178 – Summer – 2014 – Rnd 10 Wrap

‘Cometh the hour, Cometh the Man’ – Gavin ‘Richie’ Carmichael hit top form in Rnd 10 action. With the match still up for grabs and facing his nemesis brother Wayne, Gav produced a mix of unpredictable stroke play and a more aggressive approach to knock over the defending champion and guide Weightmans into a knockout final.

PENNANT ONE:

The final four has now been shaped after round ten matches of the Sunraysia Table Tennis Association summer pennant. Three teams have finished at the head of the ladder with a six win four loss ratio after an even competition.

Mallee Bearings after another strong win this round sit in first position by percentage and will play fourth team Weightmans Packaging who needed to win to hold fourth position. To do that Weightmans defeated previous ladder leader Fishers IGA 7-4 in a solid display and booked a spot in the finals

– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Bernadette Fitzpatrick 2, Peter Midgley 1) d Fishers IGA 4 (Wayne Carmichael 2, Arthur Paar 1)

Weightmans started slowly, on the stage court, and trailed three rubbers to one after the first doubles which was an amazing match. Fishers pair Wayne Carmichael and Lee Thomas looked down and out when they trailed Gavin Carmichael and Bernadette Fitzpatrick one game to two and 3-10 in the fourth. Amazingly they saved all these match points won the fourth 13-11 and flew through the fifth to win 11-2 a stunning comeback. Fishers placed Weightmans under extreme pressure later in the match when they took a 4-2 lead however from here, knowing their season was on the line, Weightmans struck back putting together five wins in succession to go on and win 7-4 to guarantee themselves a spot in the finals.

In an even display Weightmans skipper Gavin Carmichael, Bernadette Fitzpatrick and Peter Midgley won three, two and one singles respectively. Carmichael G inflicted the first defeat of the season on brother Wayne in four sets. The second doubles was a thriller with Peter Midgley and Gavin Carmichael stealing the match 11-2 11-6 4-11 7-11 14-12 against Wayne Carmichael and Arthur Paar. The final two singles saw Weightmans pair Bernadette Fitzpatrick and Peter Midgley defeat play solid table tennis to defeat their respective opponents Arthur Paar and Lee Thomas in four sets. Weightmans have had a mixed season but by winning three of their last four matches they are in their most consistent form of the season.

– Mallee Bearings 8 (Mark Ljubic 3, Kevin Johns 2, Leon Brown 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Nicholas Dorman 2, Kate Carmichael 1)

Mallee Bearings proved too strong for Tankard Dental winning 8-3 on the grand stand court. This was their third win in as many rounds a better record than any other team in this pennant. As a result they have grabbed top position by a narrow percentage. This was a really even team effort with skipper Mark Ljubic,Kevin Johns and Leon Brown winning three, two and one singles respectively. Mark has now won twenty of his past twenty one matches to finish off a very consistent season.

Mallee Bearings also tasted success in both doubles which aided their cause. The highlight match of the night was the singles between Mark Ljubic and Nicholas Dorman which went right down to the wire and was a top class five set contest with Ljubic winning 14-16 11-5 11-5 9-11 14-12.

– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Rick McMeekin 3, Graeme O’Neill 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Matt Ljubic 2, Ed Hung, Ashley Morrison 1)

In the remaining match on centre court Max Miller Carpets secured second position on the ladder by defeating bottom team Dunkley Scales 7-4. The Carpeters grabbed an early ascendancy leading four rubbers to one after the first five matches courtesy of taking the points in two five set contests. The first match of the night featured Carpeters Graeme O’Neill holding off Ed Hung to win 3-11 11-6 11-8 4-11 11-7. Then in the first doubles Rick McMeekin and O’Neill combined to defeat Matt Ljubic and Ed Hung 8-11 11-8 8-11 12-10 11-9. From here McMeekin went on to win three singles while O’Neill played his part winning two. McMeekin has played solid table tennis all season and won the singles aggregate by a margin of one over Mark Ljubic and Gavin Carmichael.

Finals commence this Wednesday at the Irymple Leisure Centre from 7.30pm

PENNANT TWO: –

Two surprise results this week, and the other, perhaps a telling result.

– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Seval Fuat, Reece Kurrle 2, Colin Moore 1) d Tankard Dental 4 (Matt Avers 3, Brian Hosking 1)

These two teams have been the teams to beat in this competition.  Tankard Dental have enjoyed a winning streak of six victories, having not been defeated since Round 2.  Weightmans Packaging took a little longer to get going, but have not been beaten since Round 6.  Going into this match, Tankard Dental led Weightmans by one game, so this was a bit of a show of strength by both sides – who was going to finish top of the table?

