ROUND fourteen of the Sunraysia Table Tennis senior pennant possibly featured the match of the season when second placed Mallee Bearings shaped up against third team Weightmans Packaging.
Both teams were level on points leading into this round and with two matches to play the valuable second place is up for grabs.
Early on Weightmans took the initiative taking a lead of 3-1 and then later 4-2.
However by winning three rubbers in succession Mallee Bearings turned the match around to take a 5-4 lead.
The Bearings trio were keen to break their losing streak of three matches in succession and with his team holding a slight advantage Mark Dorman took a two games to one lead over opposing number two Reece Kurrle, however Kurrle was able to recover against the crafty Dorman and win in five sets to level the match at five rubbers all.
The pressure was now on the two number three players Lee Leeson for Weightmans and Mallee Bearings Tom Morrison and what a finale.
Leeson took two of the three games blunting Morrison’s big forehands with good defence. Morrison then bounced back to take the fourth easily while the fifth was a nail biter, both sets of teammates nervous as Morrison took the late initiative to win 8-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-3, 11-9, a great finish by Morrison ending his team’s losing streak.
This first win in a month by the Bearings trio coincided with the return to form of skipper Arhuang Lau who won three singles in the past three rounds.
His victories included an outstanding 12-10 in the fifth set win over Reece Kurrle avenging an earlier in the season loss. These two played some outstanding rallies which went on and on and in particular some of their back hand to backhand rallies at top pace would have been as good as table tennis that spectators could have witnessed.
Overall, the two teams played six five set matches with three decided by the barest of margins indicating how close these two teams are.
A strong start by ladder leader Regional Taxation Services ensured they grabbed the four points despite a good late fight back by opponents fifth placed Tankard Dental.
The first game of the night was important to the end result when RTS number two Thahn Nguyen outlasted his opposite number fill in Edi Re in an entertaining five set battle.
Each game was close with Nguyen in front at the right time winning 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, a tense finish.
Three of the next four rubbers went the way of Regional Taxation Services and they had suddenly opened up a 4-1 lead.
Included in this streak was the first doubles victory by Matt Ljubic and Nguyen in straight sets over Kate Carmichael and Ed Hung. The only respite for Tankards was the two singles victories by Carmichael over Jamie Kealley and Nguyen both in straight sets.
Jamie Kealley then took Regional Taxation Services to a 5-2 lead when he overcame a determined Ed Hung winning in four close sets 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-9.
Tankards then began somewhat of a recovery firstly, Carmichael and Re raced through the second doubles with a sound win over Matt Ljubic and Jamie Kealley in straight sets.
The next singles was a top-class match, and Carmichael was out of the blocks early taking the first game against Ljubic who had not lost a singles match in the past six rounds.
Ljubic settled in the second winning several points with his customary heavy top spin forehand drives, the third was a real struggle and with the score at 10-9 in Carmichael’s favour Ljubic played an outstanding forehand cross court only to see Carmichael waiting and back hand it back across court for a winner.
Carmichael took control in the fourth going on to win 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, this being her third singles win for the night and the fifth time she had achieved this feat this season to retain fourth position on the singles aggregate.
In an even team effort, the Regional Taxation Services trio of Matt Ljubic, Thahn Nguyen and Jamie Kealley all won two singles each and are well clear at the head of the ladder.
In another solid team effort Cookes Pools & Spas have moved to third with their 7-4 victory over Choices Flooring Mildura.
The contest was even early, however Cooke’s stamped their authority on the match late, winning five of the last six rubbers.
The first doubles was a highlight match when Choice’s pair Wayne Carmichael and Liam Wood outlasted Jackson Tung and Paul Kealley in five sets winning 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2 in a strong finish.
For the winners Tung, Kealley and Russell Walder won two singles each, however it was the number three Walder who was potentially the match winner, his first singles was an excellent five set win over number two Liam Wood.
Walder won the first two games by the narrowest of margins before Wood levelled the match. In the fifth Walder survived a tense finish to win 13-11. Walder then partnered skipper Tung to win the second doubles and in the last match of the night he defeated fill in Ashley Morrison to complete an excellent night.
For the Choices team Wayne Carmichael won three singles to increase his lead to three at the head of the singles aggregate with two rounds to play.
Sunraysia Table Tennis 2025 Winter Pennant results Round 14: –
PENNANT ONE: – Mallee Bearings 6 (Arhuang (Wong) Lau 3, Mark Dorman, Tom Morrison 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Shannon Bowen, Reece Kurrle 2); Regional Taxation Services 7 (Matt Ljubic, Thanh Nguyen, Jamie Kealley 2) d Tankard Dental 4 (Kate Carmichael 3); Cookes Pools & Spas 7 (Jackson Tung, Paul Kealley, Russell Walder 2) d Choices Flooring Mildura 4 (Wayne Carmichael 3)
PENNANT TWO: – Cookes Pools & Spas 7 (Quentin Clark, Duy Truong 3) d Mallee Meats 4 (Jason Gifkins, Harry Gujral, James Jarvis 1); Pinnacle Packers 8 (Marcus Cimino 3, Peter Midgley 2, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Weightmans Packaging 3 (Rasin Bhuiyan, Sony Sefer, Therese Fitzpatrick 1)
PENNANT THREE: – Exposed Signage/Apparel 8 (Karly Leach 3, Steve Parker, Brenden Johnson 2) d Regional Taxation Services 3 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Sam Campbell 1); Weightmans Packaging 6 (Nhat Dat, Steve Parker 2, Leo Parker 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 5 (Ryan Hensgen 3, Koby Grace 1)
PENNANT FOUR: – Tankard Dental 6 (Leanne Wilson, Wendy Simpson 2) d Mallee Meats 5 (Curtis Crabtree, Nathan Beard 2, Raylee Waugh 1); Weightmans Packaging 8 (Glenn Leeson 3, Gary Leach 2, Eddy Parker 1) d Dunkley Scales 3 (Maria Starikov 2, Jenny Leach 1)
LADDERS ROUND 14
PENANNT 1
Regional Taxation Services 48
Mallee Bearings 32
Cookes Pools & Spas 32
Weightmans Packaging 28
Tankard Dental 16
Choices Flooring Mildura 12
PENANNT 2
Mallee Meats 32
Choices Flooring Mildura 28
Weightmans Packaging 24
Cookes Pools & Spas 16
Pinnacle Packers 12
PENNANT 3
Weightmans Packaging 48
Exposed Signage/Apparel 40
Regional Taxation Services 20
Sammy’s Slammers 04
PENNANT 4
Tankard Dental 48
Weightmans Packaging 40
Mallee Meats 16
Dunkley Scales 08
For further information on Table Tennis contact Gavin Carmichael 0408 237 907.
