0
0
Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant round 6: –
PENNANT ONE:
– Fishers IGA 7 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Tung, Kevin Johns 1) d Tankard Dental 4 (Mark Dorman 2, Nicholas Dorman, Lee Thomas 1)
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Shannon Bowen, Andrew Cannard 2, Arthur Paar 1); Weightmans Packaging 5 (Joel Thomas 3, Michael Hogarth 1)
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Shane Carmichael 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Mark Ljubic, Kate Carmichael 2, Matt Ljubic 1)
PENNANT TWO:
– Spanline 8 (Andrew Jones, Geoff Wright 3, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Ross Humphreys, Josh Carmichael 1)
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Sony Sefer, Tony Malycha 2, Arnold Jago 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Leon Brown 2, Geoff Peters, Seval Fuat 1)
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Peter Midgley 3, Terry Martin 1) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Ashley Morrison, Cole Keegan 2, Aidan Moore 1)
PENNANT THREE:
– Fishers IGA 6 (Jeremy Corrin 2, Michael Hensgen, Tom Douglas 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Peter Edwards, Helen Frania 2, Sabrina Fitzpatrick 1)
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Rachel Fitzpatrick 2, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 1) d Pinnacle Packers 4 (Rod Healy, Jai Green 2, Jol Peters 1)
– Dunkley Scales 8 (Karly Leach, Sam Hensgen 3, Leonie Dunkley 1) d Bishop Builders 3 (Peter Kelly, Jeff Hards 1)
PENNANT FOUR:
– Fishers IGA 7 (Campbell McKenzie 3, Soyel Zahidi 2, Ben Hosking 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Quentin Clark 2, Kim Avers 1)
– Sunny Daily 5 (Paul Reyes, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Kumail Jaffry 3)
Quentin Clarke steady rise in Pennant 4 has him sitting mid table in the Aggregate race. In Rnd 6 Clarke pulled out all stops in trying to get Weightmans over the line.
PENNANT ONE:
Bottom of the ladder Max Miller Carpets recorded their second win of the season in round six action of the Sunraysia Table Tennis winter pennant. Their 6-5 victory on the grand stand court over Mallee Bearings has meant that four teams from third to sixth on the ladder now sit on two wins and four losses.
Fishers IGA remain undefeated while “dream team” Dunkley Scales with their fourth win in succession sit second on the ladder with a 4-2 win loss ratio and this week they meet the ladder leaders which will be the match of the round.
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Shane Carmichael 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Mark Ljubic, Kate Carmichael 2, Matt Ljubic 1)
Max Miller Carpets skipper Gavin Carmichael enjoyed a good night winning three singles and also participated in both doubles victories. Carmichael did not have it all his own way and was pressured to five sets by opposing skipper Mark Ljubic.
Carmichael took the points in an entertaining match 11-1 7-1 11-5 7-11 11-7. Carmichael was also under pressure against daughter Kate, who had plenty of vocal support from the courtside spectators, before winning in four 8-11 11-9 11-6 11-9.
Another five setter in the first match of the night proved to be huge for the Carpeters with Shane Carmichael outlasting young gun Matt Ljubic 3-11 11-6 11-8 7-11 11-8 in a match with many fine rallies. As usual the doubles are a crucial element of the outcome and it was the inability of Mallee Bearings to grab one of these which proved costly for them however given other results they have clung on to fourth position on the ladder despite losing their fourth match in succession.
Skipper Mark Ljubic and Kate Carmichael both won two singles for Mallee Bearings.
– Fishers IGA 7 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Tung, Kevin Johns 1) d Tankard Dental 4 (Mark Dorman 2, Nicholas Dorman, Lee Thomas 1)
Ladder leader Fishers IGA continued on their merry way defeating Tankard Dental 7-4 halting Tankards winning streak of two matches which had propelled them to third on the ladder. 
Tankards were able to start well taking a two-nil lead, on the stage court, courtesy of a tremendous five set victory 13-11 7-11 11-7 5-11 11-8 win by Lee Thomas over Jackson Tung. Fishers levelled the match when Wayne Carmichael combined with Tung to win the first doubles in a five set struggle against father and son pair Mark and Nicholas Dorman. This match was a beauty and eventually pocketed by the Fishers pair 11-6 5-11 11-5 7-11 11-5.
Tankards managed to lead later in the contest four rubbers to three before Fishers took control winning the final four rubbers to keep their unbeaten run intact. Fishers skipper Wayne Carmichael won three singles and most importantly he also played in two winning doubles matches, which in the end was crucial in their success.
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Shannon Bowen, Andrew Cannard 2, Arthur Paar 1); Weightmans Packaging 5 (Joel Thomas 3, Michael Hogarth 1)
In the remaining match on centre court Dunkley Scales avenged their loss to Weightmans Packaging in round one by winning 6-5 this time around. Number three Arthur Paar played a key role in his team’s success by partnering skipper Shannon Bowen in the first doubles to defeat Joel Thomas and Michael Hogarth 11-9 in the fifth. 
