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ROUND 6
PENNANT ONE:
Although under pressure early in their match Regional Taxation Services have advanced to first position on the ladder after six rounds of the Sunraysia Table Tennis summer pennant.
Regional Taxation Services 6 (Nicholas Dorman 3, Mark Dorman 2) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Jackson Tung 2, Leon Brown, Michael Hensgen 1)
Their opponents fourth placed Mallee Bearings were brave in defeat leading early 3-1 and then later 4-2 before RTS stamped their authority on the match winning four rubbers in succession to finish strongly. Skipper Nicholas Dorman again showed good form winning three singles, two in three set hit outs against Leon Brown and Jackson Tung respectively. Both these matches were entertaining with many powerful forehands from all players.
The second doubles was crucial for both teams and it was Dorman and team mate Ash Morrison who prevailed 15-9 16-18 15-8 over Mallee Bearings pair Jackson Tung and Michael Hensgen.
Mark Dorman also played a key role in his team grabbing the four points winning two singles to continue his consistent season.
Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Wayne Carmichael, Lee Leeson 2, Ben Azamehr 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 5 (Matt Ljubic 3, Casper McCarthy 1)
Cookes Pools & Spas extended their winning streak to four with a hard fought 6-5 win over Exposed Signage and Apparel who now have dropped to second place after two losses in succession, despite skipper Matt Ljubic again winning three singles.
Cookes were off to a flying start taking a 4-1 lead before the Exposed trio bounced back to take a 5-4 lead . Trailing 4-5 after Exposed ‘s number one Matt Ljubic won a three setter over Wayne Carmichael, Cookes remained calm under pressure. Fill in Ben Azamehr remained calm defeating Dylan Wood in a topsy turvy encounter 16-14 3-15 15-11 to level at five rubbers all.
Lee Leeson for Cookes then methodically outplayed young gun Casper McCarty in straight sets 15-7 15-10 to secure the four points for her team and in doing so they now join their opponents on a 4 win 2 loss ratio for the season.
Max Miller Carpets 6 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Russell Walder 2, Reece Kurrle 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Kate Carmichael 2, Ed Hung 1)
In the final encounter of the night Max Miller Carpets in another close encounter repeated their round one success by defeating Tankard Dental 6-5 despite not winning a doubles. For the Carpeters Gavin Carmichael showed his best form of the season winning three singles. His victory over daughter Kate came in a hard fought and exciting three set struggle. Gavin took the first and had a break in the second and despite two strong forehands by Gavin at crucial stages Kate was able to retrieve and win the points to take the second. Father Gavin broke away to lead 14-7 before Kate strung together points in succession however Gavin was able to prevail 15-10 13-15 15-12.
Carpeters number three Russell Walder also played his best table tennis for the season winning two singles , a two set defeat of fill in Dylan Wood and then later with the scores locked at five rubbers all Walder outlasted Ed Hung 15-9 15-10 to enable Max Miller Carpets their second win of the season.
For Tankards Kate Carmichael won two singles and took part in both doubles victories. Coincidentally this happened last round when Tankards were narrowly defeated again.
PENNANT TWO:
Mallee Meats continued on their winning way at the top of the ladder this week; Weightmans Packaging took a fighting win against Cookes Pools & Spas, who have now dropped to fourth on the ladder; Tankard Dental continue their rise up the ladder, moving to third with their win against Pinnacle Packers; and Max Miller Carpets also moved up a spot, to fifth, with their win against MJM Automotive.
Mallee Meats 9 (Jamie Kealley, Rohan Reimers 3, Jamila Belbaze 2) d Sammy’s Slammers 2 (Sony Sefer 1)
Mallee Meats have had some big wins this season, and this round they recorded another one, nine rubbers to two against Sammy’s Slammers.
Sammy’s Slammers did not get much of a look in – with Mallee Meats captain Rohan Reimers and his number three Jamie Kealley both recording three wins in singles, any further wins were going to make the win look easy.
Reimers dominated his opponents, conceding eight points over two sets to Sammy’s Slammers number three Ryan Hensgen, sixteen points to number two Therese Fitzpatrick and twenty two to captain Sony Sefer. Reimers sits equal second on the aggregate with Kevin Johns, one game behind Paul Kealley, and at this stage of the season, his wins seem to be coming easier than Johns and Kealley can get theirs.
Jamie Kealley has been the find of the season, two of his three wins here were in two sets, and the opponent he had the most trouble with was his opposite number Ryan Hensgen, but he overcame Ryan too, 16-18, 15-8, 15-13.
Jamila Belbaze picked up two wins too for Mallee Meats, and sees her move to eleventh on the aggregate. It is easy to see why this is the team to beat this season, with Reimers equal second on the aggregate, Kealley sixth, and Belbaze eleventh, they are the best placed team collectively.
The Mallee Meats pair who won the three singles rubbers, also won their doubles match when they paired late in the night, Reimers and Kealley defeating Sefer and Hensgen in a very tight two set contest 17-15, 16-14.
