It was a great day for finals and the play was just as good with three sections playing semi-finals and five in preliminary finals.
Section 1 saw Geelong Lawn face Highton in the first-semi and the result was tied at two sets and 16 games with two sets left to play before Georgie Parker and Jill Pavia won the fifth set 6-4, then Bridget Laird won her third set for the day when she teamed with Ida Durran to win the sixth 6-0, giving Lawn the win four sets to two.
The second-semi saw club rivals Surfcoast Torquay and Bellbrae play off in a tough battle of long rallies and intelligent tennis.
After splitting the first two sets, Torquay took the lead winning the next two and stayed in front when Simone Hobbs won her third set with Liz Scott 6-1, with the final result putting Torquay into next week’s grand final.
Surfcoast’s good form continued in Section 5 when Jan Juc upset Drysdale in the first-semi by four games. The sets alternated through the day, but Gayle Roche helped her team over the line winning her three sets.
In the second-semi, counterparts Surfcoast Torquay set up an all Surf Coast grand final with a win over Ocean Grove. The teams split the first two
sets, but Torquay pushed ahead winning two tie-breaks, then with Loretta Fisher winning her third set with Clare Green, the result was beyond doubt, and the win ultimately sealed, four sets to two.
Section 8 was the final set of semi-finals, where both matches were decisive. Anglesea faced an uphill battle against Point Lonsdale before the match started with only three players, eventually going down six sets to love, while St Mary’s experience and skill was too much for Wandana Heights, getting up five sets to one.
Moolap moved into the grand final with a win against St Mary’s in Section 7, four sets to two. The teams were locked at two sets all before Moolap sealed the win taking the final two sets.
In Section 3 Moolap didn’t fair as well when it went down to Surfcoast Torquay four sets to two. After splitting the first two sets, Torquay pulled ahead winning two close ones 7-5 and 7-6, proving to be the difference.
Ocean Grove started well against Clifton Springs winning the first two sets in Section 4, and with Beni Turkson winning her two remaining sets, stayed in front, booking a place against Aireys Inlet next week.
Clifton Springs had better success in Section 6, coming from behind to topple Drysdale by seven games. Drysdale was ahead three sets to one and by two games leading into the final two sets, but Carol Spivey and Jan Whitmore blasted a 6-0 win while on the other court Vicky and Sarah Winship followed suit winning 6-3, keeping the Springs’ chances of a premiership alive.
The closest match of the day was in Section 2 when Point Lonsdale hosted Winchelsea. The teams split the first two sets with Winchelsea ahead by two games, then split the middle sets with teams tied on games with two sets remaining.
Anne Hainsworth and Val Wilson won the fifth set for Lonny 6-1 and despite Andrea Spiller winning her third set for Winch 6-4, the game difference had Lonny ahead by three.
