Geelong Lawn Green has extended its narrow lead against second-placed Wandana Heights Blue in the top local boys division with a thrilling one-game win at the weekend.
The teams lined up on grass at Geelong Lawn Tennis Club, Belmont, starting with doubles for the top two showdown.
After the first two matches it was one set all going into the singles.
Geelong Lawn pulled ahead winning the first two matches, before Wandana Heights came back to win the last two.
But Geelong Lawn was victorious by the smallest of margins – a single game.
“It was high-quality tennis all round with big serves dominating some games, great touch at the net and excellent ground strokes on display throughout,” Tennis Geelong president Donna Schoenmaekers said.
Meanwhile, in the seniors, Highton looks like taking out the Section 1 men’s minor premiership with a strong five-sets-to-one win over Newcomb.
Grovedale inched to within a point of Highton with a six-zero win over Surf Coast.
But Grovedale face third-placed Barwon Heads in the final week of home and away matches and, with Highton facing bottom-placed Ocean Grove, the ladder seems set.
In the Section 1 mixed, second-placed Grovedale Gold took it to ladder-leader Waurn Ponds but went down four sets to two.
Despite losing, Gold’s two sets will help the team’s chances of earning a top two spot and the resulting double chance in the finals, after Grovedale Yellow defeated St Albans five sets to one.
Yellow will need to win at least five sets next weekend for a chance to move into second place.
In the top girls division Highton pulled off a close win over Centre Court to move one spot up the ladder to third.
Both sides won three sets but Highton finished two games ahead to trade ladder positions with Centre Court.
The match began with doubles, with both teams picking up a set each.
Matilda Puckett and Amelia Batty won their doubles for Highton, while Sophia Pattison and Jordan Rowan won theirs for Centre Court. Highton led by a game heading into the singles.
All four singles sets more or less began at the same time.
Puckett scored a comfortable win for Highton over Leulla Instrell from Centre Court.
Julia Pehar and Pattison both won for Centre Court over Amelia Batty and Annabelle Batty.
It came down to the fourth singles match between Highton’s Ava Wharton and Rowan.
In what was easily the longest and tightest set of the day, Wharton finished stronger, winning in a tie break and securing Highton the overall win by two games.
