LOCAL TENNIS with Donna Schoenmaekers
It was round 3 in this week’s Tennis Geelong Saturday Junior pennant and players seem to be enjoying the new Premier format and so far in Premier B, the teams seem well matched.
Wandana Heights White leapfrogged Grovedale to take top spot with an away win to Grovedale two rubbers to one.
Xavier Hanson kicked off the day with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Christopher Watkins while Matilda Sutherland countered in the second singles for Grovedale with a marathon come from behind effort, eventually getting over the line 2-6, 7-6, 10-7 against Jack Treacy.
The match came down to the doubles, which produced another tough battle with Hanson and Treacy winning 8-6, giving them the tie.
Lara also moved ahead of Grovedale when it defeated Geelong Lawn at home, two rubbers to one.
Ben Weber started well taking the first set against Flynn McDonald 6-0, but McDonald fought back in the second taking it 6-4, before Weber steeled his nerve to take the super tiebreak 10-6.
In the reverse singles Alric Wong levelled the match for Geelong Lawn with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Sam Caddy, with the doubles to decide the winner. This was a hard fought set, with Lara eventual winners 8-6.
The final match of the day saw Wandana Heights Blue host Ocean Grove at Pioneer Park and again the match was decided by the doubles.
Daniel Mills put Blue on the board winning the first singles 6-4, 6-2 over Riley Eyck, before Ocean Grove’s Kade Robinson outlasted Martin Dean in yet another marathon singles match 4-6, 6-3, 10-6.
In the end, the pairing of Mills and Dean proved too strong for Wandana, with the pair taking the rubber 8-2, leaving the team only two points behind second.
Next week may well see the ladder change again, when Grovedale hosts Wandana Blue and for the second week in a row first will play second when Wandana White hosts Lara.