Brian Hosking got Tankard Dental off to a good start with a committed five set win over Colin Moore.  Brian took the first set, but Moore struck back to take the second and third and looked comfortable.  Hosking however, whizzed through the fourth set 11-4, and the shocked Moore could not regroup quickly enough and Hosking took the fifth 11-8.  The two captains played next.  After two close sets, Matt Avers took a controlled win 12-10, 12-14, 11-7, 11-8 against Reece Kurrle.

Weightmans Packaging evened the score with a win in the next singles, Seval Fuat in straight sets over Peter Fitzpatrick and the first doubles – Kurrle and Moore making the most of their chances, whilst Avers and Fitzpatrick squandered many, to win 4-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6.

Avers took the next singles in straight sets over Colin Moore, and Weightmans then took a burst of three rubbers: Fuat over Hosking in three sets, then Kurrle over Fitzpatrick and the second doubles of Kurrle and Fuat in five sets against Avers and Hosking in a good match 5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8.

That made the score 5-3 to Weightmans, with the last three singles to come.

Avers led Fuat two sets to one, when Seval, feeling the heat, pulled out.

That was the end for Tankards, though.  Colin Moore got the job done with a workmanlike win over Fitzpatrick in four sets, and Kurrle took a three set win over plucky Brian Hosking.

Final scores:  7 rubbers to 4 and 26 games to 17.

– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Tony Malycha 2, Glen Bell, Rachel Fitzpatrick 1) d Fishers IGA 5 (Arnold Jago, Geoff Peters 2, Jeremy Corrin 1)

Coming into this round, Pinnacle Packers had lost five games in a row, and their opponents Fishers IGA, were steadying themselves for the run to the finals.

With no chance of playing in the finals, Pinnacle Packers treated this game like a practice game, and the results flowed with their relaxed attitude.

Arnold Jago drew first blood, though, for Fishers IGA, defeating Rachel Fitzpatrick 7,6 and 4.

Pinnacle Packers then went for it – five games in a row !!

Tony Malycha had a fantastic game against the difficult to predict Geoff Peters, winning 11-5, 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 15-13.  Glen Bell saw Jeremy Corrin off in four; then Malycha and Fitzpatrick defeated Jago and Corrin in a four set tussle 11-8, 7-11, 17-15, 11-6.  Malycha kept the ball rolling in the next game.  After giving Jago two sets start (a very brave thing to do), Tony opened his shoulders to leave Arnold often stranded at the other end of the table on his way to winning 11-13, 4-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9.  The last of the five was Fitzpatrick defeating Jeremy Corrin in a cliff-hanger.  Corrin had chances to take the match in the fourth as well as the fifth sets, but Rachel was too consistent this time winning 4-11, 5-11, 11-7, 12-10, 13-11.

Geoff Peters stopped the run of rubbers with a five set win of his own over Glen Bell.  Bell led two sets to one 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, but Geoff motored home in the last two 11-6, 11-6 to give his side just their second rubber, after seven contests.

Pinnacle Packers wrapped the game up in the second doubles in a spirited game between Malycha and Bell and Jago and Peters.  In a see-sawing contest, the Packers won 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9 to give them the match.

Pinnacle Packers were unable to extend their winning margin, however.  Firstly, Jeremy Corrin defeated a tired Tony Malycha in five sets.  Malycha took the first two 11-5, 11-7, and hoped the finish the match quickly.  Corrin was not going to let that happen, and wore Tony down, taking the last three sets 7, 8 and 9.  All bar one of Malycha’s games had been of five sets.  Next Arnold Jago defeated Glen Bell in four, and Geoff Peters defeated Rachel Fitzpatrick, also in four.

So whilst the score was close, the game was all over after eight rubbers, and Fishers IGA were unable to put pressure on their opponents during the match, after losing that run of five games.

Final scores:  6 rubbers to 5 and 24 games to 25.

– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Peter Edwards, Aidan Moore 2, Andrew Alderton 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Josh Carmichael, Brendan Alderton 2)

This game was the battle for fourth spot, and the last place in the finals.  Although a game behind their opponents, Mallee Bearings had a much better percentage, so a win here would see them equal on points, but importantly jump their opponents on percentage.  Max Miller Carpets knew they had to win.

The game was evenly poised throughout – Max Miller’s captain Aidan Moore defeating Brendan Alderton; Mallee Bearings captain Josh Carmichael downing Andrew Alderton.  Then the battle of the number threes:  Peter Edwards took an important over his opposite number Karly Leach in four hard-fought sets.

The first doubles went to Mallee Bearings Carmichael and Brendan Alderton against Moore and Andrew Alderton in five 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-6.  Mallee Bearings took the next two rubbers too, to give themselves a little breathing space with 4-2 lead.  First up, as he has done several times this season, Josh Carmichael lost the first two sets of his game, this time against opposing captain Aiden Moore.  Down 7-11, 3-11, Carmichael worked hard to take the final three 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.  Brendan Alderton followed this up with a three set win over Edwards.