Later with the scores at five rubbers all veteran Paar outlasted youngster Bernadette Fitzpatrick 11-9 11-2 11-9 to enable the ‘dream team” team to win their fourth match on the trot after suffering defeat in the first two rounds of the season.
Paar’s team mates Shannon Bowen and Andrew Cannard won two singles each while for Weightmans Joel Thomas continued his successful come back to table tennis with another three singles victories and he remains undefeated in singles matches.
PENNANT TWO:
In this round, an easy win to Spanline, Max Miller Carpets lose out in a battle for second spot on the ladder, and Weightmans Packaging kept their best for last, and get home in a cliff-hanger.
– Spanline 8 (Andrew Jones, Geoff Wright 3, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Ross Humphreys, Josh Carmichael 1)
Spanline welcomed back captain Geoff Wright after his absence due to a cartilage injury, and although a bit rusty, Wright took three singles win in this easy victory over Tankard Dental.
Wright dropped only one set in his three rubbers, this in the first, when he played Josh Carmichael. He got better as the night went on, in the second round of singles he defeated Ross Humphreys 12-10, 11-4, 11-6 and in the final round newcomer Matt Avers 6, 5 and 3.
Andrew Jones also came away with three wins, but he had to work much harder for them. His first round was against Avers, and althoughe he won in four, young Matt made him work for it. After dropping the first set, Jones won 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9. Next he met Josh Carmichael – Carmichael is improving with every outing in this competition. The first two sets went to Jones 12-10, 14-12, but could have gone to Carmichael. Josh struck back in the next two sets, taking them 11-9, 11-8, however he could not continue on with it, and Jones took the last comfortably 11-5.
Peter Fitzpatrick took one singles also for Spanline; this against Avers. In a very entertaining match, which was punctuated by some long rallies, Fitzpatrick closed the match out in four sets 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11.
For Tankard Dental, only captain Ross Humphreys and Carmichael took singles rubbers, both against Fitzpatrick – and both in four sets.
With the doubles contests being split one all (Humphreys and Carmichael defeated Wright and Fitzpatrick 9, 6 and 9, and later Wright and Jones came from two sets down to take the rubber against Humphreys and Avers 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 12-10), Spanline took an easy win.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 26 games to 18.
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Peter Midgley 3, Terry Martin 1) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Ashley Morrison, Cole Keegan 2, Aidan Moore 1)
These two teams, together with Weightmans Packaging, all sat equal on three wins going into this round.
The result here was close, but the game was decided after the ninth rubber.
Peter Midgley was four games clear of Ross Humphreys at the head of the aggregate ladder before this match and with fourteen rubbers from a possible fifteen, only injury will rob him of the aggregate trophy this season.
In this game he added another three, to make a total of seventeen from a possible eighteen for the season to put himself six games clear of a pack of five players, Humphreys, Ashley Morrison, Leon Brown, Geoff Wright and Andrew Jones all fighting over second place on 11 games.
Cole Keegan caught Midgley napping in the first round of singles, and very nearly caused an upset; after conceding the first two sets 8-11, 8-11, Keegan bounced back into contention with wins in the third and fourth sets 11-4, 12-10 to force the game to the fifth set. Midgley was possibly a little bit lucky to get away with the win, but he did, taking the fifth 14-12.
Only Terry Martin could help Midgley, he took just one win, against Aidan Moore. Moore was playing strongly, and led two sets to one 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, but Martin upped his game and took the last two sets 11-8, 11-9 in a close game.
Those were the only singles rubbers that Pinnacle Packers took – they had to rely on the doubles to get them the win. Midgley and Martin took the first 16-14, 11-4, 11-9 against Morrison and Keegan, and later Midgley and Glen Bell saw off Morrison and Aidan Moore in a tense four setter 11-5, 11-9, 14-16, 11-8.
For Max Millers, all players took singles wins, Morrison two (against Martin and Bell), Keegan two (also against Martin and Bell), and Moore one (against Bell). However, their inability to take either doubles hurt them badly.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 22 games to 21.
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Sony Sefer, Tony Malycha 2, Arnold Jago 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Leon Brown 2, Geoff Peters, Seval Fuat 1)
This was a v-e-r-y close game. Only two three set matches in a game where all players were defeated in singles rubbers at some stage of the night.
Three players Weightmans Sony Sefer and Tony Malycha and Fishers Leon Brown scored two singles wins, and the other three players took one each. With a win to each side in the doubles, this made for a tight, entertaining game.
Leon Brown took first blood for Fishers with a come-from-behind win over Arnold Jago in the first rubber. Jago led two sets to one, but Brown was too strong in the final two sets, taking them 8 and 5.
