0
0
PENNANT ONE:
ROUND 8
It was a case of as you were when the three top teams played the remaining three teams in round eight matches of Sunraysia Table Tennis, ladder positions remained unchanged.
– Regional Taxation Services 6 (Mark Dorman 3, Nicholas Dorman 2) d Tankard Dental 5 (Thanh Nguyen 2, Kate Carmichael, Ed Hung 1)
Ladder leader Regional Taxation Services outlasted fourth placed Tankard Dental 6-5 in a match that featured five three set contests. Mark Dorman played a huge role for the victors winning three singles including a three set victory over Kate Carmichael 13-15 15-13 15-9 , this is the second time this season Dorman has won three singles.
In the very next singles another win by a number two over a number one when Tankards Thahn Nguyen recorded his best victory of the season downing RTS leading player Nicholas Dorman in another three set tussle, this was an outstanding win by Nguyen enabling his side to remain in the fight for the four points.
Despite the doubles being shared RTS proved to be too steady and remain one win clear on top of the ladder. For Tankards it was another oh so close result, this being their third 5-6 loss and they remain in fourth place by a narrow percentage with two matches remaining. Next round they play Mallee Bearings who are only one rubber behind.
– Cookes Pools & Spas 7 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Murphy, Michael Hensgen 1) d Max Miller Carpets 4 (Gavin Carmichael, Reece Kurrle 2)
By defeating Max Miller Carpets 7-4, Cookes Pools & Spas recorded their sixth win in succession a better record than any other team. Skipper Wayne Carmichael again led the way winning three singles for the fifth time this season. Carmichael also featured in both winning doubles , both three set struggles but crucial in grabbing the four points.
For Max Miller Carpets both Reece Kurrle and Gavin Carmichael won two singles each. The Carpeters despite being on the bottom of the ladder can mathematically make the four if they perform well.
– Exposed Signage/Apparel 7 (Matt Ljubic 3, Dylan Wood 2) d Mallee Bearings 4 (Leon Brown 2, Jackson Tung, Michael Hensgen 1)
Exposed Signage/Apparel arrested their three match losing streak when they defeated Mallee Bearings 7-4.Rising star Casper McCarthy was a late withdrawal for the Exposed team and was replaced by sub Collingwood AFL Joshua Carmichael who while not winning a singles performed well and played a vital role in the second doubles combining with skipper Matt Ljubic to defeat Jackson Tung and Michael Hensgen 15-13 8-15 15-11. Ljubic was in good form winning three singles while team mate Dylan Wood played extremely well in his exam week winning two singles including an entertaining three set victory over Bearings number one Jackson Tung 18-16 13-15 15-12 which helped to give his team a positive start in their quest for their first win in a month. Wood played many strong forehands to grab the match.
PENNANT TWO:
The top four teams played the bottom four teams in this round, and the result, rather unsurprisingly, was that the top five teams won. The effect on the ladder is that fifth placed Tankard Dental, who going into this round were equal on wins with the third and fourth placed teams, now falls a game behind.
– Mallee Meats 8 (Rohan Reimers, Jamila Belbaze 3, Jamie Kealley 2) d Tankard Dental 3 (Quentin Clark 1)
First placed Mallee Meats met fifth placed Tankard Dental in this round. When these teams met in round 2, Tankard Dental won 6-5, inflicting the only (so far) defeat on the ladder leaders, but since then the Mallee Meats trio have combined to become a match-winning machine, winning their matches at an average of 8.3 games to 2.6.
With an 8-3 score-line here, this match saw them replicate their average.
Mallee Meats scored all their wins in singles play … captain Rohan Reimers and number two Jamila Belbaze winning three rubbers each, and number three Jamie Kealley two.
Reimers won all his matches in the minimum two sets; Tankard Dental number two Marcus Cimino got closest to Rohan, but still Reimers did not have to go past 15 points in either set, winning 15-13, 15-12.
