Summer Pennant reaches halfway point

Western Heights Uniting's Liviana and Evie Ryan. (supplied)

It is the halfway mark of the Tennis Geelong Saturday Summer Pennants and things were nice and tight in Section 2 Girls, where only 14 points separated first and sixth.

This week’s matches showed how evenly matched the teams are with close results in all three.

The best win of the day was to Surfcoast Torquay which travelled to Highton for a match up of second vs third. Torquay started well with Sarah Speldewinde and Phoebe Truswell taking the first two singles, but with only one service break the difference 6-3 and 6-4.

Highton’s Imogen Richards helped her team with a 6-0 win in the third, before Emma Jarvis extended Torquay’s lead going into the doubles with a 6-3 win. The doubles were tough matches for both teams, with both decided 6-4. Isabella Brockman and Liana Skoko turned the tables on Speldewinde and Truswell for Highton winning the first, but Richards with Estelle Fanning sealed the match for Torquay taking the second, and the win pushing Torquay two points ahead of Highton and its second place.

In the battle of fourth vs fifth, Drysdale and Western Heights Uniting Blue played a tale of two halves.

Blue started well with Evie Ryan, Pearl Thompson and Liviana Ryan all winning their singles in close matches, 6-3, 6-5, 6-4, but Drysdale didn’t give up and turned its fortunes around with Indi Colley winning the fourth singles 6-1 before teaming with Carlotte Iles to win their doubles 6-2, while team mates Lulu Doughty and Matilda Iles sealed with the win with their 6-2 victory.

The end result, three sets all and seven games to Drysdale.

Ladder leaders Barwon Heads will be breathing a sigh of relief after a close encounter with sixth placed Western Heights Uniting White, taking the win by only two games.

White played well away from home with Klara Pehar, Zoe Morrison and Mikayla Whelan winning their singles 6-4, 6-5, 6-2, while Elyssa Mutton put the Heads on the board with her 6-1 win at number 2.

The doubles were both hard fought but the combinations of Mutton with Siena Gill and Alice Crane with Sarah Malouf proved too good on the day, winning both sets for the Heads 6-4.

At the end of the round, all teams are still well in contention for finals, and will consistent performances for the rest of the season to guarantee their place in the top four.