It was preliminary final week for Tennis Geelong’s Senior Pennant with all grades in knockout matches and hopes of making next week’s grand finals. Players were fresh after last week’s break for Labour Day weekend, although it was a day for the home teams, with only one breaking the trend.
In the Men’s sections Grovedale won their first four sets against Highton (M1), while Surfcoast Bellbrae will face Bannockburn (M2) after posting wins against Hamlyn Park (5-1) and Highton (4-2).
Fyans Park took the first set against Drysdale (M3), and despite winning 29 games for the day, didn’t manage to win another set with Drysdale taking the win 5-1.
In the Mixed sections, it came down to the final set for Moriac Blue and Grovedale Yellow (X1), but Moriac prevailed in a tie-break to win 4-2 by one game. Clifton Springs matched sets with Moolap Gold (X2), also winners by one, but three sets all. Moolap’s luck didn’t improve against Newcomb (X3), with three tie breaks and at 7-5 the match was neck and neck, but Newcomb prevailed 4-2.
It was a club battle for Western Heights Uniting with Red and Blue teams facing off in Section 4. Both teams had posted a win during the season, but Blue stepped up and took the day 5-1. Teesdale (X5) had the best win accounting for Highton 6-0, while Grovedale’s Black and Yellow teams battled for the remaining place next week. In a tight encounter Yellow got over the line.
Section 6 went with the ladder with Surfcoast Bellbrae and Wandana Heights posting wins over Leopold (4-2) and Sutherland’s Creek (5-1).
In the Open sections, Wandana Heights posted the one upset for the week, overcoming Newcomb (O1) three rubbers to one, with both doubles rubbers going to a super tie-break, both the way of the Heights.
Barwon Heads also posted a 3-1 win over Moolap Black in Section 2, again two rubbers going to a super tie-break, but the Heads winning both singles.
Highton’s day improved with wins in Section 3 and 6 over Ocean Grove and Section 4 in a clean sweep over Moolap Gold. Grovedale posted their third win for the day against Surfcoast Jan Juc (O5), and after a slow start were eventual winners 4-0.
Section 7 had two semi-finals where minor premiers Wandana Heights proved too strong for Ocean Grove 3-1 while in the other final Barwon
Heads, after dropping the first two rubbers, pulled off a massive comeback with David Reid battling through to win the reverse singles 7-5, 6-3 while Shaun Taylor and Paul Creati won the doubles, managing it in two sets 6-2, 7-6. These straight sets wins coupled with the first doubles going to a super tie-break, meant that at the end of the day, the Heads prevailed 2-5-38 to 2-3-37.