Likewise Jamila Belbaze … she matched her captain in that she won all her matches in two sets. In fact, Jamila’s results were almost identical to her captain’s, where Rohan conceded 60 points to his opponents over those three sets, Jamila conceded just a few more, 67. Great effort.
Number three Jamie Kealley continues to play like a player graded number two, and this week he picked up another two wins to give him 17 for the season so far, just a tick over 2 per games per round over the 8 rounds.
With all these amazing numbers, it comes as no surprise to find that the entire Mallee Meats team are in the top eight of the aggregate, Reimers (no. 1) 2nd, Kealley (no. 3) 7th, and Belbaze (no 2) 8th. They could really clean up this season.
For Tankard Dental then, things were pretty grim, Quentin Clark the only one to grab a singles win, that against Kealley. Their other two rubbers came in the doubles, Clark and Marcus Cimino a good three set win against Reimers and Belbaze, and Clark and Tague Morris upsetting the previously undefeated pairing of Reimers and Kealley in a very close contest 12-15, 15-12, 15-13.
Final scores: 8 rubbers to 3 and 18 games to 8.
– Weightmans Packaging 9 (Shane Carmichael 3, Matt Carmichael, Peter Fitzpatrick 2) d Sammy’s Slammers 2 (Sony Sefer, Ryan Hensgen 1)
Weightmans Packaging (2nd on the ladder) played Sammy’s Slammers (6th) this round. Going into this round, Weightmans Packaging had the same number of wins as first placed Mallee Meats (6), but the ladder leaders have a much better win/loss ratio. These two teams played last round, the win going to Weightmans Packaging 7-4.
A total of three players were absent from the sides for this clash – Weightmans Packaging John Fitzpatrick replaced by Matt Carmichael, and the Sammy’s Slammers pair of Jason Gifkins and Therese Fitzpatrick having Sony Sefer and Levi Williams subbing for them.
Sammy’s Slammers won two of the first three singles – Ryan Hensgen and Peter Fitzpatrick resuming their battle from the previous week when they played a very close three setter in rubber number eleven. The intervening week did not help Fitzpatrick too much, Hensgen winning quite easily 15-12, 15-5. Sony Sefer made it two rubbers to Sammy’s Slammers by defeating fill-in Matt Carmichael, playing his first competitive table tennis for who knows how many years. That said, Carmichael acquitted himself well, Sefer winning 15-12, 15-13. Sandwiched between these wins, Weightmans Packaging captain Shane Carmichael got his team on the board with a win against Levi Williams.
The first doubles was close, in both sets the Sammy’s Slammers pair of Sefer and Hensgen got a break, only for Shane Carmichael and Peter Fitzpatrick to reel them back in, winning 15-11, 15-13 to even the score 2-2.
From that point on though, the scoring went entirely Weightmans Packaging’s way; Shane Carmichael defeated Ryan Hensgen (no surprise);
Peter Fitzpatrick downed Sony Sefer (big surprise); Matt Carmichael warmed to the occasion to defeat Levin Williams; in the second doubles Shane and Matt Carmichael combined well to win 15-8, 15-11 against Sefer and Williams, and in the match-up in the final round of singles, Shane Carmichael defeated Sefer 10 and 13; Matt Carmichael worked very hard to get the better of the difficult Ryan Hensgen 18-16, 16-14; and Peter Fitzpatrick won the eleventh rubber this week, against Levi Williams.
At 9-2, this is a very big win, but in the event it makes minimal difference to the percentage chase to Mallee Meats who won their match 8-3.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 18 games to 4.
– Cookes Pools & Spas 7 (Kevin Johns, Terry Martin 3) d MJM Automotive 4 (Daniel Jansen, Andrew Jones, Tom Morrison 1)
Cookes Pools & Spas have struggled in recent weeks, but that was not the case in this match. The score-line of 7-4 needs explaining to reveal how dominant the Cookes Pools & Spas pair of Kevin Johns and Terry Martin were.
