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Doubles Round
Round eight of the Sunraysia Table Tennis pennant featured doubles matches only. This was an innovation introduced by the STTA in recent times and the third year it has now taken place and is proving popular with the players.
The round known as “Doubles Round” pitted all teams playing against each other on the one night with three doubles taking place and then moving on to the next team, four points up for taking for the most successful three teams on the night. These points are then included on the current seasons Red Cliffs Club ladder.
The format for each team versus team contest was player one and two versus player one and two followed by 1&3 vs 1&3 with a final match of players 2&3 versus opposition 2&3. The top three teams on the night would gain four points to go toward the current home and away ladder.
There was some outstanding table tennis played and in all there were forty-five doubles matches with seventeen going to a maximum of three sets. Doubles is an exciting and important component of the sport and plays a key role in each round during the season.
PENNANT ONE:
| Win | Loss | Dbls | Pts | Rubbers | Games | % | % | |||
| For | Agst | For | Agst | R | G | |||||
| Regional Taxation Services | 7 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 46 | 31 | 156 | 131 | 148% | 119% |
| Cookes Pools & Spas | 5 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 39 | 139 | 136 | 97% | 102% |
| Weightmans Packaging | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 43 | 34 | 149 | 143 | 126% | 104% |
| Tankard Dental | 3 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 38 | 39 | 138 | 149 | 97% | 93% |
| Mallee Bearings | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 37 | 40 | 147 | 139 | 93% | 106% |
| Choices Flooring Mildura | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 48 | 128 | 159 | 60% | 81% |
PENNANT ONE
Leading doubles combinations (five matches) – Arhuang Lau and Russell Walder 5, Kate Carmichael and Paul Kealley 5, Kate Carmichael and Matthew Carmichael 4, Jackson Tung and Lee Leeson 4,
Players to perform well individually – Russell Walder 9 wins from 10 matches played, Paul Kealley 8, Jackson Tung 7, Arhuang Lau 7, Kate Carmichael 6, Lee Leeson 6
Fifth placed Mallee Bearings were the big winners in Doubles Round winning all their matches against every team and picking up an important four points to now move one win from fourth position on the ladder. In an outstanding performance Arhuang (Wong) Lau and teammate
Russell Walder won their five matches while Walder also won four out of five matches when partnered with their number three fill in from pennant two. Walder backed up his form in this round from last year by again winning nine from ten doubles played, an outstanding achievement.
By winning four of their five matches Cookes Pools & Spas have moved four points clear into second position on the ladder. Number two player Paul Kealley enjoyed a successful night
winning four from five matches with skipper Kate Carmichael while he also won another four doubles with fill in Matt Carmichael. As he did last year Kealley won eight of his ten matches and this shows that doubles is a favoured aspect of the game for him. Fill in Matt Carmichael played an important role in Cookes success and important accumulation of the four points.
Ladder leader Regional Taxation Services by finishing third were the final beneficiary of four points for the round. Their most successful combination was skipper Jackson Tung and
number three Lee Leeson who won four of their matches, while Tung and Rohan Reimers won three from five matches to enable their team to finish slightly ahead of the fourth placed Tankard Dental.
PENNANT TWO:
| Win | Loss | Bye | Dbls | Pts | Rubbers | Games | % | % | |||
| For | Agst | For | Agst | R | G | ||||||
| Mallee Meats | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 38 | 28 | 136 | 114 | 136% | 119% |
| Choices Flooring Mildura | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 37 | 29 | 138 | 118 | 128% | 117% |
| Pinnacle Packers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 36 | 30 | 137 | 114 | 120% | 120% |
| Sammy’s Slammers | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 34 | 85 | 113 | 0% | 0% |
| Weightmans Packaging | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 33 | 81 | 118 | 67% | 69% |
1st Mallee Meats – Michael Tan, Harry Gujral, Deegan Kerslake: 4 points, 4 out of 4 wins.
2nd Sammy’s Slammers – Quentin Clark, James Jarvis, Ryan Hensgen: 4 points, 2 out of 4 wins.
3rd Pinnacle Packers – Duy Truong, Peter Midgley, Steve Parker: 0 points, 2 out of 4 wins.
4th Choices Flooring Mildura – Therese Fitzpatrick, Josh Arnold, Shiva Rottela: 0 points, 2 out of 4 wins.
5th Weightmans Packaging – Rasin Bhuiyan, Andrew Jones, Shane Carmichael: 0 points, 0 out of 4 wins.
Round 8 of the 2026 winter season featured the doubles round wherein all teams play against each other in a best of three rubbers contest. Mallee Meats and Sammy’s Slammers emerged as the winners of the night, taking four out of four wins and two out of four, respectively.
