WITH nine rounds played and one to go before the finals of the Sunraysia Table Tennis season, Weightman’s Packaging have secured top position on the ladder with a hard fought 7-4 victory over bottom team Choices Flooring Mildura who have now been ruled out of the finals race.
Weightman’s skipper Wayne Carmichael again led the way winning three singles as well as taking part in both doubles’ victories.
Carmichael’s teammate Russell Walder showed his best form for some time winning two singles. The first doubles was a lengthy five-setter with Carmichael and Walder defeating Reece Kurrle and fill in Dylan Wood 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 5-11, 11-7. The Choices pair staged a good comeback but could not bridge the gap.
Choices skipper Reece Kurrle played well to win two singles, while No.3 Daniel Jansen showed good form in his five-set victory over Marcus Cimino.
Mallee Bearings secured second position on the ladder by defeating Tankard Dental 7-4, Tankard’s hopes of playing finals now gone.
Bearings skipper Jackson Tung won three singles all in straight sets, and also combined with teammates Liam Wood and Tom Morrison to win both doubles.
The first doubles was the highlight match when Tung and Wood outlasted Tankards’ Rohan Reimers and Paul Kealley after trailing one game to two. The final scoreline 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6 showed what a struggle this was.
Later in the match spectators witnessed a top-class match when Bearings number two Wood picked up his second singles victory by defeating the talented Paul Kealley 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 7-11, 13-11 in a thriller.
Cookes Pools & Spas locked themselves into fourth position and a finals spot by defeating third-placed Regional Taxation Services 7-4.
The standout player in this contest was the hard-hitting Cooke’s No.2 Dylan Wood who won three singles.
He started with an outstanding straight sets win, 13-11, 11-7, 11-9 victory over opposing No.1 Kate Carmichael.
Later in the match when the scores were locked at five rubbers all, Wood needed to recover from a one-two deficit against Thanh Nguyen to win in a close encounter 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, this giving his team the all-important four points.
Wood’s teammate Ed Hung then boosted his teams’ percentage by defeating Jason Gifkins again 11-9 in the fifth.
Apart from Wood winning three, skipper Mark Dorman chipped in with two singles in this solid victory. With one round to play and if results go the right way for them Cookes can grab third spot on the ladder with one round to play.
Sunraysia Table Tennis 2024 Summer Pennant results Round 9:
PENNANT 1: Cookes Pools & Spas 7 (Dylan Wood 3, Mark Dorman 2, Ed Hung 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Kate Carmichael 2, Thanh Nguyen 1); Weightman’s Packaging 7 (Wayne Carmichael 3, Russell Walder 2) d Choices Flooring Mildura 4 (Reece Kurrle 2, Liam Wood, Daniel Jansen 1); Mallee Bearings 7 (Jackson Tung 3, Liam Wood 2) d Tankard Dental 4 (Rohan Reimers 2, Paul Kealley, Jamie Kealley 1).
PENNANT 2: Pinnacle Packers 6 (Rasin Bhuiyan 2, Duy Trung, Mark Cleary, Therese Fitzpatrick 1) d Cookes Pools & Spas 5 (Ashley Morrison 3, Peter Fitzpatrick 1); Mallee Meats 6 (John Fitzpatrick 3, Mark Cleary 2) d Weightman’s Packaging 3 (Josh Arnold 2, Harry Gujral 1).
PENNANT 3: Weightman’s Packaging 6 (Sabrina Fitzpatrick 3, Maria Starikov, Gary Leach 1) d Sammy’s Slammers 5 (Sam Campbell, Deegan Kerslake 2); Mallee Meats 7 (Karly Leach 3, Curtis Crabtree 2. Jenny Leach 1) d Exposed Signage/Apparel 4 (Steve Parker 2, Ted Cleary 1); Dunkley Scales 7 (Koby Grace, Ildi Healy 2, Hayden Wilson 1) d Regional Taxation Services 4 (Bey Hwak 2, Tom Gilmour, Mark Cleary 1).
PENNANT 1 LADDER
Weightmans Packaging 28
Mallee Bearings 24
Regional Taxation Services 20
Cookes Pools & Spas 16
Tankard Dental 12
Choices Flooring Mildura 08
