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GRAND FINAL
Winter-2023-Grand-Final-Scoresheets.pdf
PENNANT ONE:
In a stunning result Tankard Dental are the Sunraysia Table Tennis 2023 winter pennant premiers turning the tables on ladder leader Mallee Bearings after a 3-6 loss to their grand final opponents in the second semi final two weeks ago.
Tankards were able to turn this result around and while Wayne Carmichael continued his good form winning three singles it was Tankard number two Jackson Murphy who proved to be the difference.
– Tankard Dental 6 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Murphy 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Gavin Carmichael, Rohan Reimers 1)
Mallee Bearings went in to this match after enjoying a successful season only losing two of their 15 matches, the first match of the grand final featured Bearings number three Rohan Reimers, the most improved player this season, up against Tankards number three Paul Kealley. And what a thriller this was with Kealley in a powerful display racing out to a two games to nil lead, before leading 7-2 in the third. Kealley looked to have an outstanding win in his sights however Reimers had other ideas and in an amazing turnaround he grabbed the third and fourth narrowly and went on to win 13-15 7-11 11-9 11-9 11-6.
The next match was another lengthy five setter when Tankards Jackson Murphy took to the table against the experienced Gavin Carmichael and it was one of the matches that shaped the result of the grand final.
Murphy started well taking the first game with some powerful forehand drives, Carmichael fought back to win the second and third narrowly, showing great maturity Murphy then outplayed his opponent to win 11-9 9-11 9-11 11-8 11-8 much to the delight of his team mates.
Tankard Dental then took a 2-1 lead when skipper Wayne Carmichael downed Mark Dorman in straight sets, these two have had many finals battles over the past thirty plus years.
Despite being early in the grand final the first doubles was now crucial for Mallee Bearings and it was Mark Dorman and Gavin Carmichael who were able to reverse a second semi final loss against Tankards Wayne Carmichael and Jackson Murphy this time winning in a tight four set match 11-6 4-11 11-8 13-11, the scoreline now two rubbers all.
The next match was the first of a block of three singles and it was Mallee Bearings skipper Gavin Carmichael taking the points in four sets over Paul Kealley. The Bearings trio now took a 3-2 lead. At this point Tankard Dental took control of the final winning four rubbers in succession to finish the match.
Wayne Carmichael defeated Rohan Reimers as expected and then it was Jackson Murphy who again played well to control the match against Mark Dorman, again his stinging forehands were a feature.
In a late season match Murphy had defeated Gavin Carmichael and Dorman resulting in a win for his team, in the second semifinal he could not repeat that, but what a time to again score victories over these two far more experienced players.
The second doubles was crucial for Mallee Bearings and their pair of Dorman and Reimers went oh so close leading 9-8 in the fifth however it wasn’t to be with opponents Wayne Carmichael and Paul Kealley taking the match 11-9 in the final game.
Tankards now took a 5-3 lead with siblings Wayne and Gavin Carmichael taking to the table. Tankard skipper Wayne took control early and Gavin was never in the hunt, Wayne enjoyed a resounding victory and in doing so Tankard Dental took the match 6-3 in a powerful display.
Tankard Dental had peaked at the right time of the season and inflicted only the third defeat of the season on their opponents. In what has been a long and very successful career this was Wayne Carmichael’s fourteenth winter premiership, while for team mates Jackson Murphy and Paul Kealley it was their first flag. Murphy has been a long time player in pennant one and given his form on the night a well deserved first premiership while this was the first season for Paul Kealley who had offered good support to his two team mates.
PENNANT TWO:
This is the match report on the outstanding eleventh rubber in the 2023 Pennant Two Grand Final, not played last week because of an untimely blackout.
The match had progressed for just six points (Tom Morrison was leading John Fitzpatrick 4-2) when it had to be abandoned, and the players agreed to start the match from scratch when it resumed this week.
The first two sets were close, with Morrison always appearing the steadier of the two players. There were some great rallies, with both players sending down some unreturnable forehand drives. Tom took the first set 11-8 and looked on course to do the same in the second, but John worked his way back into the set, and with an error from Morrison took the set 12-10.
Fitzpatrick had a disaster of a third set. Before he knew it, he was 2-8 down, and although he did get a bit of a foothold in the set and recover to 5-9, Morrison closed the set out 11-5.
