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ROUND 8
PENNANT ONE:
The feature of round eight results of the Sunraysia Table Tennis Association is that positions second to fifth now are separated by only one win. Cookes Pools & Spas for the third round in succession were unlucky going down 5-6 and now have dropped from third to fifth. Top team Mallee Bearings continued on their undefeated way however were under pressure against Weightmans Packaging who remain sixth on the ladder despite consistently placing their opponents under pressure.
– Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kate Carmichael, Leon Brown, Liam Wood 2) d Cookes Pools & Spas 5 (Joel Thomas 3)
By winning their third match in succession Max Miller Carpets have moved in to the top four for the first time this season occupying third position by percentage. In an even team display Kate Carmichael, Leon Brown and Liam Wood all won two singles taking a 6-5 victory over Cookes Pools & Spas despite Joel Thomas again winning three singles and taking part in both doubles victories. The luckless Cookes have now lost in this fashion over the past three rounds.
With the scores at 5-4 in Cookes favour Lee Leeson placed extreme pressure on Carpeters Leon Brown and this match was an entertaining five setter with Brown levelling the match winning 11-8 9-11 11-4 11-13 12-10 , a thriller.
– Tankard Dental 7 (Wayne Carmichael, Paul Kealley 2, Jackson Murphy 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Matt Ljubic 3, Thanh Nguyen 1)
Tankard Dental proved too steady for Regional Taxation Services winning 7-4. The form of Tankards number three Paul Kealley and victory in both doubles was the difference in this contest. Kealley was promoted to pennant one after a very successful season in the summer pennant two competition. His two victories included a five set tussle with the inform Thahn Nguyen 7-11 11-9 6-11 12-10 12-10.
Matt Ljubic was in good form winning three singles for Regional Taxation Services including a five set tussle with Wayne Carmichael , Ljubic dominated in the first game then Carmichael fought back to take the match to a fifth 11-1 8-11 10-12 11-5 11-4 the final result.
– Mallee Bearings 7 (Gavin Carmichael 3, Rohan Reimers 2. Mark Dorman 1) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Reece Kurrle 2, Jackson Tung 1)
For the fifth round in succession ladder leader Mallee Bearings were able to prevail despite being under pressure this time grabbing the four points over Weightmans Packaging 7-4. The Bearings team were out of the blocks early winning the first three singles with the crucial victory being the four set victory by Bearings number three Rohan Reimers over Weightmans number one Jackson Tung in four sets.
Reimers enjoyed a good night winning two singles all up and partnering Gavin Carmichael to win the second doubles. Carmichael won three singles to maintain equal leadership in the singles aggregate.
PENNANT TWO:
Weightmans Packaging win their sixth match in a row, and now seven from eight; Mallee Meats continue their climb up the table, this week defeating second placed Cookes Pools & Spas to take their spot; likewise Max Miller Carpets, now up to third.
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Quentin Clark 3, Andrew Jones, Tom Morrison 1) d Pinnacle Packers 4 (Peter Midgley, Sony Sefer 2)
Weightmans Packaging do not look threatened these days, this round they recorded their sixth win on the trot. With just one loss in the eight rounds to date, they have stretched their lead at the head of the ladder to three games to the three teams tied for second spot.
In winning another three singles rubbers, Weightmans captain Quentin Clark continued his dominant form, and brought that form to the doubles rubbers too.
Furqaan Ahmad was certainly competitive against Clark in Clark’s first match, Clark winning that match 12-10, 12-10, 11-6, Sony Sefer too put up stern opposition, but to no avail, Clark again winning in three 11-9, 15-13, 11-7. In the final round of singles, against Peter Midgley, Clark had to work for the win, but took it in five sets.
Andrew Jones and Tom Morrison both took a singles win, and with wins in both doubles rubbers, Weightmans Packaging took the win seven rubbers to four. Clark and Jones defeated Midgley and Sefer in four sets, and later Clark and Morrison kept their perfect doubles record, taking their fifth win from five pairings, and maintain their spot at the top of the doubles rankings.
Peter Midgley and Sony Sefer both took two wins for Pinnacle Packers, but that was it. All teams are finding it hard to find the chink in the armour of Weightmans Packaging this season.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 25 games to 17.
– Mallee Meats 7 (Kevin Johns 3, Terry Martin 2, James Jarvis 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 4 (Ashley Morrison 2, Josh Arnold 1)
Cookes Pools & Spas are the big losers from this round, falling from second to fourth on the ladder by virtue of their loss to Mallee Meats, and also Max Miller Carpets’ win against Mallee Bearings. All is not lost though, as these three teams are all equal on wins, four, and separated by percentage.
