It was semi-final week for most of Tennis Geelong’s Junior Pennant and everyone was primed to do their best with the prize a place in next week’s grand finals.
Geelong Lawn had 10 teams competing with their Green team prevailing in Prem Girls over Ocean Grove, 3 Boys over Surfcoast, a huge 6-0 win over Clifton Springs in 6 Boys, wins over Highton in 4 Boys and 7 Boys (by one game, Green Ball 2 over Wandana Heights White (by two games) over Western Heights in 3 Girls.
Wandana Heights were also well represented in eight finals, victorious in 1 Boys and Green Ball 3, both 6-0 and over Lara, while they scored an upset 5-1 win over St Mary’s in Green Ball 4.
Hamlyn Park went two for two with their wins in Green Ball 1 over Leopold and Wandana Heights Blue in Premier Boys. Wandana also missed out in the second final in Premier Boys going down to Barwon Heads two rubbers to one.
This was one of six matches for Barwon Heads, being the masters of the tight win, also posting wins against Geelong Lawn in 8 Boys 5-1, while it was a six-game win over Ocean Grove in 1 Boys, five games against Leopold in 2 Girls and Green Ball 3, and only two games over Bannockburn in 4 Boys with all matches tied at three sets all.
Bannockburn did better in their second match with a 5-1 win over Highton in 5 Boys.
Highton had a day they would rather forget with six teams participating, but only 2 Boys getting over the line against Surfcoast Torquay 4-2. The closest match of the day was Highton’s 1 Girls team against Western Heights Uniting, which was a tie after six sets.
Uniting’s Jacqueline Kolar and Scarlet Ward sealed the win in the decider 6-2 to go through to next week. Western Heights also secured a place next week in 2 Boys with their 4-2 win over Geelong Lawn, and 2 Girls with their 4-2 win over Wandana Heights.
Ocean Grove had an average day with only two of their six teams moving through to next week, getting over Drysdale in 2 Girls, and then only just, in a match tied at three sets all and ahead by three games in 4 Girls over Lara.
Surfcoast fared slightly better with two of their five teams earning a grand final berth. 7 Boys and Green Ball 3 handed Ocean Grove two of their losses, both with 4-2 wins.
While Grovedale only appeared in three matches this week, it was a 100 percent success rate with 1 Girls over Geelong Lawn, a clean sweep by Premier Girls over Lawn’s White team and 5 Boys over Ocean Grove by six games.
The combined Leopold/Moolap team in 6 Boys proved a success over Surfcoast while St Mary’s also posted a seven-game win over Highton White.
While the round only produced six upsets in the 31 matches played, 11 were tied at three sets all and were decided on game difference, which can only suggest that next week’s grand finals will be worth a watch.
