Grovedale prevails in Senior Pennant

Section 1Mixed Bannockburn: Ramona Mataruga, Karen Filippou, Rachael LeMaitre, Kellie Brunger and Ry Davies. (pictures supplied)

Grovedale Black took out the Senior Pennant title with a strong win over Clifton Springs.

Black won five sets to one with Jai Bosnjak and Curtis Fitzgerald three-set winners.

Tano-Li Quach and Jack Tolley won their three sets for the day in Waurn Ponds in Section 2, with almost a mirror image result of Section 1.

The 5-1 trend continued for Bannockburn in Section 3, but with Moolap winning 28, things were tight all the way through with Nick LeMaitre and Jason Tournier leading the team winning their three sets.

Geelong East Uniting bucked the trend in Section 4 coming from third with a 4-2 win over Hamlyn Park. The sets were tied going into the final two matches before Bruce Gathercote and Ben Richmond, and Gavin O’Toole and Peter Ryan teamed to take the final sets 6-3 and 7-6.

In the mixed, it didn’t pay to finish minor premiers, with all but two of the six going down in the final.

St Mary’s and Hamlyn Park played off after Anglesea bowed out in Section 3 and with the match tied on sets and games after the doubles, things were tense.

St Mary’s, however, held firm with Janelle Grass and Tom Crosbie winning 6-0 while Georgia Cowdrey and Bob Keating sealed the win taking the last 6-3.

Newcomb also took the flag with a 4-1 win in Section 5, when it avenged a first semi-final loss to Lara.

Ramona Mataruga fought off Nicole Mullen in Bannockburn’s 6-0 win over Waurn Ponds in Section 1 Mixed, but could have been much closer with Mataruga having the edge 7-5, 7-6, 6-4.

Moriac (S2 Mixed), which finished one point behind Clifton Springs, followed up its first-semi win with a 6-0 over the minor premiers. The Springs came close in a couple of sets going down 7-6 in the first mixed and 7-5 in the men’s, but Moriac proved too strong on the day.

Teesdale (S4 Mixed) and Highton (S6 Mixed) both came from third to win their finals four sets to two.

In the first season of the Open format, it paid to finish minor premiers, with all but one victorious in the end.

Highton toppled Geelong Lawn Green in the first semi (S1), but with a change to match ups, Green reversed the one-game loss to a five-game win, with the match tied on rubbers and sets. Wandana Heights White also reversed its first-semi loss to Grovedale with a 3-1 win.

With close singles matches going one to each team the difference was the combination of brothers-in-law Jason McDonald and Nick Cullen winning both doubles.

Waurn Ponds White went through as Champions in Section 5 with a 3-1 win over compatriots Waurn Ponds Red. Daniel Short and Brad Hay set up the win, both winning their singles 6-0, 6-0.

Moolap showed that beating the previously undefeated Wandana Heights White in their first-semi was no fluke, when it won the Section 2 rematch three rubbers to one.

Both doubles went to the super tie-break with Chris Forsyth and Eli Worldon getting up for Moolap, but with Shaun Grigg winning the first singles, the match was beyond doubt.

The closest match of the day went to Section 4 where Drysdale and Newcomb were tied in rubbers, sets and games. Drysdale, fresh from a win in the Section 2 Boys final, was keen to go two for two, and Max Lee and Rory Maye didn’t disappoint taking the deciding super tie-break 10 points to seven.