Cookes Pools & Spas were without their number three, Steve Pongrac, replaced by Shaun Gifford, who this season is playing in Pennant Three. MJM Automotive were without their number two and three, Michael Smyth and Isaiah Bettess, and they were replaced by Andrew Jones and Tom Morrison respectively.
Although Johns and Martin were dominant, MJM Automotive did better this time round than in their round 3 meeting, when they lost 2-9.
With Johns and Martin winning three singles rubbers each, and then combining in the second doubles to account for Daniel Jansen and Andrew Jones, they amassed their seven rubbers for the night.
Jansen, Jones and Morrison all took one singles rubber each (against Gifford), and Jansen and Morrison eked out a win over Johns and Gifford in the first doubles rubber, 16-14, 15-13.
With just two wins for the season, the same as Sammy’s Slammers, MJM Automotive are too far away from a berth in the finals.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 1 games all.
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Jeremy Corrin, David Sergi 2, Jordan Cole 1) d Pinnacle Packers 4 (Paul Kealley 3, James Jarvis 1)
Max Miller Carpets are keeping their finals hopes alive, this week taking a solid win against bottom side Pinnacle Packers. The win sees them now a game clear of fifth placed Tankard Dental.
Jeremy Corrin and Jordan Cole continue to lead this team, and they both took two singles wins in this match, both defeating James Jarvis and Andrew Kremor, who was subbing for Sabrina Fitzpatrick.
Max Miller Carpets other weakness, doubles play, also seems to have been rectified. They took both of those rubbers in this match, Corrin and Cole a two set 15-10, 16-14 win over Paul Kealley and Jarvis, and later
Corrin with David Sergi played a dominant third set to defeat Kealley and Kremor 15-12, 12-15, 15-7.
Pinnacle Packers captain Paul Kealley won all three singles rubbers, James Jarvis one, and this loss keeps this team winless for the season. It is worth noting though, that Pinnacle Packers’ win/loss ratio is better than the two teams above them, who have won 2 games to this point. Pinnacle Packers have won a total of 37 rubbers, and lost 51, Sammy’s Slammers in sixth spot have won 36 rubbers and lost 52, and seventh placed MJM Automotive have only 28 wins to their credit, and 60 losses. Clearly a good team, just out of luck.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 16 games to 11.
Pennant 3
There was only one match this round in Pennant 3 with ladder leaders Mallee Meats forfeiting their game against Weighman’s Packaging to allow Shaun Gifford and Levi Williams to play in Pennant 2. A big thankyou for the understanding shown by all players involved.
– Dunkley Scales 6 (Nick Kiapekos, Marita Grace 2, Nhat Dat 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 5 (Karly Leach 3, Rodney Galvin 1)
This was a great contest that went right down to the wire. Sammy’s Slammers Captain Karly Leach was back to her absolute best form in securing three singles victories for her team, while Marita Grace was in the thick of the action in securing two singles victories and being part of a vital doubles victory for Dunkley Scales.
The first match of the night was a tight three set contest between Nhat Dat and Leo Parker. Parker was able to win the big points when it mattered most and pocketed the first set 16-14. Dat lifted his game in the second and third sets to win these 15-10 and 15-9 to give Dunkley Scales an important early win. As a player was running late this evening the next match featured Nick Kiapekos up against Rodney Galvin. It would be fair to say that Kiapekos has had an inconsistent season and would be desperate to recapture his best form. As it turned out Kiapekos was on fire and easily accounted for Galvin in straight sets and then repeated the dose against Parker a few games later.
The turning point in this match occurred during the second doubles match of the evening. The pairing of Dat/Grace was up against Leach/Parker. In a strange twist Dunkley Scales Captain Kiapekos did not play this game – probably concerned that he was in such red-hot form that he might spontaneously combust (just a theory?). This move initially seemed to have back fired as the pairing of Leach/Parker took the first set 15-12 and looked on course to win in straight sets before a great comeback by the Dat/Grace combination stole the second set 16-14 to set up a deciding third set. This was a great set of table tennis with all players giving their all and with both teams holding match point at various stages late in the match. It would be Nat/Grace that would get the chocolates 16-14 in a great match that ultimately decided this contest.