The fourth set was better for the Max Miller number three, but he was playing someone who was just a bit steadier, and making less mistakes. Once again, this set was close, but Morrison led all the way, and finished the set and match (and championship) off 11-8.
This was a great finish to this pennant, these two sides were the class of the field, and to have the result go down to the wire, with a break of a week to heighten the tension, was great. Must make mention of the good sportsmanship of Tom Morrison. Tom was not obliged to start this match from 0-0 when it resumed, but he was only too happy (in fact it was Tom’s suggestion) for John to start level with him upon resumption.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 5 and 22 games to 21.
Weightmans Packaging 6 (Quentin Clark, Tom Morrison 2, Andrew Jones 1) def Max Miller Carpets 5 (Daniel Jansen, Jeremy Corrin 2)
This is not so much a match report, and a match in progress report.
After ten rubbers, the score is (note, this is present tense) five rubbers all. Why, you may ask, did this match not finish on Grand Final night? Good question. Good answer, the lights went out just as Tom Morrison and John Fitzpatrick had played a handful of points in the deciding rubber. Literally, the lights went out. A blackout affecting the whole of Irymple plunged the Irymple Community Leisure Centre into darkness, the only light available that from the myriad of mobile phones.
The match will be restarted next Wednesday (16th August), and the two protagonists will have the whole of the club looking on. No pressure fellers!!
But, how did we get to this point, surely there were opportunities for maybe one, or the other side to have won already?
Max Miller Carpets got off to the worst possible start, and Weightmans Packaging the best possible start thanks to their number three Tom Morrison. Morrison played the first rubber in last week’s preliminary final too, when he defeated the opposition number two Terry Martin in five sets. This time, he was up against Max Miller Carpets number two Daniel Jansen, a man who has been in good form of late. Tom has a free swinging, big hitting style of game, and it seemed to catch Jansen off guard. Morrison totally dominated the match, Jansen looked tentative as Morrison raced away to an 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 win.
Next the aggregate runner up and Weightmans Packaging captain Quentin Clark was up against Max Miller Carpets number three John Fitzpatrick. Clark was measured in his game, going for outright winners from time to time, but mindful that given a chance, Fitzpatrick would be right in the match. So Quentin was glad when he finished the game in three sets 11-8, 11-6, 12-10.
Max Miller Carpets needed a win, and captain Jeremy Corrin delivered. He was drawn to play the very experienced Andrew Jones, but with a combination of power, skill and extreme patience, Jeremy won this match in three sets 11-3, 12-10, 11-8.
The first doubles rubber saw Clark and Jones (7 wins from 13 matches) against Corrin and Jansen (7 wins from 15 matches). The Max Miller
Carpets pair were desperate for a win, and made sure of it too, winning 11-7, 13-11, 11-9. Score now two rubbers each.
Jansen was now much better prepared for his next match, and if his defeat at the hands of Morrison was a surprise, which it was, then his win over Quentin Clark simply demonstrated his true ability. Jansen did not give Clark many opportunities to attack, as he kept his returns long and with some considerable spin attached. He led 11-9, 11-7 before Clark had the opportunity to grab a set, which he did 11-9 in the third, but Jansen came back even stronger in the fourth, taking that 11-5.
Next up, Jeremy Corrin was up against the dangerous Tom Morrison and was justifiably careful. Morrison was never far away for the first three sets, Corrin leading at that stage two sets to one 11-9, 13-11, 11-13. But Jeremy hit his straps in the fourth and took the game away from Morrison, winning the set and match 11-5.
Max Miller Carpets now led four rubbers to two, and John Fitzpatrick was drawn to play Andrew Jones, a player he had beaten in five sets just two weeks ago. He got off to the worst possible start though, and was soon two sets to love down, 4-11, 8-11. After changing his game plan, he recovered in the third and fourth sets 11-2, 11-9 to square the rubber and take the contest to the fifth set. The fifth set was close, but one had the impression that having to come back from two sets to love down had just about exhausted Fitzpatrick, and he could not keep up his level of play for that important final set, and Jones took it 11-8 to bring the deficit back to just one rubber.
The second doubles followed, Clark and Morrison (11 wins from 12 matches) against Corrin and Fitzpatrick (7 wins from 15 matches). The contest was close for the first two sets, but from then on the doubles aggregate winners motored away to win in four sets 11-8, 12-14, 11-5, 11-5.
Four rubbers all, and still no clear indication of how this contest was going to go.
