LOCAL TENNIS with Donna Schoenmaekers
It was grand final day on Saturday March 23 for Tennis Geelong’s Junior Pennant and the competition was hotter than the weather.
St Mary’s had one of the best wins in Green Ball 1, their only final for the day, 6-0.
The best win went to Geelong Lawn in 9 Boys 6-0, with a 24-game advantage. Lawn also had wins in 1 and 2 Girls giving them three titles out of a possible eight.
Ocean Grove had seven teams competing, and they too managed to bring home three flags with wins in 6 Boys, 8 Boys and 7 Girls.
Hamlyn Park proportionally were the best performed with 7 Boys, 11 Boys and 4 Girls all winning, although with 7 Boys and 4 Girls only decided on games there would have been a lot of nervous parents.
A number of clubs registered one win for the day with Barwon Heads Blue (Green Ball 3) winning 5-1, Lara (Green Ball 2) winning 4-2, Waurn Ponds (5 Girls) and Western Heights Uniting (3 Boys) both winning by two games.
Newcomers to the competition this season were Meredith, who had their 6 Girls team win through as Champions with a 5-1 win over Geelong Lawn. Near neighbours Bannockburn also posted a win in 12 Boys, although it was one of 10 matches decided on games after teams tied on sets.
Wandana Heights White were the inaugural winners of the new Premier B section, their one win for the day, while Moriac took out Premier A in a long match over Grovedale Black two rubbers, three sets, 29 games to one rubber two sets, 28 games.
Grovedale won four of seven finals with 1 Boys winning 4-2, 2 Boys winning 5-1, and 3 Girls winning by six games tied on sets. They also were involved in the two matches that went to deciding sets when the teams were tied on sets and games after the six sets.
Roy Earls and Will Campbell showed nerves of steel in the deciding sets for 10 Boys winning 6-1 to take the flag. The 5 Boys were also within reach for Grovedale, with the team tied with Surfcoast Jan Juc in a tight match with both teams tied on 30 points, involving four tie-breaks. The decider was no exception with Jacob Furness and Harrison McHale finally winning through
for Juc in another tie-break.
Surfcoast also prevailed in 8 Girls with the slightly easier result of 4-2.
Highton would be thinking it was a day of ‘what ifs’ with success in two of its seven finals. The 4 Boys and Green Ball 4 managed wins, while 3 Boys, 12 Boys, 2 Girls and 5 Girls all missed out at three sets all but down on games.
It is the end of a successful season with Grovedale’s 1 Boys, Meredith’s 6 Girls, Hamlyn Park’s 11 Boys and Highton’s Green Ball 4 winning through as champions, and the competition proving to be close with almost half the grand finals decided on games difference.
