THE top two teams clashed in round 13 and it was ladder leader Mallee Bearings narrowly taking the points 6-5 over Cooke’s Pools and Spas, who have now slipped to third on the ladder.
It was Cooke’s Pools and Spas first loss in five rounds.
Mallee Bearings won both the doubles matches which proved to be the difference, and in particular the second, when Joel Thomas and Daniel Jansen outlasted Kate Carmichael and Russell Walder 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7.
Thomas again won three singles to add to the two doubles wins, his three set win over opposing number one Carmichael featured some excellent rallies, as he stepped up his game.
For Cooke’s, Carmichael won two singles to remain second in the singles aggregate while teammate Casper McCarthy also won two to continue his consistent second half of the season.
Third placed Tankard Dental moved to second place on the ladder with a narrow 6-5 win over Weightman’s Packaging despite Jackson Tung winning three singles for Weightman’s.
Tung now sits third on the singles aggregate.
For the victors, Reece Kurrle and Paul Kealley both won two singles while teammate Thahn Nguyen won one. Kurrle is currently fourth on the singles aggregate while Kealley sits in sixth position, an outstanding effort given he was ranked as a number three player in the team at the beginning of the season.
The first doubles was vital to both teams and it was Kurrle and Kealley who won in four tight sets over Jackson Tung and Lee Leeson.
Choices Flooring fill-in Shannon Bowen proved to be the difference in his team retaining fourth place on the ladder over Regional Taxation Services.
Bottom of the ladder RTS were plucky in their narrow 6-5 defeat.
Bowen won three singles and also teamed up with Mark LJubic and Ed Hung respectively to win both doubles.
Bowen had his hands full against opposing number one Andrew Cannard and their singles was a classic.
Cannard took the first and third but could not maintain the pressure and in a really close match, it was Bowen who prevailed 11-13, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 — all games separated by the barest margin.
RTS had been brave in defeat with Cannard and Edi Re winning two singles while fill-in Mark Ljubic won one. This was Re’s best performance for the season and almost enabled his team to snatch the four points.
LADDER PENNANT 1:
Mallee Bearings 45
Tankard Dental 31
Cooke’s Pools & Spa. 27
Choice Flooring 23
Weightmans Packaging 20
Regional. Taxation Services 9
RESULTS ROUND 13:
PENNANT 1:
Tankard Dental 6 (Reece Kurrle, Paul Kealley 2, Thanh Nguyen 1) d Weightman’s Packaging 5 (Jackson Tung 3, Dylan Wood 1);
Choices Flooring Mildura 6 (Shannon Bowen 3, Mark Ljubic 1) d Regional Taxation Services 5 (Edi Re, Andrew Cannard 2, Rohan Reimers 1);
Mallee Bearings 6 (Joel Thomas 3, Liam Wood 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 5 (Kate Carmichael, Casper McCarthy 2, Russell Walder 1).
PENNANT 2:
Cookes Pools & Spas 6 (Tom Morrison 3, Marcus Cimino, Josh Arnold 1) d Choices Flooring Mildura 5 (Jason Gifkins, Kevin Johns 2);
Mallee Meats 6 (Ashley Morrison 3, David Sergi 1) d Pinnacle Packers 5 (Peter Midgley. Andrew Jones 2, Mark Cleary 1);
Weightman’s Packaging 7 (Quentin Clark, Brendan Alderton 3, Ryan Peterson 1) d Mallee Bearings 4 (Sony Sefer, Jamie Kealley 1).
PENNANT 3:
Weightman’s Packaging 10 (Karly Leach, Ryan Peterson 3, Koby Grace 2) d Regional Taxation Services 1 (Dave Tanner 1);
Sammy’s Slammers 5 (James Jarvis 3, Nhat Dat 1) d Mallee Meats 5 (Wendy Simpson 2, Hamish Smyth 1, Hamish Smyth 1).
PENNANT 4:
Weightman’s Packaging 9 (Curtis Crabtree, Raj Gujral, Gary Leach 3) d Tankard Dental 1);
Dunkley Scales 8 (Deegan Kerslake 3, Tom Gilmour 2, Selma Mayne 1) d Mallee Meats 3 (Maria Starikov 2. Jake Hines 1).
