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PENNANT ONE:
After four rounds of the Sunraysia Table Tennis pennant Mallee Bearings are the only undefeated team while second placed Regional Taxation Services opened up a one game break courtesy of their 6-5 victory over Cooke’s Pools & Spas. In another close encounter Max Miller Carpets scored a narrow win over Weightmans Packaging in a match where both team’s were looking for their first victory.
– Regional Taxation Services 6 (Matt Ljubic 3, Thanh Nguyen 2, Michael Hensgen 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 3 (Joel Thomas 2, Russell Walder 1)
https://youtu.be/Oay6nXZpfIs Joel Thomas v Matt Ljubic
RTS skipper Matt Ljubic was in tremendous form winning three singles against Cooke’s Pools & Spas including a four set win over Joel Thomas. This was the match that many had looked forward to and the players did not disappoint with many long rallies taking place. An excellent victory by Ljubic 11-3 3-11 11-7 11-8.
Ljubic received excellent support from team mates Thahn Nguyen and Michael Hensgen who won two and one singles respectively.
– Mallee Bearings 7 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Mark Dorman 2, Rohan Reimers 1) d Tankard Dental 4 (Wayne Carmichael 2, Jackson Murphy 1)
https://youtu.be/mAHz6ndn8qQ Richie v Wayno
https://youtu.be/MBlrovKDHSY Rohan Reimers v Jackson Murphy
In an even display the Mallee Bearings trio of Gavin Carmichael, Mark Dorman and Rohan Reimers won three, two and one singles respectively against opponents Tankard Dental enabling their team to record a 7-4 and remain undefeated.
Carmichael has been in solid form over the first four rounds remaining undefeated in singles and he was able to record a rare straight sets victory over brother Wayne.
The highlight match in this contest was the last when Bearings number three Rohan Reimers took to the table against Tankard two Jackson Murphy. Reimers was away to a 2-0 lead early and Murphy was in trouble however he came out strongly in the fourth to reducethd lead and the fourth went his way early before Reimers recovered strongly to all of a sudden take a match point, Murphy under pressure played well taking the fourth after saving two match points. The fifth was tight however Murphy in an excellent fighting comeback took the match 9-11 9-11 11-4 14-12 11-8.
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Jackson Tung, Reece Kurrle 2) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Kate Carmichael, Leon Brown 2, Liam Wood 1)
https://youtu.be/6ga6aStbHis Liam Wood v Shane Carmichael
With both teams looking for their first victory Max Miller Carpets hung on to record a narrow 6-5 victory over Weightmans Packaging. The Carpeters raced to a 5-1 lead and appeared to be coasting to victory however the match then turned completely and an amazing recovery by Weightmans saw the match levelled at 5 rubbers all.
Then Weightmans, via fillin Shane Carmichael took a two games to love lead over Liam Wood. With the four points slipping away Wood then sprung in to action and in an amazing comeback he went on to win 6-11 10-12 11-7 11-6 11-6 a tremendous recovery and victory for his team in a topsy turvy battle for the four points.
PENNANT TWO:
Weightmans Packaging shot to the top of the ladder last round with a 9-2 win; this week they celebrated with a 7-4 victory against third placed Cookes Pools & Spas; In defeating Mallee Meats, Jeremy Corrin’s Max Miller Carpets team gained a spot to fourth, with their opponents here dropping to the bottom of the table; and despite losing to fifth side Pinnacle Packers, Mallee Bearings retain second spot on the ladder.
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Quentin Clark, Andrew Jones 2, Tom Morrison 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 4 (Ashley Morrison 3, Josh Arnold 1)
Weightmans Packaging scored a strong 7-4 win against Ashley Morrison’s Cookes Pools & Spas side in this round.
Despite Morrison being unbeatable in singles play, he could not get his side over the line. Losses in both doubles hurt, particularly the second match where Morrison and number three Ryan Hensgen fought back from two sets to one down to level against Quentin Clark and Ashley’s son, Tom, only to go down in a close fifth set 11-9. Although he won only one singles rubber, Cookes Pools & Spas number two Josh Arnold played well. He almost defeated his opposite number Andrew Jones in the first round of singles, going down in a close five setter 11-13, 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-13. And he had to work for the one rubber he did win, that against Tom Morrison, 11-6, 3-11, 9-11, 16-14, 12-10.
