CLOSE matches were the flavour of round seven of the Sunraysia Table Tennis senior pennant, however, the big news was the first defeat of ladder leader Mallee Bearings by fourth placed Cookes Pools & Spas, the scoreline 6-5 in favour of Cookes.

Mallee Bearings have been in excellent form, and it took a special win by Cookes number two Paul Kealley to inflict the first singles defeat on aggregate leader Arhuang Lau who had won his first