Clark and Corrin played next, the two captains putting on a display of power table tennis. Both these players possess powerful shots, Quentin a sizzling forehand, and Jeremy a crashing cross-court backhand, and both these shots got plenty of use in this contest. Once again, Max Miller Carpets have themselves plenty of work to do, immediately going two sets to love down, Clark taking those two sets 11-9, 12-10. Corrin hit back (literally) in the next two sets 11-8, 11-9 and squared the match. Clark had saved a bit for the final set though, and was relatively
untroubled to take it 11-6, and once again regain the lead five rubbers to four.
Daniel Jansen was back to his best (he had to be) when he took on Andrew Jones in the next rubber. Jones sailed through the first set 11-4, with Jansen appearing to take a long time to get any sort of rhythm in his game. He slowed things down in the second set and grafted to an 11-9 win, only for Jones to do the same to him and take the third 11-7. Jansen needed a big push and put all his effort into the fourth set, with some great backhand flick shots, combined with his expertly executed forehand loops and took the fourth set 11-3. Two sets each. The final set once again was close, and tense, as each player sought out their opponents weaknesses, Jansen moving Jones side to side, probing with forehand shots, only for Jones to incessantly retrieve, and make him do it all again. The end came at 11-8, with Jansen in front and so the score is five rubbers each.
Tom Morrison and John Fitzpatrick took a while to warm up, and when play finally got under way just prior to 10:30pm, theirs was the only match still going in the stadium, the Grand Finals for Pennants 1, 3 and 4 having already been decided. With Morrison leading 4 points to 2, the lights went out, and the players tried to keep themselves warm and focussed for a return to play, however it soon became clear that it was not an issue with our venue, but one which affected a large part of the surrounding area, a power pole having been knocked over, so arrangements were soon made to call it a night, and restart this match in a week’s time.
Max Miller Carpets certainly had their chance to take this match … that loss by Daniel Jansen to Tom Morrison in rubber number one being the one that looks like one that got away. Perhaps the extra week’s break between matches did not help, it certainly did Morrison no harm playing last week, and on current form, Weightmans Packaging would have to be favourite to take the flag.
Final scores: 5rubbers each and 20 (Max Miller Carpets) games to 19 (Weightmans Packaging).
PENNANT THREE:
– Regional Taxation Services 6 (Shaun Gifford 3, Rodney Galvin 1) d Tankard Dental 3 (Steve Pongrac, Luca Capizzoto, Steve Parker 1)
Raging favourites Tankard Dental were rolled by Regional Taxation Services in the Pennant Three Grand Final.
Tankard Dental had had an outstanding season, fifteen matches for two losses, their number two Luca Capizzoto topped the aggregate even though he did not play in the final round, and the pairing of Capizzoto and his captain Steve Pongrac were equal best doubles combination for the season.
Regional Taxation Services’ season was good, no doubt, they did after all finish second on the aggregate. However, their individual achievements were modest compared to their rivals. Captain Shaun Gifford was runner-up in the aggregate contest, and number two Leo Parker together with number three Rodney Galvin finished tenth and fifteenth on the aggregate. And their doubles pairings were similarly modest, with five wins for Gifford and Galvin and four wins for Gifford and Parker.
This match then, was all about Gifford, and his team-mates stepping up in the biggest moment of the year.
The match kicked off with a father versus son match – Steve Parker, playing at number three for Tankard Dental against his son Leo, playing at number two for Regional Taxation Services. There was not much between them, Leo had won 17 singles rubbers during the season, and father Steve 14. This match was a great way to start a grand final as both players were well and truly a chance for the win. The score of the game swung like a pendulum of a clock, Steve won the first set 11-9, then Leo upped his game to take the second 11-6. Once again Steve had the edge in the third, taking that 11-9, only for Leo to take the fourth 11-7.
And the fifth, close once again, and Steve who had taken the first and third, then took the fifth 11-9. Neither player would feel too aggrieved with the result, Leo however did win more points, 49 to Steve’s 46. First strike to the minor premiers.
Next rubber featured Tankard Dental captain Steve Pongrac against Rodney Galvin, playing at number three for Regional Taxation Services. Pongrac enjoyed a good season with 26 singles matches won, compared to that of Galvin with 11. They met three times during the season, Pongrac won the first two encounters, the first in four sets, the second five sets, then significantly Galvin toppled Pongrac in the first semi-final in five sets, in a match which Regional Taxation Services ultimately won.