Ultimately though, Weightmans Packaging held all the cards. With Quentin Clark and Andrew Jones winning two singles rubbers apiece, and with Tom Morrison easily defeating his opposite number Ryan Hensgen in straight sets, and dominating both doubles rubbers, Clark and Jones winning in four sets over Morrison and Arnold, and later Clark and Tom Morrison a good five set win against Ashley Morrison and Hensgen.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 25 games to 18.
– Max Miller Carpets 7 (Jeremy Corrin, Daniel Jansen, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Mallee Meats 4 (Sony Sefer 3)
https://youtu.be/t48IDefLUs4 Terry Martin v Daniel Jansen
Max Miller Carpets are quietly getting their season going, and with a win in this round move to fourth on the ladder. Early days yes, but with each team member recording two wins and captain Jeremy Corrin and his number two Daniel Jansen fighting all the way to win the first doubles in five sets, the signs are there that this side is beginning to gel.
Mallee Meats fill-in captain Sony Sefer denied Max Miller Carpets a much bigger win. He disposed of Corrin and Jansen in straight sets, but perhaps not unsurprisingly, he did lose a set to “never say die” John
Fitzpatrick. And with James Jarvis Mallee Meats won the second doubles, a tight four setter 10-12, 11-8, 14-12, 13-11.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 19.
– Pinnacle Packers 6 (Peter Fitzpatrick 3, Zac Galbraith, Stephan Ljubic 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Marcus Cimino 2, Therese Fitzpatrick, David Sergi 1)
Pinnacle Packers picked themselves up from bottom of the ladder to defeat second placed Mallee Bearings 6-5 in this round.
Pinnacle Packers captain Peter Midgley won his three singles rubbers easily, and with Zac Galbraith and fill-in number three Stefan Ljubic picking up one each, they put themselves in a position to win, which they did with a win in the first doubles, Midgley and Galbraith too strong defeating Marcus Cimino and Therese Fitzpatrick (subbing for Jamie Kealley).
Best performed for Mallee Bearings were Cimino and David Sergi. Cimino won two singles rubbers, Sergi one, and together they defeated Zac Galbraith and Ljubic in five sets 11-8, 11-7, 13-15, 7-11, 11-9 in the second doubles in what became a late resurgence for the team. Trailing 3-5 at that point, the doubles win made in 4-5, and although Pinnacle Packers closed out the match in the very next rubber when Midgley defeated Cimino, both Fitzpatrick and Sergi won their final singles rubbers to bring the score back to a very respectable 5-6 defeat.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 23 games to 20.
PENNANT THREE:
Regional Taxation Services and Tankard Dental, the two previously undefeated sides had their first hit-out of the season, with a very close result; in another close match Weightmans Packaging edged Sammy’s Slammers; and Exposed Signage and Apparel scored their first win for the season.
– Regional Taxation Services 6 (Leo Parker 3, Shaun Gifford 2) d Tankard Dental 5 (Luca Capizzoto 2, Steve Pongrac, Steve Parker 1)
Regional Taxation Services and Tankard Dental sat first and second on the ladder going into this round, Regional Taxation Services having the better percentage by some measure. However, percentages don’t count for much in a head to head battle, and this game was as close as you could wish.
The singles rubbers were as close to being evenly shared as possible – Regional Taxation Services captain Shaun Gifford winning two, and his number two youngster Leo Parker an amazing three haul, including two five set wins, one against previously undefeated Tankard Dental number two Luca Capizzoto in the final round of singles. The other five set win by Leo was against his father Steve, with Leo winning just two points more than Steve in the entire match 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 14-12. Meanwhile at Tankard dental, Capizzoto won his two other singles, and Steve Pongrac and Steve Parker one each, both downing Regional Taxation Services’ Rodney Galvin.
So, it was the doubles rubbers which decided the fate of the clash, with Tankard Dental taking the first in four sets, Pongrac and Capizzoto too steady for Gifford and Leo Parker, but in the second the tables were turned, Gifford and Galvin too good for Capizzoto and Steve Parker, winning in straight sets.
Although they lost here, Tankard Dental retain second spot on the ladder, as they are still one win clear of third placed team, Weightmans Packaging.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 21 games to 20.
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Karly Leach 2, Ashton McMullan 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 5 (Marita Grace 3, Koby Grace 1)
After seven rubbers, it looked like Weightmans Packaging could run away with a big win in this match against Sammy’s Slammers.
