LOCAL TENNIS with Donna Schoenmaekers
It was a glorious day for Tuesday Women’s tennis this week and at Clifton Springs the sky was as blue as the courts, where Section 5 Yellow and Blue teams were at home.
Yellow hosted Hamlyn Park and enjoyed the day out. The team started well, winning the first three sets before the Park won the fourth in a tie-break.
The final two sets saw Vicky Winship and Sarka Vajbar three set winners and the Springs taking the win five sets to one.
Blue also played well against Portarlington, winning the match four sets to two. The teams split the first two sets, before Blue won the third and fourth 6-3, 6-1 to put themselves ahead. The final two sets were again split, with Marita Thurman winning her three sets to help her team to the win.
The results saw both teams move up a position on the ladder to sit third and fourth.
Portarlington will be looking forward to the rematch later in the year when Rachel Knez and Anne Lynn, who have been out of the game for 12 and seven years respectively, get some more match practice under their belts.
It was a day of two halves at Bellbrae when Surfcoast hosted Teesdale, but with Judi Evans winning her three sets, Teesdale got themselves over the line with a 4-2 win.
Teesdale started well winning the first two sets 6-1 and in a tie-break, then the teams split sets three and four 6-0 and 6-1. Things got tight in the final two sets with Teesdale getting up 6-4 in the fifth, and Bellbrae 7-5 in the sixth.
Ladder leaders Grovedale played host to Barwon Heads in the last match of the round and while the final result looked one sided, Grovedale didn’t have things all their own way.
Diane Ambrus and Maura Sweet had a tough battle all day with their three sets decided 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 with Diane the victor in all three, while Victoria Strachan and Paula Messinger outlasted Kerrie Grinter and Vicki Castven 7-5 to post the Heads only set for the day.
The similar styles of the teams made for some great tennis, but Grovedale were victors on the day five sets to one.
