James Murphy
GRAND finalists have been decided in Mount Gambier and District tennis, with semi-final action on show across the Blue Lake City on Saturday.
In Division 1 both semi-final winners claimed 9-3 results and now Glencoe and West Gambier will meet in next weekend’s season decider.
Glencoe matched up against Reidy Park and despite a few close battles, the majority of matches fell the way of the minor premiers.
The top men’s doubles was an entertaining clash with plenty of heavy hitting from both sides.
Glencoe’s Dylan Childs and Patrick Mitchell prevailed in the end with a 7-5 win over Zayne Young and Cade Kelly.
The Glencoe duo also won their singles with Childs defeating Young 6-3 and Mitchell accounting for Kelly 6-4.
The top women’s singles was won by Jorja Mitchell 6-3 against Bailey Young, while a tighter battle unfolded when Sarah Edwards bested Jayme Young 7-5.
Laura Childs rounded out the women’s singles winners when she accounted for Maddison Kelly 6-2.
Reidy Park’s Bryan Heywood was the only singles success for his team when he defeated Will Hann 6-0 in the men’s third rubber.
In fact, Heywood was a common factor in all three of Reidy’s victorious sets, with his doubles partnerships with Zayne Young and Cade Kelly both producing 6-2 wins.
However, outside of those successes Reidy’s cause for celebration was limited.
Glencoe’s attention will now turn to West this week, after it claimed a similar victory over Centrals/Uniting/Gambier in Saturday’s second semi-final.
West was solid across both the doubles and singles, winning five of the six doubles sets and four singles.
Centrals/Uniting/Gambier managed to win the top men’s and women’s singles, as Andrew van den Hurk defeated George White 6-1 and Tessa Megaw claimed a hearty 6-4 win over Emily Jolley.
However, the remaining singles were won by West, with the closest battle a 7-5 win to Shaunn Robinson over Ben Gaffney in the men’s third rubber.
Brady Cook had a good 6-3 win over Dane Heemskerk, while Jessica Stutley and Ella Jolley also had 6-3 victories against Alison Telford and Alita Huyser respectively.
The doubles consisted of some good battles, with the closest game a tiebreaker win to Emily Jolley and Stutley over Megaw and Huyser.
Heemskerk and van den Hurk claimed the only win for the combination club, which came 6-4 against Cook and White.
West will now look to this weekend’s decider full of anticipation and with the confidence of a win in its last meeting against Glencoe.
DIVISION 2
The Division 2 first semi final was won by minor premier Mount Gambier against Mil Lel, with a tough clash expected in next week’s grand final.
Gambier dropped just two sets in both singles and doubles to finish 8-4 victors.
The top men’s singles was won by Will Cameron 6-4 over CJ Arnold, while Mil Lel’s Jorja Douglas chipped one back for her club when defeating Taryn Gartner 6-4 in the women’s top rubber.
Arnold performed well in his doubles and won both sets paired with Craig Moody and Jason Brooks.
However, the remaining sets were won by Gambier and the club will now battle for season honours.
All that stands in its way is Glencoe, who will be full of confidence after a solid showing against West Gambier.
Glencoe won 7-5 in a tough contest, upsetting the second-placed finisher.
It won four of the six doubles sets to put itself in good stead, while 6-0 results in the top two men’s singles made a statement.
Glencoe’s David Ferguson and Sam Auld were in fine form as they accounted for Jamie Higgins and Mark Stutley, while David Cole also excelled with a 6-2 win over Matthew Charlton.
West’s women stepped up and all three singles sets went their way, but they could not quite recover and Glencoe claimed the grand final berth by two sets.
DIVISION 3
In Division 3 it could not have been any easier for second-placed Mount Gambier to book itself a place in the grand final.
Its semi-final opponent Uniting, forfeited due to the toll of late season injuries and lack of qualified players to fill those places.
The second semi final was also easily won as top-placed West Gambier faced Suttontown at Mount Gambier Tennis Club.
West claimed the honours 10-2 in a solid display.
Doubles were played first and West won all six sets, with the closest result a 7-5 win to Kyra Kuchel and Layla McPherson against Joanne Miller and Steph Beck.
West won four of the six singles, all in convincing fashion, but Suttontown’s top-order men put up a fight.
Christian McCombe won the top rubber in a tiebreaker against Toby Stutley, while Liam Agnew accounted for Peyton Robinson 6-3.
However, it was too little, too late and West powered into grand final contention.