Mallee Meats recorded a solid win in the end, but after eight rubbers the score was four rubbers each, Cookes Pools & Spas putting up stern resistance.
Mallee Meats Kevin Johns made short work of Peter Fitzpatrick (subbing for Ryan Hensgen) and Josh Arnold, winning those matches in three sets, but it seemed that Ashley Morrison had his measure when Morrison led two sets to one in rubber number nine. However, Johns’ consistency got him home, winning the encounter 11-4, 5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6.
Terry Martin won two rubbers, defeating his opposite number Josh Arnold in four sets in the penultimate rubber, after disposing of Peter Fitzpatrick earlier in the night in straight sets.
And James Jarvis won the battle of the number three’s, he too defeating Fitzpatrick, dropping just one set.
Johns and Martin were much too strong for Morrison and Arnold in the first doubles, conceding just fifteen points in the three set win.
Cookes Pools & Spas tried hard, but were outgunned in the final three singles rubbers. Up the that point, captain Ashley Morrison had won two rubbers, but then fell to Johns, Josh Arnold surprised James Jarvis in the first rubber, winning in three sets, and Morrison and Fitzpatrick won the second doubles against Johns and Jarvis in four sets.
But when it came to the head to heads, Mallee Meats prevailed, accelerating away from four rubbers each to a seven rubbers to four win.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 16.
– Max Miller Carpets 9 (Jeremy Corrin 3, Daniel Jansen, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Mallee Bearings 2 (Jamie Kealley 2)
Max Miller Carpets gave their percentage a healthy boost with a nine rubbers to two win against bottom side Mallee Bearings.
Jeremy Corrin had a night to remember, three singles wins, plus wins in both doubles rubbers. He only dropped a couple of sets too, after downing Stefan Ljubic (subbing for David Sergi) in straight sets, wins against Mallee Bearings number two Marcus Cimino and then the captain Jamie Kealley came in four sets. He and Daniel Jansen defeated the competitive pairing on Kealley and Cimino in four sets, 11-6, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, and then with John Fitzpatrick a straight sets win against Kealley and Ljubic. The two Max Miller Carpets doubles pairings are equal first
on the doubles aggregate with the Weightmans Packaging pairing of Quentin Clark and Tom Morrison on five wins.
Jansen and Fitzpatrick both contributed a healthy two singles wins to their team’s tally, Jansen getting back to his form from previous years in his games, straight sets wins against Ljubic and Cimino, and a flip of the coin five set loss to Jamie Kealley. Fitzpatrick came out firing in the first rubber, battling to a five set win over Marcus Cimino 11-2, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, and later an easy win against his opposite number Ljubic.
Only Jamie Kealley could help his side – he defeated both Jansen and Fitzpatrick in singles play.
Final scores: 9 rubbers to 2 and 30 games to 11
PENNANT THREE:
Tankard Dental extended their lead at the head of the table this round when they defeated Sammy’s Slammers; Exposed Signage & Apparel upset second placed Regional Taxation Services; and Mallee Meats consolidated third spot on the ladder.
– Tankard Dental 7 (Steve Pongrac, Luca Capizzoto 2, Steve Parker 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 4 (Marita Grace 3, Nhat Dat 1)
Sammy’s Slammers captain Marita Grace dominated the singles rubbers in this match, but Tankard Dental had too much depth of talent and took a comfortable seven rubbers to four win.
Grace dominated the match with Steve Parker, winning in three, against the aggregate leader Luca Capizzoto, Grace was again too good, winning 11-5, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9, and against Steve Pongrac, a similar result, again winning in four sets.
Tankard Dental played the game more consistently though – two wins to both Pongrac and Capizzoto, and number three Steve Parker with one. In the doubles rubbers, Tankard Dental won both comfortably – Pongrac and Capizzoto 5, 5 and 8 over Grace and Nhat Dat, and in the second Capizzoto and Parker 5, 6 and 3 over Marita and her son Koby.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 26 games to 14.
– Exposed Signage/Apparel 7 (Levi Williams 2, Riley Clemence, Dave Tanner, Steve Parker 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Shaun Gifford 3, Ashton McMullin 1)
Fourth placed Exposed Signage & Apparel toppled second placed Regional Taxation Services seven rubbers to four. When these two teams met in round three, the score was the same, but in favour of Regional Taxation Services.
Regional Taxation Services captain Shaun Gifford kept his side in the match, winning his three singles rubbers, but only Ashton McMullin (subbing for Rodney Galvin) could add to that, when he won the clash with his opposite number Riley Clemence in straight sets.
