The Spring 2024 Tennis Geelong Triples season wrapped on December 12 with some thrilling finals to cap an exciting season.
Section 2 Triples consistently had close results amongst all six teams, but only two could make the grand final.
Moolap Zing Kings had a slight slump at the end of the season, losing their last three matches against teams finishing third through fifth on the ladder, and ended up tied for the top spot with hard-charging Hamlyn Park H.E.A.T.
These teams’ round 7 matchup ended in a 3-3 win for Moolap, so the stage was set for another battle in the grand final.
Moolap showed from the start that they were determined to reverse the fortunes of the end of their season, and won the first two sets 6-0 in doubles by Bradley Canny and Mark Core, and 6-1 in singles by Joshua Simic. However, Hamlyn Park was not to be deterred and came back straight away with a 6-1 win in the next doubles. Moolap’s Core and Hamlyn Park’s Lou Arzanovski had the first close match of the evening, with Core taking a 6-4 win.
Hamlyn Park knew that they needed two big wins in the final two sets, and Moolap just needed to keep it close. Hamlyn was able to win the last two sets with a 6-4 doubles by Ed Jones and Arzanovski, and a 6-5 singles from Zoran Roso, but it was not enough as Moolap finished with a 3-3 28-23 victory. This was the Zing Kings second Section 2 premiership in 2024, bookending one season in Section 1.
Throughout the Section 4 season, one team stood far and away on top – Highton Grown-ups, with eight wins and one loss. The other five teams in the section were very close on the ladder and only in the final round did Smashville bypass Hamlyn Park Warriors and Grovedale Four Posts to sneak into the grand final.
Being a new team to the competition, Smashville had forfeited their first round to the Grown-ups, and were clawing their way back into the competition from that point.
The final was played at Highton, and the first two sets went lopsidedly towards each team, with Smashville’s Jaycob Dingwall and Rashelle Blencowe taking a 6-0 win in doubles and Highton’s Martin Costello winning 6-1 in singles. The second lot of sets was much of the same, with Highton’s Costello and Anthony Eyles now winning the doubles 6-1 and Smashville’s Blencowe winning the singles 6-2. The sets and games were completely even going into the final two sets, and it was clear this was either team’s match for the taking.
Smashville’s Dingwall avenged his only loss of the season, taking a 6-3 win over Eyles.
Smashville’s Elliot Taylor and Blencowe toughed out a 6-5 doubles win, sealing an upset 4-2 26-22 grand final victory in their first season playing Triples.
Other Premiership teams included Section 1’s Moolap Two Phones Chol, Section 3’s Highton LOBsters, Section 5’s Leopold Deuce of Hazzard, Section 6’s Highton Get A Grip and Section 7’s Lara.
