MAX Miller Carpets capped a brilliant month with their fourth successive victory in Sunraysia Table Tennis pennant competition.
The Carpeters took Weightman’s Packaging to the cleaners, winning 9-2, to storm into outright second on the ladder after starting the season with three straight losses.
The form of the Carpeters trio of Kate Carmichael, Leon Brown and Liam Wood has lifted in the past month, not only in their singles play, but also in the all important doubles format.
Kate Carmichael won three singles and took part in both doubles victories while Brown and Wood won two singles each. Wood, in particular, has shown marked improvement since the start of the season and his five set win over the talented Reece Kurrle was a highlight.
Cookes Pools & Spas bounced back after three straight losses to defeat Regional Taxation Services 6-5. For the victors Joel Thomas avenged an early season loss to Matt Ljubic winning in four sets, his third singles win of the night. The second doubles was crucial and it was Thomas and mother Lee Leeson who proved too steady, defeating Matt Ljubic and Michael Hensgen, 16-14, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4.
At five rubbers all, Cookes’ Russell Walder defeated Michael Hensgen to pick up the valuable four points. Cookes now sit in third on the ladder by percentage.
Top side Mallee Bearings took control early against Tankard Dental, victory in both doubles enabled the Bearings trio of Gavin Carmichael, Mark Dorman and Rohan Reimers to snatch the four points early when the score stood at 6-2.
A late rally by Tankards saw them improve the scoreline to a 5-6 defeat. In the final block of singles Wayne Carmichael outpointed brother Gavin in four sets to win his third singles while team mate Jackson Murphy outlasted Mark Dorman in a lengthy five setter. In the final singles Tankard’s Paul Kealley defeated the in-form Rohan Reimers in four sets. The loss of both doubles was the difference here for Tankard’s.
Results, round 9:
PENNANT 1: Max Miller Carpets 9 (Kate Carmichael 3, Liam Wood, Leon Brown 2) d Weightman’s Packaging 2 (Jackson Tung 2); Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Joel Thomas 3, Lee Leeson, Russell Walder 1) d Regional Taxation Services 5 (Matt Ljubic, Thanh Nguyen 2); Mallee Bearings 6 (Gavin Carmichael 2, Mark Dorman, Rohan Reimers 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Jackson Murphy, Paul Kealley 1)
PENNANT 2: Weightman’s Packaging 8 (Quentin Clark 3, Andrew Jones 2, Tom Morrison 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 3 (Ashley Morrison 2, Shaun Gifford 1); Max Miller Carpets 6 (Daniel Jansen 3, Jeremy Corrin 2, John Fitzpatrick 1) d Mallee Meats 5 (Kevin Johns 2, James Jarvis 1); Pinnacle Packers 6 (Peter Midgley 2, Jordan Cole, Peter Fitzpatrick 1) d Mallee Bearings 5 (Marcus Cimino, Jamie Kealley 2, Stephan Ljubic 1)
PENNANT 3: Tankard Dental 6 (Luca Capizzoto 3, Steve Pongrac 1) d Regional Taxation Services 5 (Shaun Gifford, Leo Parker 2, Rodney Galvin 1); Sammy’s Slammers 6 (Marita Grace 3, Nhat Dat 2, Huseyin Ismail 1) d Weightman’s Packaging 5 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Nicole Hunt, Karly Leach 1); Mallee Meats 7 (Michael Smyth 3, Nick Kiapekos 2) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 4 (Levi Williams 2, Damen Southgate, Riley Clemence 1)
PENNANT 4: Weightman’s Packaging 7 (Glenn Leeson 3, Chelsey Avers 2) d Tankard Dental 4 (Maria Starikov 2, Liam Nicolaou, Jenny Leach 1); Dunkley Scales 7 (Dianne Hannig 3, Katrina Clifford 2, Curtis Crabtree 1) d Mallee Meats 4 (Wendy Simpson 2, Ildi Healy 1)