PENNANT ONE:

After two rounds of the Sunraysia Table Tennis summer pennant Weightmans Packaging are the only undefeated team in what appears will be an even competition.

– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Andrew Cannard, Graeme O’Neill, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 2) d Fishers IGA 5 (Wayne Carmichael 3)

This round they narrowly accounted for Fishers IGA 6-5 on the grand stand court. Skipper Andrew Cannard won two singles as did fill in Graeme O’Neill however it was again 14 year Bernadette Fitzpatrick who again came to the fore also winning two singles. In the first game of the night she defeated Ash Morrison in a tight four setter to get her team off to a good start and later with the match at five rubbers all she then overcame any nerves to defeat Ross Humphreys in an entertaining five set struggle 3-11 11-8 11-8 9-11 11-5. Weightmans have started the season in blaze of glory and victory came here despite Wayne Carmichael winning three singles and being involved in both doubles victories. Despite the loss Fishers are second on the ladder by percentage.

– Mallee Bearings 8 (Jackson Tung 3, Matt Ljubic, Ali Taheri 2) d Bishop Builders 3 (Mark Ljubic 2)

On the stage court Mallee Bearings proved too strong for Bishop Builders this round and both teams now have a win and a loss. After a quiet week last round Jackson Tung showed his true colours with an outstanding performance in singles and he was instrumental in his teams resounding 8-3 win. Tung started well defeating Michael Hogarth in a top class four setter however it was his three set defeat of opposing skipper Mark Ljubic which enabled Mallee Bearings to get on a four game winning streak and finish the match. Tung’s team mates chipped in too with both skipper Ali Taheri and Matt Ljubic winning two singles each. Ljubic junior has started his first pennant one season in fine style winning two singles for the second round in succession however defeat at the hands of father Mark will make him more determined when they next meet.

– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Nicholas Dorman, Sony Sefer 1) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Mark Dorman 2, Geoff Wright, Arthur Paar 1)

In the remaining game on centre court Pinnacle Packers after taking control early took the points 6-5 over the fast finishing Max Miller Carpets. The Packers were out of the blocks early and took a 4-1 and later 5-2 lead which proved too difficult for the Carpeters to recover from. In the first game of the night Packers Sony Sefer proved too steady for Geoff Wright and in a close four setter Sefer won 12-10 12-14 12-10 11-9 a tense struggle. The Carpeters only success early was when skipper Mark Dorman accounted for his son Nicholas in three close games 11-9 11-8 11-8. Despite a comeback from the Carpeters the Packers were able to record a narrow victory courtesy of their solid start. The Packers trio of Gavin Carmichael, Sony Sefer and Nicholas Dorman recorded three, one and one singles success respectively.

PENNANT TWO:

Spanline, Mallee Bearings and Weightmans Packaging took the wins in Round 2, before heading to a two week break.

– Spanline 8 (Tony Malycha, Cole Keegan, Leon Brown 2) d Tankard Dental 3 (Arnold Jago 2, Claire Ljubic 1)

Spanline took the biggest win in this round, downing Tankard Dental 8 rubbers to 3.

Spanline captain, Leon Brown, number two Cole Keegan and number three Tony Malycha all took two wins, plus they took both doubles to give their team an impressive win.

Brown defeated opposing captain Arnold Jago in four sets, later on he defeated number two Jessica Dorman in four, but fell to Tankard’s number three Claire Ljubic in a very close five set contest.  Brown’s team-mates both defeated Dorman and Ljubic, but both fell to Arnold Jago in three sets.

The icing on the cake for Spanline was their two doubles’s wins.  Brown and Malycha downed Jago and Dorman in five sets, in a match in which the Tankard pair generally had the better of play.  Brown and Malycha were able to win the big points, though, and that is what made the difference.  The second doubles was a much easier win – Brown and Keegan easily defeating Jago and Ljubic in three, 8, 7 and 5.

There were scant pickings for the Tankard Dental team in this match.  Arnold Jago took two wins – against Keegan and Malycha, and Ljubic defeated Brown in five close sets, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 7-11, 12-10.

Tankard’s kept the damage to a minimum on the for and against front – they took 17 games in their 3 wins, and Spanline didn’t really capitalize on their 8 wins, as they only added two sets to their tally in the games they lost, making it a total of 26.

Final scores:  8 rubbers to 3 and 26 games to 17.

