Six of the nine sections in Senior Saturday competition had their semi-finals in Tennis Geelong this week and, strangely, all first semi results were decided four sets to two, but the winning teams didn’t have it all their own way.
Jai Bosnjak dominated for Lara in Section 1 Men only dropping three games for the day. The balance of the match was close with both Lara and Surfcoast Torquay winning a set each 7-5, and Michael Hili taking two of his sets for Torquay, but Lara won out with a 13 game lead.
Highton will be hoping for a rematch in Section 2 Men’s grand final against Grovedale, after going down at Francis St. While the final score looked like a comfortable win to the home team, Grovedale would be grateful for Josh Scott having two easier wins 6-1 and 6-0, as Clayton Paull had his hands full with Eli Worldon, with Worldon getting the best of the match up 5-7, 7-6, 7-5, and taking Highton’s two sets for the day.
It was a similar situation at Moolap, where the home teams Mick Kotwic battled it out with Hamlyn Park’s Jeffrey Mann, with Kotwic helping his team to the win taking two of the three sets 7-6, 7-6, 5-7. Kyle Beattie chipped in winning his three sets for the day, putting Moolap straight into the Section 3 Men’s grand final.
Section 4 Men were in their last round for the year, and while first and second were settled, the battle for third and fourth were up for grabs. In the end, Highton Blue and Leopold closed the gap on Highton Gold, but Gold remained ahead on percentage to their stablemates and a point ahead of Leopold.
Waurn Ponds took it to minor premiers Grovedale in Section 1 Mixed, with nothing separating the teams after the first two mixed, and only one game after the doubles, with Mikaela Mullen winning both of her sets for the Ponds. Grovedale rallied in the final two mixed however, with Marci Sanderson and Dave Meehan getting up 6-2, and Belinda Lee and Jason Schoenmaekers denying Mikaela her third set taking it 6-3, earning them the week off next week.
With only two points separating the White and Blue Wandana Heights teams at the end of the season, the Section 3 Mixed first semi was bound to be a good one. Blue started well taking the first two mixed and the men’s, while White rallied to take the women’s. Nicole Wright and Darryl Mohr sealed the win for Blue in the fifth set, leaving White to face Grovedale next week.
Waurn Ponds are hitting their straps at the right time, pushing themselves into second last week, and taking a good win on Saturday over minor premiers Grovedale. The match was even two sets all after the doubles, but the Ponds saved the best to last taking both reverse mixed, to put them straight into the Section 3 Mixed grand final.
Section 4 and 5 Mixed played their final home and away matches this week, and with all matches in Section 4 level on sets, and the ladder leaders in Section 5 having good wins, the only change to finals positions was Section 5’s Wandana Heights winning a home final by half a point to Ocean Grove.