These two sides were very close, four encounters, three wins to Regional Taxation Services six rubbers to five, and one win to Tankard Dental, also six rubbers to five. Galvin started this match in a hurry, scurrying to a two sets to love lead 11-6, 11-3 and Pongrac was all at sea. Then, however, Pongrac changed his game a little, more balls came back to Galvin with back-spin on them, which drew an error, usually a return into the net. Pongrac grew in confidence, the errors continued, and he crawled back to two sets each, having taken the third and fourth sets 11-8, 11-8. The start of the fifth set was tense, would or could Galvin hold on and somehow manufacture a win against what now seemed to be a match slipping away, or could Pongrac keep his level up and inch through the final set? Galvin did not give us long to think about it, he led handsomely at the change of ends, and grew in confidence as the score closed on the required number of 11, and took the set 11-5. One rubber each.
The next rubber featured the two heavy hitters of his contest, aggregate winner Luca Capizzoto against second placed Shaun Gifford. These two had met three times during the season, and Capizzoto had prevailed each time, once in four sets, and twice in five sets. This time though, it was almost a no contest, Gifford was not troubled in winning in straight sets 11-9, 11-5, 11-9.
Then followed the first doubles, Tankard Dental had the aggregate winning pairing of Pongrac and Capizzoto (10 wins for the season from 13 games) against Gifford and Leo Parker (4 wins from 12 games). Gifford and Parker controlled the first two sets, winning them 11-9, 11-8 to put the frighteners on the Tankard Dental pair, and sure enough Pongrac and Capizzoto showed us why they were the best pairing by squaring the match with wins in the third and fourth sets 12-10, 11-8. What happened next nobody knows, but Gifford and Parker only had to stand at their end of the table to take the final set, which they did 11-1.
At three rubbers to one down, Tankard Dental were now in a bit of trouble, and Pongrac was keen to avenge his defeat at the hands of Galvin, when he took on young Leo Parker. As he did in the match with his father, Leo made Pongrac work for his win, which went to five sets, Pongrac winning 13-15, 11-3, 11-5, 11-13, 11-4.
Gifford very quickly chalked up another win for Regional Taxation Services with a straight sets win against Steve Parker 11-6, 11-1, 11-6, and Capizzoto followed suit for his side, defeating Galvin in four sets 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-1.
Although Tankard Dental had won two of the three singles in the second round of singles, they still trailed three rubbers to four ahead of the second doubles.
Both pairings had won five doubles contest throughout the season, Capizzoto and Steve Parker having played together ten times, Gifford and Galvin eleven. And the outcome of this match would see where the pressure fell for the remaining singles rubbers.
Gifford and Galvin could do no wrong in the first set, hardly making a mistake on their way to an 11-2 scoreline. Capizzoto and Parker gathered themselves up and took the second set 11-7, but that did not intimidate the Regional Taxation Services pair who took the third set with just the one error 11-9. The fourth set shaped as the set which would define the outcome, and sure enough it did. Capizzoto and Parker clung like glue to Gifford and Galvin as the score edged past 11 all, 12 all, 13 all, 14 all. Finally the Regional Taxation Services pair got their break, and the set to take it 16-14 and then have a commanding five rubbers to three lead.
Tankard Dental had to win everything from here on in.
First up Shaun Gifford faced Steve Pongrac, but once again, Gifford was in a class of his own, conceding just ten points to Pongrac during the entire match, racing away to win 11-4, 11-4, 11-2.
That was it, six rubbers to three, twenty three games to fourteen. Regional Taxation Services had dominated their opponents, even in their losses.
Gifford won all the rubbers he played in, three singles and two doubles, Galvin won that important singles rubber against Pongrac in the second match of the contest, and Leo Parker, although he did not win his singles encounters (losing both in five sets), sent the message that he was up for the fight, and then he and Gifford defeated the best doubles pairing in the first doubles rubber. Truly, a good team effort.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 3 and 23 games to 14.
PENNANT FOUR:
– Weightmans Packaging 6 (Glenn Leeson 3, Chelsey Avers 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Dianne Hannig 2, Katrina Clifford 1)
These two teams finished first and second on the ladder after fifteen rounds, Weightmans Packaging having a very good season with thirteen wins, Dunkley Scales with eight.