Mallee Meat’s first opponent was Weightman’s Packaging who performed the worst on the night, taking home zero wins. Captain Tan and No. 2 Gujral found themselves down a set down in their first game, losing 4-11, but the duo recovered well to take the next two sets 11-5, 11-5. Tan and Kerslake then got it done in two sets in the second match, 11-9, 11-9, taking this the first round at 2-0. Weightmans duo Jones and substitute Sabrina Fitzpatrick then took out the last rubber in straight sets 11-9, 11-7.
Final score 2 rubbers to 1 and 4 games to 3.
Next it was Meats versus Pinnacle Packers, with the opening game being a tight three-setter. Meats drew first blood, winning 11-8, Packers fired back, taking the second 12-10, but they faltered in the last, going down 8-11. Tan and Kerslake then marked down a second win for themselves, winning the second rubber, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6. And in the last, Packers got one win on the board, winning 11-9, 4-11, 11-8.
Final score 2 rubbers to 1 and 5 games to 4.
Sammy’s Slammers put up a good fight against Meats but the latter were too strong, winning their third match, again 2-1. Clark and Jarvis fought hard in the first set against Meats, just nabbing it 13-11, but they then went to pieces in the next two, taking a beating at 2-11, 5-11. The previously undefeated duo of Tan and Kerslake then took their first loss against Clark and Hensgen, 11-3, 4-11, 3-11, tying up the score 1-1. The decider would then be the No. 2 and No. 3 players, Jarvis and Hensgen versus Gujral and Kerslake. The Sammys took out the first set 11-5, Meats cut in in the second 11-5, and then just stole the third set by a hair, 12-10.
Final score 2 rubbers to 1 and 5 games to 4.
Meats final opponent for the night would be Choices Flooring and they showed them no mercy. Tan and Gujral took the first game efficiently in two sets, 11-7, 11-8, and then Tan and Kerslake took on Fitzpatrick and fill-in Steve Parker. Meats won the first 11-6,
Choices Flooring then beat them back in the second, 11-8, but failed to make any headway in the third, losing a disappointing 2-11. With the win now in their pocket, Meats eased off a bit but it would cost them the final rubber, 5-11, 5-11.
Final score 2 rubbers to 1 and 4 games to 3.
PENNANT THREE:
| Win | Loss | Dbls | Pts | Rubbers | Games | % | % | |||
| For | Agst | For | Agst | R | G | |||||
| Cookes Pools & Spas | 6 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 51 | 26 | 186 | 115 | 196% | 162% |
| Exposed Signage/Apparel | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 42 | 35 | 162 | 143 | 120% | 113% |
| Regional Taxation Services | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 38 | 39 | 143 | 150 | 97% | 95% |
| Weightmans Packaging | 1 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 54 | 104 | 187 | 43% | 56% |
Top of the ladder Cookes Pools & Spas (Peter Fitzpatrick, Koby Grace and Yen Hwak) were the big winners in the doubles round by going through undefeated and have now extended their lead at the top of the ladder to two wins.
Each team lined up against the other opposition teams with player one and two versus player one and two starting proceedings followed by player one and three pitted against player one and three. To finish the match player two would then combine with player three and the opposing number two and three.
Disappointingly none of the Regional Taxation Services team were available to play so the coordinators had no choice but to forfeit their team for this round. This naturally had an effect on the number of games to be played – only two by each team with a bye taking place. To compensate a lack of matches it was agreed that all contests would be best of five.
Fourth placed Weightmans Packaging (Nhat Dat, Steve Pongrac and Matt Sires) were the second team to gain a valuable four points. This was their second successful night for the season and they are now equal on points with third on the ladder.
Leading doubles combinations – All undefeated, Nhat Dat and Steve Pongrac 2, Peter Fitzpatrick and Yen Hwak 2, Koby Grace and Yen Hwak 2
Players to perform well individually- Yen Hwak 4 from 4 matches, Peter Fitzpatrck 3, Koby Grace 3, Steve Pongrac 3, Nhat Dat 2.
PENNANT FOUR:
| Win | Loss | Dbls | Pts | Rubbers | Games | % | % | |||
| For | Agst | For | Agst | R | G | |||||
| Mallee Meats | 4 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 43 | 34 | 158 | 120 | 126% | 132% |
| Tankard Dental | 5 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 43 | 34 | 138 | 131 | 126% | 105% |
| Weightmans Packaging | 3 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 43 | 132 | 151 | 79% | 87% |
| Dunkley Scales | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 34 | 43 | 120 | 146 | 79% | 82% |
After round 7, the Ladder sat with Tankard Dental on top (5 wins), Mallee Meats in second place (4 wins), followed by Weightman’s Packaging with (3 wins) and Dunkley Scales rounding out the four, with (2 wins).
As the Doubles approached, it was looking as though the two top teams would be the likely winners, but as much as this partially occurred, third on the ladder played extremely well to gained valuable points.
Tankard Dental – Tom Gilmour, Darren Bottams and Jake Hines.
Mallee Meats – Kym Sykes, Nathan Beard and Jenny Leach.
Weightman’s Packaging – Glenn Leeson, Jakob Grzan and Conner Burnett.
