Tuesday by Max Ree-Goodings If the wild mix of weather, a blend of sun, hail, and blue skies, was anything to judge by, players knew they were in for an unpredictable night. After the courts cleared, three matches unfolded, with two decisive victories and one close contest ending in a single-game win. On Courts 1 and 2, Team Blake delivered a comprehensive 5-1 win over Team Evans. The line-up of Jason Blake, Tony Canterbury, Shane Hutchinson, and Will Smith rarely put a foot wrong, amassing a significant 33 games to 20. Only the pairing of Fiona Lindsay and Liam Delany managed to steal a set for Evans, winning their doubles 6-3 against Shane and Tony. Otherwise, it was all Blake, with Jason and Will’s crushing 6-1 victory being a standout performance. Courts 5 and 6 saw a similar power display, but this time in favour of Team Speirs, who shot past Team McDonagh with a decisive 5-1 victory, 35 games to 23. Guy Taylor, Max O'Loughlan, Anna Speirs, and David Aldous, proved too consistent across the board. Team McDonagh struggled, including a tough 1-6 opener for Greg McDermott and Mark Poole. Their only reprieve came in the final set, where Mark Poole and Keira McDonagh managed to clinch a tight 6-5 win against Max O’Loughlan and David Aldous. The night’s closest match unfolded on Courts 3 and 4 as Team Murray clashed with Team O’Loughlan. This was a true see-saw battle that ended with a tight three sets apiece. Murray, anchored by Max Ree-Goodings, Dan Dundas, Arthur Gerrans, and Kathryn Murray, only just squeaked out the victory with a 28-27 lead in total games. Key sets included Dan and Kathryn’s dominant 6-2 win, and Max and Kathryn’s crucial 6(7)-5 (2) tiebreak triumph. However, it was the final set where Arthur and Kathryn cemented the narrow overall win with a strong 6-2 finish, just pushing them over the line by a single game to secure the match points four to 3. Tuesday Ladder: Speirs 18, Blake 16.5, McDonagh 10.5, Grant 10.5, Evans 7, Murray 6, O’Loughlan 5. Wednesday by Alice Kilpatrick It was perfect conditions for tennis on Wednesday, setting the stage for a competitive night of tennis. Spirits were high, especially with the welcome return of Kerrie (Kez) Williams, stepping back onto the court after a remarkable seven-year hiatus. Her comeback added a fantastic boost of energy and excitement to the night. The clash between the Emus and the Wombats was the highlight of the evening, marked by numerous gritty deuces that kept spectators glued to the sidelines. The sister act of Kez and Cassie Daykin proved too strong for David Mims and Sean Pitchford, however games were tight across all sets, reflecting how evenly matched the teams were. Despite the Wombats fighting hard, the Emus held strong, taking out the night 36–19 in games, 7–1 in points, after a series of long, hard-fought rallies. The Kangas unfortunately had to forfeit, but the Koalas were able to have a hit up amongst themselves and take home the seven match points. Not the way anyone likes to win, but points on the board, nonetheless. The Bilbies and Wallabies produced another solid competition, with rallies that stretched out the evening under the lights. Hanna Aldous stepped in to help the Wallabies and was able to steal a couple of close tie breaks. However, the Bilbies came away with the overall win, 34–21 in games, 5–2 in match points, after putting together consistent play across all pairings and their one and two players Tynan Mims and Emma Kay proving to be the pairing to beat. Overall, it was a wonderful night of tennis filled with close contests, long deuces, and the joy of welcoming back a much-missed player. Here’s to more great Wednesday night matches. Wednesday Ladder: Bilbies 18.5, Koalas 18, Wallabies 16, Emus 16, Kangas 14.5, Wombats 9.5, Kookaburras 5.5 Thursday by Tim Vardy Conditions were once again favourable; clear skies, a light breeze and freshly groomed courts awaited the players. Banksias’ captain Bron Sly needed reinforcements for the showdown against Lilly Pillys with Suzie Wellborne, Laura Gosney and Aaron Knight all stepping up as fill-ins. Strong hitting and precision placement put Lilly Pillys on the back foot with Aaron put on a serving masterclass as the number ones returned each other’s bullets. Arthur Gerrans and Rhonda Carpenter were determined in their set, and when Arthur broke a string, his racquet would need replacing. The spare found was to his liking and the pair fought from 2-4 down to take the set 6-4, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a heavy defeat with Banksias prevailing 5/34 to 1/20. Wattles were also without three regular players for their match against Bottle Brush. The team on the night was Michael McCormack, Josh O’Brien, Kassy Thomas and Rachel Delany and they combined well for the leading side, despite the unfamiliarity. Chris Hill and Les Kerr combined to take Bottle Brush’s only set 6-2 with Wattles running away with a 5/32 to 1/14 win. The match-of-the-round was a nail-biter, a tail of two trees. Gum Trees and Flame trees were two sets a piece coming into the deciding sets. Brad Freind and Naima Crisp put Flame Trees in front leaving Gum Trees hopes hinging on a tie breaker. Tim Vardy and Peter Barnes outlasted the mother and son combination of Max and Courtney O’Loughlan 7-5, enough to seal a one game victory for Gum Trees 3/27 to 3/26. Wattles have maintained clear air at the top of the ladder and Banksias big win has sent them straight up from fourth to second place at the end of the round. Thursday Ladder: Wattles 24.5, Banksias 21, Gum Trees 19, Flame Trees 18, Lilly Pillys 13.5, Bottle Brush 9. Coaching Times Two by Liam Wilson The two Liam's have now teamed up to coach tennis with the Mansfield Tennis Association. While Liam Delany coaches Squad Training Monday and Wednesday from 3:45pm - 5pm and Saturday morning Red Ball Hot Shots from 9am - 10:30am. Liam Wilson teaches privates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm - 6pm. Both Liam’s love the game and aim to inspire future Mansfield tennis players through their passion, energy and sharp footwork with students working their way through the various coloured ball system starting with beginners at Red Ball, intermediate players at Orange and Green Ball right through to those more experienced players with Yellow Ball. Delany coaches Squad and Saturday Red Ball as well as privates, where he teaches the foundations of serving, forehands, backhands, volleys and match play, while Wilson can work one-on-one with each student to refine their technique each week as well as playing a mini match with them. For more information or to book into squad or Red Ball, or a private with Liam Delany visit https://vigor.net.au/tennis, email Liam@vigor.net.au or call 0425 711 412 and to book a private with Liam Wilson, contact 0429 727 230.