Weightmans boasted players who finished first and third on the individual aggregate in Glenn Leeson and Chelsey Avers respectively. Dunkley Scales were on course for a big season until their captain Costa Skiadis was injured in round 7. Going into that round Skiadis led the aggregate, and Dunkley Scales was on top of the ladder. Skiadis did not play again, and the team relied on fill-ins for him to get it through the season. For this match, Dunkley Scales had the services of the very capable Dianne Hannig.
The match started in a fairly low key way, in that the first two matches went “as expected” and with a minimum of fuss.
Dunkley Scales drew first blood, Katrina Clifford winning in three sets against Gary Leach. Weightmans Packaging levelled the score via Glenn Leeson, who also won in straight sets a match against Derek Hung.
Hannig played next, up against Chelsey Avers, a player whose game “came alive” in round 8. Up to that point, Chelsey had won just six singles rubbers in the four matches she had played, work commitments seeing her sit out on three occasions. But from round 8 to round 15, Chelsey played every round and was beaten just twice in singles during that period – quite a turnaround!!
She was certainly the form player here. Hannig, however drew on her experience as refused to allow Avers to take control of the match. Although Avers struck first, she won the first set 11-9, Hannig responded immediately 11-7 in the second, similarly a win to Avers in the third 11-7 met with the response from Hannig 11-8. The fifth set was all Hannig, who cleared off to win it 11-2 and give her side a two rubbers to one advantage.
Hannig and Clifford then teamed up in the first doubles against Leeson and Avers, the pair who enjoyed most success in this pennant, having won nine of their ten matches played together. On the other end of the table, Hannig and Clifford had played together, twice, for just one win. The match however was a beauty. Leeson and Avers kept the Dunkley Scales pair at arm’s length to take the first two sets 11-8, 11-9, but they
did not subdue the desire of their opponents who levelled the match at two sets all by taking the third and fourth sets 11-6, 11-7. The fifth set was tight and close, and belied the form of the two pairs going into the contest, but it was the Weightmans Packaging who emerged victorious 17-15 in that fifth set to now level the scores at two rubbers each.
Weightmans Packaging took two of the next three singles rubbers – Glenn Leeson won in three sets against Katrina Clifford, and did Chelsey Avers when she played Derek Hung, who could not reproduce his great form from the preliminary final.
Dunkley Scales grabbed one of the rubbers – Hannig took a straight sets win against Gary Leach.
Dunkley Scales needed the second doubles to stay in the contest, a win would see the scores level at four each. The two “regular” team members, Clifford and Hung teamed for this most important rubber, up against Leeson and Leach. Clifford and Hung had played together three times for two wins, and the Weightmans Packaging pair of Leeson and Leach eight times for seven wins.
Although their form appeared to be rather light on, the Dunkley Scales pair had won their fair share of doubles rubbers during the year, albeit with different partners. Clifford had played a total of thirteen doubles matches during the year, for eleven wins, and Hung twelve matches for eight wins. So, they were comfortable in the doubles game. And so it proved here, despite Leeson and Leach having played together more often, and with more wins, the Dunkley Scales pair won a very tight four set contest 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10 to keep themselves in the contest.
Each side then needed two of the last three rubbers to win the flag, and the captains met first. Hannig took the first two sets against Leeson 11-8, 12-10 and looked to be in the box seat. Leeson got a new lease of life though at the start of the third set and dominated that set 11-5, then 11-6 in the fourth to take the contest to the fifth set. Glenn had the momentum and kept it going, and there was little Hannig could do to get much of a foothold in the set. Leeson eventually took the fifth 11-7, and give his side the lead again, five rubbers to four.
The numbers two’s were next, Chelsey Avers and Katrina Clifford, and it was Clifford, who like her captain in the previous rubber, took first blood 12-10. Avers responded with a vengeance, skipping through the next two sets 11-5, 11-3 and set the match up for a four set win. Clifford was not finished though; she dug in and took the fourth set 11-7, and a few butterflies were seen circulating around the table after that. As in the
other five set contests in this match, the fifth set was close, and Avers just edged Clifford 11-9 to take it, and the match.
Weightmans Packaging were clearly the favourites to win this contest, but this was a close tense match. Two weeks ago when they met, Weightmans Packaging won six rubbers to three, so the step up in intensity by the Dunkley Scales trio was clear, and commendable.
Final scores: 6 rubbers to 4 and 21 games to 18.