At that point, the Weightmans Packaging trio of Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Karly Leach and Ashton McMullan (subbing for Nicole Hunt), led five rubbers to two. Sammy’s Slammers took the next two rubbers to keep Weightmans Packaging honest, the mother and son team of Marita and Koby Grace hanging on for the win in the second doubles against Fitzpatrick and McMullan 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-8, and Marita winning the battle of the captains in four sets against Sabrina,
but Karly Leach clinched the win for Weightmans Packaging with a straight sets win against her opposite number Nhat Dat in the penultimate rubber.
Koby Grace continued his improvement with a win in the final rubber, defeating McMullan in three sets.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 21 games to 16.
– Exposed Signage/Apparel 7 (Levi Williams 3, Dave Tanner 2) d Mallee Meats 4 (Michael Smyth 2, Nick Kiapekos, Hamish Smyth 1)
Exposed Signage and Apparel recorded their first win for the season, defeating Mallee Meats, who have had an indifferent start to the season.
The good news for Exposed Signage and Apparel is that even with this first win they are no longer bottom of the ladder, and only a couple of games away from being third.
Exposed Signage & Apparel captain Levi Williams finally did what everyone knew he could, and won his three singles rubbers. In a confidence boosting performance, Levi had opposition from each of the Mallee Meats players, requiring four sets to defeat each one.
Levi’s number two Dave Tanner had a good night also, firstly a four set win against Mallee Meats number three Hamish Smyth, and in the second round of singles a back-and-forth five set win against Nick Kiapekos 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7.
Having won only two of their previous six doubles rubbers, Exposed Signage & Apparel were certainly making up for lost time, Williams and Tanner duking it out, and winning, the first doubles against Michael Smyth and Kiapekos in five sets, and in the second encounter Williams and substitute Ryyan Doherty proving a stronger combination than father and son Michael and Hamish Smyth, winning that in straight sets.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Mallee Meats however. With the quality of the players in their team, Michael Smyth, Nick Kiapekos and Hamish Smyth, their season will get better sooner rather than later.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 21 games to 20.
PENNANT FOUR:
After four rounds this pennant is very tightly packed, each team has won twice, and each team has been defeated twice, with no apparent stand-out combination.
– Dunkley Scales 9 (Costa Skiadas, Ryyan Doherty 3, Curtis Crabtree 1) d Weightmans Packaging 2 (Glenn Leeson, Chelsey Avers 1)
A big nine rubbers to two win against Weightmans Packaging lifted Dunkley Scales from third to top of the ladder this round.
Three singles wins to Costa Skiadas and fill-in Ryyan Doherty were enough to secure the four points, but then Curtis Crabtree, subbing for Derek Hung, picked up one singles rubber, and the side took both doubles rubbers – Skiadas and Crabtree in four sets against Glenn Leeson and Chelsea Avers, and in the second encounter Skiadas teamed with Doherty to overpower Leeson and Nathan Beard in straight sets. Probably Costa’s best night for a while!!
Weightmans Packaging could do little against this onslaught, only Leeson and Avers able to prise a win out of Crabtree each. And in recording this loss, Weightmans Packaging fell from the top to the bottom of the ladder, but with it being so close, they could just as easily find themselves back on top next round!!
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 27 games to 12.
– Mallee Meats 6 (Ildi Healy 3, David Healy, Nathan Beard 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Liam Nicolaou, Maria Starikov 2)
Mallee Meats needed every one of the eleven rubbers on offer to record their second win for the season.
Trailing 4-5 with two rubbers to play, Ildi Healy kept a determined Maria Starikov at bay to win in four sets 11-7, 11-2, 11-13, 11-9 to square the match, then husband David, finished the job, defeating Andrew McMahon in straight sets.
With three singles wins and a five set victory in the first doubles with husband David, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, Ildi had a good night. Nathan Beard contributed one very important win, this against Andrew McMahon in four sets, at the time giving his side a four rubbers to two lead.
Tankard Dental reeled Mallee Meats back in, though, wins to Starikov over David Healy in three sets, captain Liam Nicolaou and McMahon
similarly a three set win against Ildi Healy and Beard, and when Nicolaou give his side the lead with two rubbers to go, by defeating Beard in three sets, it looked like his side had done just about enough for the win, but Mallee Meats had a little left in the tank, and won those final two rubbers.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 21 games to 20.