– Mallee Bearings 7 (George Papanicolaou 3, Peter Fitzpatrick, Geoff Peters 1) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Seval Fuat, Glen Bell 2)

Mallee Bearings defeated Max Miller Carpets in an even display.  Led by their number two George Papanicolaou, the Bearings side were never threatened.

Papanicolaou had a night to remember, in his first round singles, after being two sets to love down against “Steady” Seval Fuat 7-11, 10-12, Papanicolaou forced his way back into the match and overpower Fuat in the final three 4, 6 and 8.  Papanicolaou later met Glen Bell, who was also in good form, and defeated him in another five set contest.

Captain Peter Fitzpatrick and Geoff Peters also contributed a singles rubber, both defeating Max Miller number two Sabrina Fitzpatrick.

Both doubles were taken by the Bearings side – Peter Fitzpatrick and Peters downed Fuat and Sabrina Fitzpatrick in four, and later on Fitzpatrick and Papanicolaou needed only another four sets to account for Fuat and Bell.

Max Miller’s four rubbers came via Fuat and Bell winning two singles each – both defeating Peter Fitzpatrick and Peters.  Fitzpatrick was easily accounted for by these two – losing both matches in three sets, Peters, after being defeated by Fuat in three, took the game right up to Bell in their match, and after leading two sets to one, lost 11-8 in the fifth after a strong showing.

Final scores:  7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 20.

– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Lee Thomas, Lachlan Kelly 2, Mick Bacon 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Ed Hung 3, Michael Hensgen 1)

Weightmans Packaging took the points in this clash with Fishers IGA.

Despite taking three singles wins, Ed Hung and his team-mates could only take a further two rubbers in this match up with Lee Thomas, Lachlan Kelly and Mick Bacon.

The Weightmans trio all contributed to their total – captain Lee Thomas took two (against Karly Leach in three sets and Michael Hensgen in four); Lachlan Kelly also defeated Leach and Hensgen, both in four.  Number three Mick Bacon contributed one, accounting for Karly Leach in the first round of singles.  That was an interesting win – Leach was clearly the better player of these two in the recent winter competition, winning 33 games to Bacon’s 22, but she has not started this campaign as strongly.

Weightmans sixth rubber came courtesy of the second doubles – Thomas and Bacon defeated Hung and Hensgen.

For Fishers, Hung took three, all in three sets, and added to the first doubles when he and Leach defeated Kelly and Thomas, Michael Hensgen gave his time five rubbers in the final match, defeating Bacon in four sets.

Final scores 6 rubbers to 5 and 20 games to 19.

PENNANT THREE:

Leonie Dunkley led her team to their second win in as many weeks, and sits at the head of the aggregate ladder with 6 wins.

– Dunkley Scales 7 (Leonie Dunkley 3, Muhkwinder Muhkwinder 2, Mustafa Rezaie 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Winston Easterbrook 2, Matt Avers 1)

Dunkley Scales followed up their first round 9-2 win with a 7-4 win here against Weightmans Packaging in round 2.

Once again Leonie Dunkley led from the front, taking three singles win.  Dunkley was in control in all her matches, dispatching Rachel Fitzpatrick in three sets; after losing the first set 16-14 to Winston Easterbrook she warmed to the occasion and took the next three 9, 10 and 6.  Matt Avers also took his first set from Dunkley 11-7, but Dunkley was untroubled in the next three, winning 5, 6 and 7.

Number three Muhkwinder Muhkwinder is proving to be a real find.  After winning three rubbers last week, he backed that up with another two here, and he and Dunkley took the second doubles too, against Fitzpatrick and Avers.

Jeff Hards was unable to play this week, and his replacement Mustafa chipped in with a singles rubber.

For Weightmans, only four rubbers, two coming from Winston Easterbrook (a three set win over Mustafa, but he had a five set tussle with Muhkwinder).  Matt Avers took one, and the fourth rubber was the first doubles, Fitzpatrick and Easterbrook taking that one in three sets.

Final scores:  7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 17.

– Sunny Daily 7 (Mohammad Karam 3, Peter Edwards 2, Megan Carmichael 1) d Bishop Builders 4 (Kalif Shortt 2, Helen Frania 1)

Sunny Daily got their season going in this match – after a loss in the first round, a comfortable 7 rubbers to 4 win here showed some of the potential of this team.

However, it was not captain Peter Edwards leading the way, but his number three Mohammad Karam.  Karam took three singles wins in this match, defeating Bishop Buuilders number one Kalif Shortt in five sets, Demi Green in three, and another five setter against Helen Frania.

