James Murphy
DIVISION 1 – GLENCOE 9/66 d WEST GAMBIER 3/52
GLENCOE is the toast of the Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association Division 1 competition.
The club achieved a rare feat, launching itself from a bottom-place finish in 2021-22, to premiership success, after a 9-3 set triumph over West Gambier on Saturday.
Played at Olympic Park, there were high expectations of the encounter, especially after West’s George White and Brady Cook claimed the top men’s doubles 7-5 over Dylan Childs and Patrick Mitchell.
However, from there Glencoe held the majority and dropped only three sets on its way to premiership glory.
The women were in impressive form and Glencoe only dropped one set across their six games.
All three singles matches fell to Glencoe’s favour throughout the day.
Jorja Mitchell defeated Emily Jolley 6-3 and Sarah Edwards had the same result over Jessica Stutley, while Laura Childs accounted for Ella Jolley 6-4.
The men’s singles were all competitive matches, but the top rubber was won 6-3 by Dylan Childs against White.
The pressure was off in that match, which was the second-to-last set of the day, played when the result had already been decided.
Earlier in the afternoon, Patrick Mitchell defeated Cook 6-4, while West’s Shaunn Robinson managed to secure a win for his team when beating Will Hann 6-4.
The doubles matches were a mix, with a tiebreaker required in the top women’s clash.
That saw Jorja Mitchell and Edwards edge out Emily Jolley and Stutley for a hard-fought victory in the final set of the day.
The other two sets were one sided, as Mitchell and Laura Childs won 6-1 against Emily Jolley and Jo Sealey, while another set was won by West when Sealey and Stutley partnered up to defeat Edwards and Childs 6-1.
As the day drew on the pressure eventually came off Glencoe and by the final two sets the result had been decided.
Glencoe now has plenty to celebrate, with the honours made all the more sweet after not winning a game last season.
