having their last home and away round.
It was do or die in 12 of the 16 sections with elimination finals between third and fourth place holders.
1 Mixed was a tight affair to the end of the doubles with the teams tied on sets and games before Grovedale Yellow bested club rivals Black winning both reverse mixed for a 4-2 win. Steve Muratori the standout winning his three sets.
2 Mixed was a surprise result with Moolap Gold having their first win in three encounters against Lara. Gold proved too strong on the day with Lara only able to secure the women’s doubles.
Another surprise win went to Fyans Park in 3 Men. Western Heights Uniting claimed both home and away matches, but the Park proved too strong with a 5-1 win.
Moolap stormed ahead in their 3 Mixed encounter with Surfcoast Torquay White winning the first three sets 7-6, 6-1, 6-0, before Torquay made a comeback winning the last three, but with the closer results of 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, they fell short by six games, Moolap taking the match and pitting themselves against Newcomb in the prelim.
4 Mixed was a nailbiting affair going into the reverse mixed where Western Heights Uniting and Wandana Heights were two sets apiece with a two-game lead to Wandana. Western Heights held their nerve, however, winning the final two sets to take the win 4-2 spearheaded by three-set winner Anne Osmant.
Section 3 and 4 Open were a little more one sided, but almost mirror images of each other. Ocean Grove and Moolap Gold won their matches 4-0, narrowly winning the first doubles, with super tie-breaks going their way 10-8 and 12-10.
Ocean Grove also prevailed in 6 Open, after a close start. Daniel Mills won the first singles for Grovedale 6-3, 6-2, but Kade Robinson and Daniel Golightly countered in the doubles winning 6-4, 6-3. The Grove however, proved stronger in the reverse rubbers winning both the singles and doubles to keep their finals hopes alive.
The closest Open section was 2 between club rivals Moolap Black and Gold. Josh Matthews won the first singles for Black 6-3, 7-5 while Chris Forsyth and Connor Chivell countered for Gold in the doubles 6-0, 6-4. Matthews backed up in the doubles with Matt Young winning 6-2, 6-2 for Gold, but with Lachie Edgar winning the singles 6-1, 6-3, Black held their three-game lead putting them over the line and into the preliminary final against Barwon Heads.
Section 1 Men was the closest result of all the elimination finals. Waurn Ponds and Highton Gold went set for set, and despite winning her three sets, Nicole Mullen’s Waurn Ponds went down by one game with the teams equal on sets, allowing Gold to continue their finals run.
There is a break this weekend for Labour Day, but finals will continue for all grades on March 15.