Exposed Signage & Apparel took the rest of the rubbers, captain Levi Williams easily defeating Leo Parker and McMullin, and coming close to topping Gifford, losing 11-9 in the fifth set.
Number two DaveTanner won one singles rubber, before retiring, Steve Parker then stepped in for Tanner and took a win, and Riley Clemence
clocked up a win against Leo Parker, a good four set win 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 14-12.
Exposed Signage & Apparel took both doubles rubbers – Levi Williams and Dave Tanner won a great five set contest against Shaun Gifford and Leo Parker. The Regional Taxation Services pair took the first two sets 11-3, 12-10, only for Williams and Tanner to respond in the next two 11-8, 11-6. The fifth set was close the whole way, and went beyond the minimum number of points for a set, Williams and Tanner finally getting the job done at 14-12. The second doubles was fairly straightforward for Williams and Clemence, they won in straight sets against Gifford and McMullin.
With this win, Exposed Signage & Apparel maintain their fourth spot on the ladder.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 16.
– Mallee Meats 7 (Michael Smyth 3, Nick Kiapekos 2) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick 2, Karly Leach, Nicole Hunt 1)
Third placed Mallee Meats played bottom side Weightmans Packaging, and courtesy of wins in both doubles came away with a win, seven rubbers to four.
Mallee Meats captain Michael Smyth cleaned up in singles, straight sets wins against Karly Leach and Sabrina Fitzpatrick, those matches split by a great five set win against Nicole Hunt.
Hunt took the first two sets easily, 11-3, 11-5, and then narrowly lost the third set 14-16. Hunt kept the pressure on, but Smyth was equal to the challenge and took the final two sets 13-11, 11-7.
Nick Kiapekos took two wins, in four against Nicole Hunt, and a very tense five set victory against Karly Leach 11-8, 10-12, 12-14, 11-9, 11-9.
Mallee Meats proved the better combinations in doubles – Michael Smyth and Kiapekos an easy three set win against Fitzpatrick and Leach, and then the father and son combination of Michael and Hamish Smyth really had to work against Fitzpatrick and Hunt, winning a good five setter 11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10.
For Weightmans Packaging, Fitzpatrick won two singles, and Leach and Hunt one each, but Mallee Meats starved them of any more.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 19.
PENNANT FOUR:
Top side Weightmans Packaging defeated bottom team Mallee Meats; and Tankard Dental defeated Dunkley Scales in the final rubber of their contest.
– Weightmans Packaging 7 (Glenn Leeson, Chelsey Avers 3) d Mallee Meats 4 (Wendy Simpson, Keith Sharman, Nathan Beard 1)
Glenn Leeson and Chelsey Avers set up this win for Weightmans Packaging, as they both proved unbeatable in the singles rubbers.
Leeson was particularly strong, winning his three matches in just three sets each; Avers in her first two matches going to a two sets to love lead, only to see her opponents, firstly Wendy Simpson and then later
Nathan Beard claw back two sets to square the match, and for Chelsey to win them both in the fifth set. And these two players were a good combination in doubles too, against Wendy Simpson and Keith Sharman they came away victorious in four sets 11-13, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6.
Mallee Meats therefore had a pretty quiet night, each player won one singles rubber, all against Gary Leach, and Simpson and Nathan Beard took the second doubles with a score which had similarities to that of the first doubles 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4.
Final scores: 7 rubbers to 4 and 23 games to 17.
– Tankard Dental 6 (Dianne Hannig 2, Katrina Clifford, Derek Hung 1) d Dunkley Scales 5 (Maria Starikov 3, Ildi Healy 2)
Fourth placed Tankard Dental defeated Dunkley Scales in this match and now join them on four wins for the season. Dunkley Scales however, retain third spot by virtue of their better percentage.
This was a close match, won in the final rubber when Ildi Healy (subbing for Liam Nicolaou) defeated Katrina Clifford in four sets. Tankard Dental’s Maria Starikov was the class of the field with three singles wins, the second time Maria has done that this season. She and Andrew McMahon won the first doubles rubber. After dropping the first set 7-11, they held off Katrina Clifford and Derek Hung to take the last three 13-11, 13-11, 11-7.
Dianne Hannig (subbing for Costa Skiadas) kept Dunkley Scales in the contest. Two singles wins and the second doubles with Katrina Clifford kept the wins ticking along. Clifford and Hung each recorded a win – both defeating Andrew McMahon, but on the night, Tankard Dental had too much firepower and that saw them get over the line.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 19 games to 21.