Sammy’s Slammers tried very hard, but were outgunned by what is becoming a very well-oiled machine in Mallee Meats. Sefer, in his loss to Jamie Kealley did all he could without winning a set, losing 16-18, 12-15, and Ryan Hensgen in his loss to Jamila Belbaze lost the first set 22-20 (don’t get too many of them!!). With the end of the season fast approaching, Sammy’s Slammers will have to turn things around if they
are to make the finals, being now a game and percentage away from the top teams.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 20 games to 4.
Weightmans Packaging 6 (Shane Carmichael, John Fitzpatrick 2, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 5 (Kevin Johns, Terry Martin 2)
With the score 5-1 in their favour, Cookes Pools & Spas were cruising to victory after six rubbers in this match with Weightmans Packaging.
Two wins to captain Kevin Johns (against John Fitzpatrick and Peter Fitzpatrick) and number two Terry Martin (against Peter Fitzpatrick and Shane Carmichael) plus the first doubles when Johns and Martin bested Carmichael and John Fitzpatrick in two sets gave them five rubbers – Weightmans Packaging had only one rubber to show for their effort, captain Carmichael defeating Cookes Pools & Spas number three Steve Pongrac.
Then came the comeback … not sure Weightmans Packaging saw it that way at the time, but rubber by rubber they worked their way back into the match (Cookes Pools & Spas needed just one win to get the four points); John Fitzpatrick defeated Pongrac, Carmichael and Peter Fitzpatrick won a great three set doubles contest against Johns and Pongrac 15-11, 12-15, 15-13; and in the final round of singles with each team playing it’s opposite number Carmichael defeated Johns in two sets, John Fitzpatrick blasted Terry Martin in the first set 15-7, then hung on to win in the second 15-13; and then with the scores at 5-5, Peter Fitzpatrick came from a set down to defeat Steve Pongrac 10-15, 15-12, 15-12.
In the final wash-up, Shane Carmichael won two rubbers, as did John Fitzpatrick, Peter Fitzpatrick one, and Houdini five.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 13 games to 12.
Tankard Dental 6 (Bernard McCarthy, Marcus Cimino, Tague Morris 2) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Paul Kealley 3)
Tankard Dental moved from fourth to third on the ladder with this win against Pinnacle Packers.
Pinnacle Packers captain Paul Kealley was the stand-out player in this match, winning all singles rubbers, plus helping his teammates to wins in both doubles. But it was just not enough for Pinnacle Packers, and they still remain winless for the season.
Tankard Dental were without their captain Quentin Clark (replaced by Bernard McCarthy), and although none of the Tankard Dental trio could tame Kealley, they took advantage of the matches he was not involved in!!
The six rubbers they accumulated were at the expense of Pinnacle Packers numbers two and three James Jarvis and Sabrina Fitzpatrick. Jarvis lost two of his matches in three sets, 10-15, 15-13, 8-15 to McCarthy, and then came oh-so-close to defeating Tague Morris in their match, but falling agonisingly short 15-10, 8-15, 17-19. A win there would have given Pinnacle Packers the lead 4-3, and with the next two rubbers going to them, would have given them victory, but that is not how it happened.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 13 games to 12.
Max Miller Carpets 10 (Jeremy Corrin, David Sergi, Jordan Cole 3) d MJM Automotive 1 (Daniel Jansen 1)
Max Miller Carpets are another team on the move in this round. After a slow start to the season, they now see themselves in fifth spot on the ladder, equal with wins with the team in fourth, but with not the better percentage.
In this match they recorded their biggest win of the season, demolishing MJM Automotive 10-1.
Both captain Jeremy Corrin and number three Jordan Cole had a day out, both recording three wins. Corrin is playing well, three set wins against difficult MJM Automotive number three Isaiah Bettess 15-12, 13-15, 15-9 and number two Michael Smyth 12-15, 15-10, 15-9 primed him for a straight sets win against MJM Automotive captain Daniel Jansen.
Cole, like Jamie Kealley in the Mallee Meats side, has been a happy surprise, and contributes consistently to Max Miller Carpets. He is the second best number three in the competition (after Kealley) with 10 wins from 18 matches played, and tenth on the aggregate.
Like his captain Corrin, Cole played two three set contests after first defeating Michael Smyth in the first rubber in two. He was solid in his match against MJM Automotive captain Daniel Jansen, winning 15-5, 11-15, 15-8, and in the final round of singles when the match was well and truly over (9-1 in their favour), Cole made sure of his three wins for the night in his encounter with his opposite number Bettess. He took that match 15-10, 13-15, 15-7.
Number two David Sergi won two rubbers, defeating both Smyth and Bettess in straight sets. Max Miller Carpets, for the first time this season won both doubles rubbers too. This was an area they need to keep working on, as before this round, they had won just one doubles rubber from the ten played in the first five rounds.
Final scores: 10 rubbers to 1 and 20 games to 7
Pennant 3
This week we welcome back Dave Tanner. Dave had just finished celebrating his big birthday party just in time to join us this week. Congratulations on the milestone Dave. Also well done to Alicia Tyers for coming out tonight as she has started her VCE Exams with English being completed before she played this evening. All the best in your other exams Alicia.