Weightmans Packaging levelled the score when Sony Sefer found just what hard work it is to defeat the awkward style of Geoff Peters. Peters took the first set 13-11, Sefer the second 12-10 indicating what a struggle this was. Peters also took the third 11-8, and although Sefer could not come to grips with the unorthodox Peters, he took the final two sets 9 and 8.
Weightmans took the next rubber too, when Tony Malycha added Seval Fuat to his list of scalps for the season. He did it easily, in three, 5, 6 and 9.
Fishers promptly took the next four rubbers to give them a five rubbers to two lead with four to play. Those four rubbers where the first doubles (Brown and Peters had the measure of Sefer and Malycha 5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7), the two captains met (Brown in a great four setter over Sefer 8-11, 15-13, 12-10, 14-12), Fuat downed old mate Arnold Jago 9, 6 and 8, and Geoff Peters got some consolation for his earlier defeat when he downed Tony Malycha 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9.
The last four rubbers proved to be heart-breakers for Fishers IGA. Needing only one win from four does not sound like too big an ask, but Weightmans Packaging denied them any joy in this encounter.
In the first of the four, the second doubles, Sefer and Jago proved too good. After three close sets 11-8, 13-11, 10-12, they powered away in the fourth to win easily 11-3.
Sefer needed to keep the ball rolling for his team, and did so with a four set win over Seval Fuat 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7.
And the next rubber is the one which won the night for the Weightmans team – once again Tony Malycha, alias Giant Killer, was up to the task, this time defeating opposing captain Leon Brown in a tight five set contest. Tony won this one 11-8, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 to make it five rubbers all, and Arnold Jago to play Geoff Peters.
Arnold quickly warmed to the task, and finished Peters off in three sets, 1, 6 and 6 to give his side an unlikely victory.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 24 games to 21.
PENNANT THREE:
In what is proving to be a very close competition, with the six teams separated by only two wins, Weightmans Packaging keep their lead at the head of the ladder, by one game. Bishop Builders who were clear second, but lost this week, are now joint second with two other teams, and the final two teams, remain on two wins.
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Rachel Fitzpatrick 2, Peter Edwards, Paul Fitzpatrick 1) d Pinnacle Packers 4 (Rod Healy, Jai Green 2, Jol Peters 1)
Weightmans remain at the head of the table after a win in this round, against Pinnacle Packers.
The talking point of this match was the defeat of Weightmans captain Rod Healy in a singles rubber. Healy has thus far dominated this competition, and had not lost when playing singles. In a very tough match, Rod succumbed to the continual barrage of fierce top-spin from opposing captain Rachel Fitzpatrick. When these two met in the ninth rubber, Weightmans led five rubbers to four, and a probable victory was in sight. But Rachel was on a mission. Things didn’t start too well though, when she lost the first set 3-11. She picked her game up in the second, but still Healy had her measure, and she found herself two sets down after losing it 11-13. 
Then with some good advice still fresh in her mind, Rachel hit her straps, and Healy was forced to defend, defend, defend. Her attack was relentless, and she dominated the last three sets, winning them 6, 9 and 6. A good win.
The win was not enough though, her team-mates could not keep things going and Weightmans went on to record a seven rubbers to four victory. Peter Edwards, in the tenth rubber looked to have a good chance against Jai Green when he led two sets to one, but Green took the last two sets 6 and 9 to secure the sixth rubber for his side.
Although losing to Fitzpatrick, Healy took two wins, against Edwards and Paul Fitzpatrick. Jai Green, added another two when he defeated Rachel and Peter Edwards, and Jol Peters came good with one win, over Paul Fitzpatrick. That made five rubbers, and with two three set wins in both doubles rubbers boosted their score to seven rubbers for the match.
For Pinnacle Packers, prior to defeating Healy, Rachel took her first win against Jol Peters in four sets; Peter Edwards also defeated Peters, in five, in a wildly fluctuating match 11-2, 4-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4, and Paul Fitzpatrick contributed one rubber with a win over Jai Green 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 27 games to 17.
– Fishers IGA 6 (Jeremy Corrin 2, Michael Hensgen, Tom Douglas 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Peter Edwards, Helen Frania 2, Sabrina Fitzpatrick 1)
Mallee Bearings, after a very quiet start to the season, have won their last two games, and were looking good here to make it three.
After the first five rubbers, they led four rubbers to one: Helen Frania had a fighting five set win over Michael Hensgen, Peter Edwards (subbing for Peter Mikhaeil) likewise had a five set victory over Tom Douglas, and Sabrina Fitzpatrick, not to be out-done by her team mates, defeated opposing captain Jeremy Corrin 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-4 to make it fifteen sets from the first three rubbers !!
