TWO thrillers and a hard-fought win by ladder leaders Mallee Bearings (7-4) over bottom team Weightman’s Packaging were the feature of round 13 matches of the Sunraysia Table Tennis pennant last week.
Third to fifth on the ladder are now level with a 6-7 win loss ratio after fifth-placed Max Miller Carpets defeating third-placed Cookes Pools & Spas 6-5 in a nail-biter.
Amazingly in the past two rounds the Carpeters had led 5-3 late in each match only to lose. This time they trailed four games to five and when Cookes’ Lee Leeson raced through the first two games 11-6, 11-2 against Leon Brown, it appeared Cookes were in the box seat.
But in a big turnaround, Brown made an excellent recovery to win the match in five sets and level the scores at five rubbers all. Liam Wood, for the Carpeters, then proved too steady for his more experienced opponent Russell Walder, winning in four sets and allowing his team to stay in the finals race with two rounds to play after the school holiday break.
In another close result. Tankard Dental took a 5-3 lead over second-placed Regional Taxation Services, courtesy of winning both doubles, however they could not trouble the scorers in the last block of singles.
With the scoreboard reading five rubbers all, RTS number three Shane Carmichael recovered from a two game to love deficit to defeat Paul Kealley 10-12, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9 and secure the four points. They now have a two game break over third place on the ladder.
Top side Mallee Bearings had their hands full against Weightman’s Packaging but were able to hang on and win 7-4. The Bearings trio of Gavin Carmichael, Mark Dorman and Rohan Reimers all won two singles and it was the number three Reimers who was the difference, as in the first match of the night he defeated opposing number two Reece Kurrle in four sets. In his second singles the fast improving Reimers then accounted for Weightman’s number one Jackson Tung who took a two love lead, only for Reimers to fight back and win 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 in an excellent recovery.
To cap off a successful night Reimers teamed up with Mark Dorman to win the second doubles in four sets against Jackson Tung and Ed Hung.
Results, round 13:
PENNANT 1: Regional Taxation Services 6 (Matt Ljubic 3, Thanh Nguyen 2, Shane Carmichael 1) d Tankard Dental 5 (Wayne Carmichael 2, Jackson Murphy 1); Max Miller Carpets 6 (Kate Carmichael, Leon Brown, Liam Wood 2) d Cookes Pools & Spas 5 (Joel Thomas 3); Mallee Bearings 7 (Gavin Carmichael, Mark Dorman, Rohan Reimers 2) d Weightmans Packaging 4 (Jackson Tung, Reece Kurrle, Ed Hung 1).
PENNANT 2: Max Miller Carpets 9 (Daniel Jansen 3, Jeremy Corrin, John Fitzpatrick 2) d Mallee Bearings 2 (Jamie Kealley 2); Mallee Meats 10 (Kevin Johns, Terry Martin 3, James Jarvis 2) d Cookes Pools & Spas 1 (Ashley Morrison 1); Weightmans Packaging 6 (Quentin Clark 3, Andrew Jones, Tom Morrison 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Peter Midgley, Sony Sefer 2).
PENNANT 3: Mallee Meats 6 (Michael Smyth 2, Nick Kiapekos, Hamish Smyth 1) d Weightmans Packaging 5 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick, Nicole Hunt 2, Karly Leach 1); Tankard Dental 8 (Luca Capizzoto 3, Steve Pongrac 2, Dianne Hannig 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 3 (Marita Grace 2, Nhat Dat 1); Regional Taxation Services 6 (Shaun Gifford 3, Rodney Galvin 2, Leo Parker 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 5 (Levi Williams 2, Nicole Hunt 1).
PENNANT 4: Tankard Dental 8 (Liam Nicolaou 3, Maria Starikov 2, Curtis Crabtree 1) d Mallee Meats 3 (Wendy Simpson 2, Tom Gilmour 1); Weightmans Packaging 7 (Glenn Leeson 3, Chelsey Avers 2) d Dunkley Scales 4 (Ildi Healy 2, Derek Hung, Katrina Clifford 1).