Mallee Meats 7 (Shaun Gifford 3, Levi Williams 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Marita Grace 2, Dave Tanner, Nhat Dat 1)
This match was a top of the table meeting as the undefeated Mallee Meats were looking to extend their unbeaten run against their archrivals Dunkley Scales. Dunkley’s Marita Grace has been in great form of late and didn’t waste any time in disposing of Ildi Healy in straight sets to get her team off to the ideal start. The second game of the night featured birthday boy Dave Tanner up against Shawn Gifford. Gifford was not in a party mood and it was all business as he brushed Tanner aside in straight sets to register the Butcher’s first win of the evening. The third match of the night saw Nhat Dat take on Levi Williams. Williams was at his best as he out rallied Dat during the big points to record a solid straight sets victory.
The first doubles match of the night was a titanic struggle as Gifford/Healy took on Tanner/Grace. The third set of this match was a close affair and with the scores deadlocked at 17 points all in the third set it was anyone’s match. The 35th point of this set saw Gifford hit a great crosscourt forehand to give his team the edge. The 36th point saw a long rally before Healy’s shot just took the tape to dribble over to win the set 19-17 and thus give Mallee Meats the lead 3 rubbers to 1.
This wasn’t the only close match that Grace and Gifford were involved in during the evening as their singles match also went down to the wire. During this match Gifford would take the first set 15-11 and Grace the second 15-12. The final set was point for point with Gifford sneaking over the line 15-13.
In conclusion some very close matches, however, Mallee Meats have held their nerve to win 7 rubbers to 4 (14 games to 12) against Dunkley Scales.
Sammy’s Slammers 8 (Karly Leach, Leo Parker 3, Rodney Galvin 2) d Weightmans Packaging 3 (Gayle Cottrell 1)
Sammy Slammer’s have hit a purple patch of form to secure a big win against Weightmans Packaging. Under the watchful eye of ‘Colonel’ Steve Parker his son Leo Parker was on fire in securing three great singles wins. Parker’s Captain Karly Leach also contributed three singles victories and to add the icing on the cake Rod Galvin also secured a brace of wins. It was a dirty night for the Packer’s, however, Gayle Cottrell played well and was more than competitive in all matches she played – and was involved in both doubles’ victories.
Overall, ‘Colonel’ Parker told me “Don’t Be Cruel” when giving this match report so I have kept it brief. Sammy’s Slammers have won 8 rubbers to 3 (16 games to 8) against Weightmans Packaging.
Pennant 4
This week we welcome back Nathan Beard, who is filling in, after a long hiatus from the game.
Weightmans Packaging 6 (Glenn Leeson, Liam Nicolaou 2, Helen Healy 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 5 (Costa Skiadas, Nathan Beard 2)
This match went right down to the wire with the winner decided late in the evening. Weightmans Packaging were on fire early and raced to three rubbers to nil lead after the first bracket of singles matches. Helen Healy got her team off to a dream start when she defeated Derek Hung in straight sets. The second match of the evening pitted the fast-improving Liam Nicolaou against Costa Skiadis. Three weeks ago, I would have nearly put my house on Skiadis winning this match; however, three weeks is a long time as Nicolaou comfortably won this match in straight sets 15-8, 15-11. The third match of the evening saw returning Captain Glenn Leeson up against Nathan Beard. Leeson was too strong in this match and won in straight sets.
The first doubles match saw the Skiadis/Hung combination take on Leeson/Healy. Leeson and Healy took the first set 17-15 but ran out of steam as Skiadis and Hung upped the ante to take the next two sets 15-10, 15-7 to give Exposed a much-needed win. Skiadis kept the momentum rolling as in his next singles match, he defeated Healy in straight sets to keep his team well in the contest.
Nathan Beard played his part in Exposed resurgence by securing a hard fought three set win over Liam Nicolaou 15-10, 3-15, 15-12. Nicolaou would have the last laugh as he fought off a very determined Derek Hung to win the last match of the evening in straight sets to secure victory for his team.
Overall a great contest with Weightmans Packaging winning 6 rubbers to 5 (14 games to 11) against a gallant Exposed Signage and Apparel.
MJM Automotive 8 (Hamish Smyth 3, Wendy Simpson, Koby Grace 2) d Mallee Meats 3 (Tom Gilmour 2)
MJM Automotive have kept their unbeaten run alive by comprehensively defeating Mallee Meats in this top of the table clash. The stars again for MJM were the young guns in Hamish Smyth and Koby Grace who just keep on getting better each week. Although Smyth won his three singles matches he didn’t quite have it all his way as Tom Gilmour dished up a real examination in their singles match – a match which could of gone either way with Smyth winning 15-13 in the last set. Gilmour would also find himself on the wrong end of another three-set match as he and Jim Vale were narrowly beaten Simpson and Smyth. In his third three-set match of the evening Gilmour would eventually have success as he teamed with Maria Starikov in defeating Smyth and Grace 15-9, 1-15, 15-11. (What happened in the second set Tom?).
Returning Captain Wendy Simpson was all smiles as he team MJM Automotive are firing on all cylinders and they have defeated Mallee Meats 8 rubbers to 3 (17 games to 9).
See you all next week.