Fishers IGA got themselves onto the score board with an easy win in the first doubles; Corrin and Hensgen proving too good for Edwards and Fitzpatrick.
Edwards made it four rubbers to Mallee Bearings with a win over Michael Hensgen. And that is where Mallee Bearings night stopped, really. Fishers IGA took the next five rubbers, to make a total of six, with Mallee Bearings taking the last.
In two of those five rubbers, Sabrina Fitzpatrick lost to her Fishers IGA opponent in five sets, so although the scoresheet shows the matches all going one way, things could have been so different. Her loss to Tom Douglas was 11-13 in the fifth, and she played a fairly even match with Michael Hensgen, but Hensgen had the advantage in the fifth, taking it 11-8.
Fishers captain Jeremy Corrin took two rubbers, Michael Hensgen and Tom Douglas one each to make four, but it was the two doubles rubbers which won the match for them. Both doubles were decided in three sets.
For Mallee Bearings, both Peter Edwards and Helen Frania took two wins, and Sabrina one to give their team a total of five for the contest.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 26 games to 19.
– Dunkley Scales 8 (Karly Leach, Sam Hensgen 3, Leonie Dunkley 1) d Bishop Builders 3 (Peter Kelly, Jeff Hards 1)
This match provided the biggest winning margin to the victors.
Bishop Builders were in clear second spot before this game, but now sit second with two other teams, Dunkley Scales, who defeated them here, and Fishers IGA.
This game was dominated by Dunkley Scales captain Karly Leach and her number three Sam Hensgen. Both these players scored three singles wins, and with Leonie Dunkley’s one win and one doubles, Dunkley Scales ran out easy winners.
Leach was back to her best form in this game. She did not concede a set in any of her singles rubbers, although her wins were by no means walkovers. Her easiest match was against Mick Bacon, who she defeated 6, 6 and 9. Jeff Hards was a harder nut to crack. After taking the first easily 11-4, Karly struggled against Hards in the second set, only taking it at 16-14. The third set was easier, winning there 11-6. Her third rubber, against Peter Kelly proved her capability of retrieving everything, and keeping it in play. Kelly, too, put up a determined fight, but Karly held sway, winning 13-11, 12-10, 11-7.
By contrast, Sam Hensgen in winning his three singles rubbers, had to fight every inch of the way. Five set matches were the order of the night for Sam; against Peter Kelly, Bishop Builders new captain, he won 7-11, 14-12, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5; next Mick Bacon 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 13-11, 12-10 and finally Jeff Hards11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7. When he and Karly won their doubles match against Kelly and Hards in four sets, it probably felt like a holiday !!
For Bishop Builders, only Peter Kelly and Jeff Hards could secure singles’ wins – Kelly over Leonie Dunkley and Hards also over Dunkley. Added to their win in the first doubles when Kelly and Bacon came from behind to defeat the female team of Leach and Dunkley in five, this gave the Builders their three rubbers for the night.
Certainly a disappointing night for the Builders, but with five five set rubbers, not too much to complain about.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 28 games to 16.
PENNANT FOUR:
The two top teams Fishers IGA and Sunny Daily continued on their winning way this round as the top two teams played teams three and four.
– Fishers IGA 7 (Campbell McKenzie 3, Soyel Zahidi 2, Ben Hosking 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Quentin Clark 2, Kim Avers 1)
Fishers continued on their undefeated way in this match winning 7-4 however the score line can be deceiving as Weightmans had their chances. Both doubles were five setters and victories shared. In the first Kim Avers and Quentin Clark outlasted Cambell McKenzie and “ïce man” Ben Hosking 4-11 14-12 5-11 11-2 11-6 a great victory given they trailed one game to two against a tough combination.
The second doubles was even better when Cambell combined with Soyel Zahidi to defeat Kim and Demi Green in a marathon 2-11 12-10 7-11 11-6 12-10 which was a crucial result for the ladder leaders. Again the combination trailing one game to two took the points.
Fishers skipper Cambell McKenzie for the third time in six rounds won three singles to maintain his lead in the singles race by two wins from Kumail Jaffry who has missed a week. McKenzie’s number three Soyel Zahidi had a big night winning two singles and also playing in a doubles victory.
Quentin Clark was the best performer for Weightmans winning two singles as well as partnering skipper Kim Avers to a doubles victory.
– Sunny Daily 5 (Paul Reyes, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Kumail Jaffry 3)
This match was affected by player unavailability and was a two versus two affair.
Even so it was a close contest and despite Kumail Jaffry winning both his singles the doubles in the end was the decider.
Paulo Reyes and fill in John Fitzpatrick combined for the Daily to win the only doubles against Kumail and Sonya Shalliker 12-10 11-3 11-9 and in doing do enabled Sunny Daily to take the points 5-4 in the shortened contest.
