Things are tight at the top of the ladder for Section 3 Men in Tennis Geelong’s Winter Senior competition.
Bannockburn, Moolap and Hamlyn Park are all tied on 49 points with separation only on percentage, going into last Saturday’s round of matches.
Bannockburn hosted bottom of the table Geelong East Uniting, and put itself clear of the other teams with a convincing 6-0 win, allowing GEU only 10 games for the day.
All Saints travelled to Hamlyn Park for the next match of the round, but the home team took advantage of the wet conditions.
Riley Warren battled hard for All Saints winning 14 of the sides 18 games, and teaming with Colin Dempsey to take their one set for the day, but the Park proved too strong taking a 5-1 win.
Patricks Lanyon and Walpole were the standouts for the day for Hamlyn Park, both winning their three sets.
Moolap was due to meet fourth placed Drysdale in the third match of the day, however the match was not able to be started.
The final match of the day was a slog between club rivals Grovedale’s Yellow and Black.
On soggy synthetic grass, the teams battled it out in a close encounter. Yellow’s Matt Francis and Greg Pitts took a close one 6-4 in the first set, while Black’s Peter Watkins Jnr and Lachie Smith countered with a 6-3 win in the second.
In the third, Malachi Hedt and Peter Watkins Jnr put Black ahead by taking a tie-break, but Greg Pitts and Jarrod Bateup gave Yellow a one-game lead going into the final two sets taking the fourth 6-3.
The first four sets were tough and the final two sets followed the same pattern. Matt Francis and Jarrod Bateup set up Yellow for a win taking the fifth set 6-3, however, Watkins Jnr almost upset their plans, teaming with dad Pete Snr winning the final set 6-4, his third for the day, leaving the teams even on sets but Yellow with a two-game advantage, extending their ladder lead on Black by two games, and leaving them with an outside chance of still making finals.