In conclusion Dunkley Scales have just done enough to hold off a determined Sammy’s Slammers team to win 6 rubbers to 5 (13 games to 12).
Pennant 4
– MJM Automotive 8 (Hamish Smyth 3, Wendy Simpson 2, Koby Grace 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 3 (Costa Skiadas 2, Keith Sharman 1)
MJM Automotive look to be clear cut favourites for this year’s premiership as they have trounced their opposition in Exposed Signage and Apparel. Hamish Smyth was in imperious form in again claiming three singles victories and featured in the two doubles victories for his team. Although beaten there were a few positives for Exposed with Keith Sharman playing well in defeating Koby Grace in straight sets and then taking Hamish Smyth to three sets in a narrow loss. Also, Derek Hung played well in also taking Smyth to three sets and was super competitive in his doubles match playing with Costa Skiadis in narrowly going down 21-19 in the second set.
The feature match of the evening was Simpson V Sharman. Last time these two met it ended in tears as Sharman was left to look after the onions at the Bunnings Barbeque – and this time around nothing had changed with Simpson winning this contest in straight sets.
Overall MJM had all the answers in winning 8 rubbers to 3 (17 games to 8) against Exposed Signage and Apparel.
– Mallee Meats 6 (Maria Starikov, Jim Vale 2, Tom Gilmour 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Steve Parker, Liam Nicolaou 2)
Mallee Meats have secured a hard-fought win over Weightmans Packaging in a match featuring some exciting close games and excellent sportsmanship fully on display. In the last six games of the evening there were five three set matches – all of which need a mention (Here we go!)
Liam Nicolaou V Tom Gilmour. This was a classic battle with both players never surrendering cheap points to their opposition. In a grinding match Gilmour took the first set 16-14 and looked on course for victory before Nicolaou bounced back and won the second set 16-14. The third set was another close affair with Tom Gilmour calling a let during a point when Nicolaou returned his shot into play and dropped his bat. Gilmour could have easily tapped his shot into play to win this point but took the high morale ground with his call – Now that is sportsmanship! Although Nicolaou won the third set 15-12 Gilmour had lost no friends.
Helen Healy V Jim Vale. This was another excellent match with Healy looking to stretch her legs after umpiring the previous marathon match. Healy would start the better in taking the first set 15-13 before Vale would turn the momentum in his favour to win the second 15-11 and then going on to take the third set 15-8.
Liam Nicolaou/Steve Parker V Tom Gilmour/Maria Starikov. This doubles match was ‘one with the lot’ and would be decided in another tiebreaker in the last set. Both teams traded blows and with the match all square at one set all the third set was always going to be close. Each team had their opportunities to win this match, but it would be Nicolaou/Parker that would fall over the line 18-16 to now have the night square at 4 rubbers all.
Steve Parker V Tom Gilmour. Another great battle with Parker taking the first set 15-13 before Gilmour would fight back to take the second 16-14. The third set would be an anti-climax as Parker proved too strong against his tiring opponent in winning this set 15-9. With this win Weighman’s Packaging was now leading 5 rubbers to 4. Maria Starikov then played a brilliant match against Helen Healy to claim this match in straight sets to set up a deciding game of the evening.
Jim Vale V Liam Nicolaou. This was a tight match that delivered suspense right down to the final point. Vale started the better securing the first set 15-6 before Nicolaou took the second 15-8 in what seemed to be a scoring advantage at one end of the table. The third set could only be decided with a lengthy tie-break required with both players having opportunities to win along the way only to be foiled by their opponent as the score reached 17 all. All hail as Jim Vale would prevail in a monumental tussle to take the third set 19-17 thus giving his team victory.
In conclusion Mallee Meats were a fine slender cut above their opponents Weightmans Packaging in winning a thrilling match 6 rubbers to 5 (15 games to 12).
Well played everyone and we will see you all on Wednesday for Round 9.