Max Miller Carpets set about evening things up.  The first battleground was the singles between Andrew Alderton and Karly Leach.  Alderton had to work very hard to get the better of his opponent, before taking a win in five sets 13-15, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7.

Next the second doubles; Moore and Edwards hung on to defeat Carmichael and Leach 9-11, 12-10, 11-2, 5-11, 11-8.

Next came the game which effectively won the match for Max Millers.  Mallee Bearings Josh Carmichael was drawn to play Max Miller number three Peter Edwards.  Carmichael is as good a player as any in this competition, but he inexplicably lost this game.  That is not to say that Edwards is not capable of playing well, just that Carmichael is the more “complete” player.  Anyway, the result sheet shows a win to Edwards 12-10, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7 to give Max Millers a 5-4 lead.

Aidan Moore made sure of the win for his side with a straight sets win over Karly Leach, before Brendan Alderton restored a little bit of respectability, and the battle of the brothers, by defeating Andrew in four sets 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 14-12.

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

PENNANT THREE: 

Weightmans Packaging scored a fighting win over previous ladder leaders Dunkley Scales to secure third spot in the finals, whilst Fishers IGA narrowly lost to Pinnacle Packers, who completed the season with just one loss.

– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Helen Frania, Stephan Ljubic 2) d Dunkley Scales 5 (Ajay Chowdhry 3)

Weightmans Packaging had just one win up until Round 6, but with the end of the season in sight, they got a move on and won their last three rounds, in so doing moved themselves to third on the ladder.

In this round they met Dunkley Scales, and had to come from behind to take the win.

Weightmans got home by dint of each of their players taking two singles wins – they all accounted for John Fitzpatrick and Kim Avers.

After nine of the eleven rubbers, Dunkley Scales led 5-4, and the pressure was on Weightmans if they were to take a win.

First up Helen Frania met John Fitzpatrick.  In a game where the advantage was first at one end, then the other, Frania outlasted her younger opponent to take the win 9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9.  Then it was left to Stephan Ljubic for Weightmans and Kim Avers for Dunkley Scales to determine the outcome of the match.  Another five setter ensued – Ljubic appeared to have the match under control after two sets, leading 11-8, 11-9, only to see Avers hit back strongly taking the next two sets 11-5, 11-5 to force the contest to the fifth set.  Kim’s run ended there, however, as Stephan took the last 11-5 to steal the match from Dunkley Scales.

Dunkley Scales captain Ajay Chowdhry was the stand-out player in the match, taking wins in everything he played.  He only dropped one set in singles play, to Weightmans captain Sabrina Fitzpatrick, and helped his side to wins in both doubles.  Indeed the doubles were both keenly contested – firstly Chowdhry and John Fitzpatrick defeating Sabrina Fitzpatrick and Helen Frania 13-11, 4-11, 11-5, 9-11, 13-11 and later Chowdhry and Avers over Fitzpatrick and Ljubic 11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-9 to keep his team in the game.

These two teams will now play each other in the first of the finals matches this coming week.

Final scores:  6 rubbers to 5 and 23 games to 22.

– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Paul Fitzpatrick, Cambell McKenzie 3) d Fishers IGA 5 (Mick Bacon, Hamish Clark, Stephan Ljubic 1)

Pinnacle Packers took another win in the final round of competition to finish two games clear of second-placed Dunkley Scales.  The Packers lost just once this season, in Round 2.

Pinnacle Packers number two, Cambell McKenzie, took another hat-trick of singles wins (his sixth of the season), to finish three games clear at the top of the aggregate ladder.

On this occasion, Pinnacle Packers were without their captain, Peter Mikhaeil, and he was replaced by Paul Fitzpatrick.  For Fishers IGA, Shirley Whitecross was absent, and Stephan Ljubic did double duty, filling-in for her.

Both Paul Fitzpatrick and Cambell McKenzie were dominant in singles play, each taking three wins.  Fitzpatrick had a very close game with Hamish Clark, but came away with a 5-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5 win.  His wins in the other matches were in three sets.  McKenzie too, needed five sets to overcome Clark, and he did it tougher than his captain.  Clark fought back from two sets to love down, but fell short in the fifth, with McKenzie winning 14-12, 12-10, 10-12, 7-11, 11-8.  McKenzie defeated Mick Bacon and Ljubic in four sets to complete his three.

Despite taking three singles wins each, Fitzpatrick and McKenzie did not transfer that good form to the doubles.  The first doubles featured that pair against the Fishers captain Mick Bacon and Hamish Clark.  In a free-hitting game, the Fishers pair took the honours after five sets 12-10, 5-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-7.  The second doubles too, went to Fishers, Bacon and Ljubic much too good for Fitzpatrick and Grant Stone.

By co-incidence, like the previous match, these two sides will meet in the first of the finals games this week.

Final scores:  6 rubbers to 5 and 20 games to 21.