Edwards, however, did take two rubbers, against Green and Frania, and both in an impressive three sets.

Fill in Meagen Carmichael helped the side, a win against Green in four sets.

Edwards and Carmichael proved to be a handy doubles combination – easily downing Shortt and Green in three sets, 9 8 and 5.

Bishop Builders took four rubbers, captain Kalif Shortt coming good with two wins – against opposing captain Peter Edwards and Meagan Carmichael, both in three sets.

Helen Frania warmed up earlier than Meagan Carmichael and consequently defeated her in the very first rubber, although she did have to come back from 2 sets to 1 down to do so.

Later in the night, Frania and Shortt took the second doubles comfortably in four, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5.

Final scores 7 rubbers to 4 and 24 games to 17.

– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Jai Green, Ben Hosking, Quentin Clark 2) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Graham Southwell 3, Paul Fitzpatrick, Ali Mohammad 1)

Both these teams were defeated last week, and so both were looking for a win.  This was a closely contested match, and it was decided in the final rubber, the win going to Max Miller’s Graeme Southwell (filling in for Jol Peters, on a school trip to China), Paul Fitzpatrick and Ali Mohammad.

Southwell had a good night, taking three singles, and a doubles with Paul Fitzpatrick.  Southwell defeated Ben Hosking and Quentin Clarke in three sets, but Jai Green was a much tougher opponent.  Although leading 2 sets to 1, Green fought back in the fourth, taking it and forcing the game to the five sets.  Southwell proved too strong in the fifth, winning 11-6.

Paul Fitzpatrick and Ali Mohammad contributed a singles win each, and Southwell and Fitzpatrick gained their sixth rubber in the doubles, defeating Green and Hosking in three sets.

Mallee Bearings were not completely outclassed, both captain Jai Green and number two Ben Hosking took two wins, and in what was the best game of the night, Green and Quentin Clarke defeated Southwell and Mohammad.  The Max Miller Carpets pair led two sets to love 11-8, 16-14, but Green and Clarke stuck to their guns, took the next two sets 11-9, 11-8 to level 2 sets all, then outlasted their more fancied opponents in the fifth 16-14, to take a much deserved victory.

Final scores:  6 rubbers to 5 and 23 games to 20.

PENNANT FOUR:

Sunny Daily with a 7-4 victory over Pinnacle Packers remain the only team undefeated in pennant four. In an even team performance the Sunny Daily trio of Angela Pryor, Chelsey Avers and fill in Jess Hickey all won two singles. Hickey is the daughter of former player Peter Hickey and it was good to see Peter and his wife Linda keeping a close eye on Jess’s form and offering support from the side lines.

– Sunny Daily 7 (Angela Pryor, Chelsey Avers, Jess Hickey 2) d Pinnacle Packers 4 (Tom Morrison 3)

Apart from her two singles victories Jess combined with Angela Pryor to win a marathon doubles against Thomas Morrison and Matt Demarco 8-11 11-9 8-11 11-7 11-5. For the Packers fill in Thomas Morrison played well to win three singles all in straight sets. His team mate Matt Demarco played well and looked like he might cause an upset in his match against Chelsey Avers when he took a two games to love lead only for Avers to fight back and win 11-13 8-11 11-5 11-4 11-5 a great match featuring two youngsters on the rise.

– Fishers IGA 6 (Shirley Whitecross 3, Rahulla Mirzai 2) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Therese Fitzpatrick 2, Wayne Pryor, John Fitzpatrick 1)

Led by evergreen Shirley Whitecross Fishers IGA recorded their first win of the season 6-5 at the expense of Max Miller Carpets. Shirley had to call on all her experience when she accounted for 11 year old John Fitzpatrick in her third singles win of the night to get her team to six rubbers. The final score line of 9-11 11-9 11-5 4-11 11-9 indicates what a struggle it was. Earlier Shirley also outlasted 10 year old Therese Fitzpatrick to win 11-5 10-12 11-5 8-11 11-3 another fantastic match.

Young Therese was the best performer for her team winning two singles and she will be a big chance to follow her older sister Bernadette into pennant one in future years.

Over all there were five five set results in this match with four going the way of the victors Fishers. Another crucial result for Fishers was the five set victory of fill in Rahulla Mirzai over John Fitzpatrick 8-11 13-11 6-11 11-3 11-9 a good recovery against a promising young player. Rahulla later won a five setter against Wayne Pryor and in the second doubles combined with Shirley to win the second doubles indicating he also played a key role in his teams’ victory.