With tennis cancelled at the weekend due to Victoria’s recent snap lockdown, the battle in the men’s section 1 top four has intensified.
Highton (54.5) leads Grovedale (52.5) in the quest for the minor premiership in the top local men’s division.
With only two points separating the teams, the run home will be crucial to both once competition resumes.
Highton, led by Jamie Heaton, are set to face fifth-placed Newcomb and bottom-placed Ocean Grove.
Grovedale, with young guns Ryan Lee, Ned Simpson and Jai Bosjnak, have a tougher run facing sixth-placed Surf Coast and third-placed Barwon Heads.
Barwon Heads and fourth-placed Leopold seem unlikely to catch the two ladder leaders, trailing Grovedale by four and seven points respectively.
The two teams are set to face each other in an early finals preview.
Leopold took the points in their first encounter, but as the season has gone on all results have been much closer than the first few rounds.
With finals looming all four teams will want to assert themselves and build some good form when competition returns.
In the top mixed division Waurn Ponds is all but guaranteed the minor premiership with a 15-point lead over the three teams from Grovedale.
Nicole Mullen has led the way with an unbeaten record for the season taking all 30 of her sets.
The battle for second and the double chance looks to be going to Grovedale Gold.
But with a tough run scheduled against Waurn Ponds and third-placed Grovedale Yellow in the last two weeks, they may drop to third to meet Grovedale Black in the first elimination final.
Grovedale Yellow have been strengthened with the return of Grant Thompson from injury.
They will be pushing hard to move ahead of club rivals Gold for the opportunity to take on Waurn Ponds in the first final.
The section 1 boys, the top of 15 local boys’ leagues, Geelong Lawn Green leads Wandana Heights Blue by just a point.
In the section 1 girls Geelong Lawn leads Grovedale by 11 points.