Dunkley Scales – Rodney Galvin (Fill-in – Calvin Tjhin), Maria Starikov and Alma McKay.
Weightman’s V Tankard :
Tom and Darren got out of the blocks early, with an exciting clash against Glenn and Jakob, taking the first and third sets. Weightmans 1 and 2 put together a good fight in the second game, but couldn’t continue the pressure (5/11,11/5, 9/11).
When Glenn and Conner paired up, it was more one sided, with Tom and Jake not standing up to well to the heat in this battle and Weightman’s sneaking a Rubber (11/9, 11/3).
With this being the deciding set, the number 2 and 3’s faced the Table to determine who would take the win. The rallies were short, with slams or nasty cuts being the favored shots. In the end the Rubber went the way of Jakob and Conner (11/9,11/6).
RUBBER – Weightmans 2 – Tankard – 1. GAMES – 5 to 2.
Tankard Dental V Dunkley Scales :
It was pleasing to see only one Fill in was needed in Pennant four this week and Calvin did his very best to fulfill his position, but it probably put Dunkley on the back foot, not having Rod’s experience to help their team.
All three of Dunkley’s pairings, gave it all they could, but were pretty much silenced with Tankards team of Tom, Darren and Jake taking control in the three sets.
A great effort from Calvin, Maria and Alma, to stick to it and give it all they had.
RUBBERS – Tankard Dental 3 Dunkley Scales 0. GAMES – Tankard 6 Dunkley 0.
Mallee Meats V Tankard Dental :
This encounter saw the first two sets pulled in by Mallee, with Tankard ahead at some stages, but this was quickly reversed with Mallee’s determination dominating (11/7, 11/4) and (11/2, 11/7).
The skirmish between Nathan and Jen against Darren and Jake was a different matter, as Tankard looked like walking away with it, in some very passionate games. Mallee did grab the first set, but Darren’s grit certainly got Nathan and Jen worried in the second game. It was the third game, where Mallee came back and snatched a convincing win, with some well thought out shots (11/7, 8/11, 11/4).
RUBBERS – Mallee 3 Tankard 0 GAMES – Mallee 6 Tankard 1.
Mallee Meats V Dunkley Scales :
Dunkley got Mallee quite concerned in their first battle, with Kym and Nathan hitting against Calvin and Maria. The first game went right down to the wire, with Mallee just scraping in on 12/10, with some fantastic shots from the Dunkley pair. But without hesitation, the tables were turned and Mallee marked this one up.
Mallee’s 1 and 2 pressed hard in the next set, fearing another strong fight coming their way, with Calvin playing some amazing shots, but in the finish it was a fairly brief encounter, going Mallee’s way.
Nathan and Jen played a careful match against Maria and Alma, trying not to drop a set. The Rubber did go the way of Mallee, but not before some very fine shots came from the Dunkley team (12/10, 11/5), (11/6, 11/2), (11/4, 11/7).
RUBBERS – Mallee 3 Dunkley 0, GAMES – Mallee – 6 Dunkley 0.
Weightman’s Packaging V Mallee Meats :
The first two sets may not show it, but seemed to be more even matches, with the standard of all, pairings quite similar. Glenn and Jakob pushed Kym and Nathan out to 9 in the second game of the first set, but each point was played with Rallies and quite even. Mallee did get the upper hand in both though, wiht Kym’s knowhow, standing out, which landed them two important Rubbers (5/11, 9/11), (5/11, 5/11).
The last set was played brilliantly by Jakob and Conner, with Mallee having an easy win in the first game, before Nathan and Jen fell to the to youngsters, in a fine display of concentration from both, to sneak the set (4/11, 11/6, 11/8).
RUBBERS – Mallee 2 Weightman’s 1. GAMES – Mallee 5 to Weightman’s 2.
Dunkley Scales V Weightman’s Packaging :
This was the final match for the night, which saw Weightman’s break away, with only one game seeing the heat rise. Calvin and Maria had a great tussle against Glenn and Jakob, with Dunkley putting the pressure on in the first game to force it to (11/13), the eventual win falling to Weightmans.
Glenn and Conner also showed winning form in the second match, collecting another well earned Rubber.
Maria an Alma didn’t seem to have a strong enough defense against Jakob and Connor, with a clean sweep from Weightman’s penciling in another victory to them (11/13,4/11), (8/11, 4/11) and (5/11, 6/11).
RUBBERS – Weightmans 3 Dunkley 0. GAMES – Weightmans 6 to Dunkley 0.
The Final Results for the 2026 Doubles were :
WINNERS – Mallee Meats : Rubbers 8 Games 17…POINTS 4
SECOND PLACE – Weightman’s Packaging : Rubbers 6 Games 13… POINTS 4
THIRD PLACE – Tankard Dental : Rubbers 4 Games 9.
FOURTH PLACE – Dunkley Scales : Rubbers 0 Games 0.
