AN exciting climax to the Sunraysia Table Tennis Winter Pennant looms with teams sitting third to fifth on the ladder all holding a 7-7 record going in to the final round.
These three teams all won their round 14 matches with the biggest result being third-placed Tankard Dental’s win over ladder leader Mallee Bearings 6-5 who had only previously lost one match.
Tankard's skipper Wayne Carmichael won his three singles, however it was the form of his teammate Jackson Murphy which proved to be the difference between victory and defeat and keeping their finals hopes alive.
Murphy took advantage of a coaching session earlier in the week with leading Victorian coach Bruce Carter and his first two singles were instrumental in his team banking the four points. His first match was against opposing number one player Gavin Carmichael and his second against Mark Dorman, in both matches Murphy’s forehand was on song, in what was an outstanding performance by him.
Later in the match Mallee Bearing’s number three Rohan Reimers defeated Murphy in four sets, Reimers proved too steady and won two singles on the night to be the best performed player for the Bearings team in their narrow loss.
Fourth-placed Cookes Pools & Spas, courtesy of winning both doubles in five sets, were able to defeat second-placed Regional Taxation Services 6-5 in a thriller.
With the scores at five rubbers all Cookes' number three Russell Walder kept his team’s finals chances alive when he outlasted Shane Carmichael in a tense five set contest 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9.
Victory came for Cookes despite Matt Ljubic and Thanh Nguyen winning three and two singles respectively. Ljubic was in great form and his 14-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-3 was a commendable victory over Joel Thomas. Ljubic looks to have secured the singles aggregate for the second year in succession as he now leads by two going in to the final round.
Fifth-placed Max Miller Carpets kept their finals chances alive with a solid 7-4 victory over Weightman's Packaging.
Carpeters' skipper Kate Carmichael was the standout player winning three singles as well as taking part in both doubles victories. Carmichael’s teammates Leon Brown and Liam Wood both won a singles each with Wood scoring a marathon five set victory over Ed Hung 13-15, 11-4, 12-1,0 13-15, 11-5.
PENNANT results Round 14:
PENNANT ONE: Tankard Dental 6 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Murphy 2) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Rohan Reimers 2, Gavin Carmichael, Mark Dorman 1); Max Miller Carpets 7 (Kate Carmichael 3, Leon Brown, Liam Wood 1) d Weightman's Packaging 4 (Jackson Tung, Reece Kurrle 2); Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Joel Thomas 2, Lee Leeson, Russell Walder 1) d Regional Taxation Services 5 (Matt Ljubic 3, Thanh Nguyen 2).
PENNANT TWO: Weightman's Packaging 7 (Quentin Clark 3, Andrew Jones 2) d Cookes Pools & Spas 4 (Ashley Morrison 2, Josh Arnold, Ryan Hensgen 1); Pinnacle Packers 8 (Peter Midgley, Sony Sefer 3, Furqaan Ahmad 2) d Mallee Bearings 3 (Jamie Kealley 1); Mallee Meats 6 (Kevin Johns, Terry Martin 2) d Max Miller Carpets 5 (Jeremy Corrin, Daniel Jansen 2, John Fitzpatrick 1)
PENNANT THREE: Exposed Signage/Apparel 6 (Levi Williams 3, Riley Clemence 2, Damen Southgate 1) d Mallee Meats 5 (Michael Smyth 2, Nick Kiapekos 1); Weightman's Packaging 7 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Nicole Hunt 2, Karly Leach 1) d Sammy's Slammers 4 (Marita Grace 3, Nhat Dat 1); Regional Taxation Services 6 (Shaun Gifford, Leo Parker 2) d Tankard Dental 5 (Luca Capizzoto 3, Dianne Hannig, Steve Parker 1).
PENNANT FOUR: Dunkley Scales 7 (Ildi Healy 3, Katrina Clifford 2, Derek Hung 1) d Tankard Dental 4 (Liam Nicolaou, Maria Starikov, Curtis Crabtree 1); Weightman's Packaging 7 (Chelsey Avers 3, Gary Leach, Glenn Leeson 1) d Mallee Meats 4 (Wendy Simpson, Tom Gilmour 2).
