James Murphy
JUST two minor rounds remain in the senior 2022-23 Mount Gambier and District Association competition.
Round 14 was contested on Saturday with the Division 3 matches a mixed bag.
A close battle was had between Uniting and Moorak, while on the other end of the spectrum Centrals claimed a straight-set win over Mil Lel and West Gambier easily accounted for Suttontown.
Uniting hosted Moorak for the round and at the end of the day secured a 7-5 set win.
There was a mix of close and one-sided matches and it was the doubles which decided the result in the end.
The singles sets were an even split, with three wins to both team.
The number one men’s match was won by Uniting’s Sergio Cesaro over Nathan Hammond 7-5, while the men’s number three clash was also close as Moorak’s Stewart Kanahs defeated Peter Jelleff 7-5.
Jess Stewart was too strong in the top rubber women’s singles and she accounted for Charlotte Patzel 6-2.
That was the closest of the women’s singles, as Moorak’s Brooke Hammond and Uniting’s Lily Kradolfer both won their sets 6-0.
The doubles were more of a one-sided affair and Moorak only managed one win, when Kanahs and Chris Tully partnered up to defeat Jelleff and Dave Allen 6-4.
Uniting’s Kiersten Cole and Kradolfer had the closest of the doubles matches as they secured a 7-5 win over Brooke Hammond and Michelle Patzel.
The remaining sets were relatively comfortable wins for Uniting and the team now moves up to second place on the ladder.
Over at Mil Lel the home team could not match it with a visiting Centrals outfit.
The Lions made their presence known and won all 12 sets on offer to claim a convincing victory.
Of those matches, six were 6-0 triumphs.
The only hard-fought battle came in the top men’s singles, where Mitchell Duryea edged out Riley Boneham for a 7-5 win.
All three women’s singles were won 6-0 in a solid showing from Kirrilee Liebelt, Amber Kidman and Nicola Linn.
The doubles were much of the same and the closest encounter was a 6-3 win to Kidman and Linn.
For the men the smallest doubles margin came in Thomas van Riet and Duryea’s combination, with a 6-2 victory over Joel Schofield and Boneham.
The win was Centrals’ fourth for the season and despite the solid effort they remain out of finals contention in fifth place.
The final fixture for the round saw West defeat Suttontown 9-3.
There were a couple of close sets, including Kyra Kuchel’s 7-5 win over Suttontown’s TrudyAnne Doyle, but the majority of matches were won convincingly.
Suttontown managed a win in the men’s third rubber when Alexandre Rigaux defeated Peyton Robinson, while the other two wins both came in Rigaux’s doubles partnerships.
The remaining sets were easy wins for West as the club proved why it sits on top of the Division 3 premiership table.
