Nichols Point have sealed back-to-back Division 1 winter premierships after an immense struggle with the Sarnia Sloggers, which went right down to the wire on a chilly grand final day for both seniors and juniors.
Sloggers’ Alana Wall started strongly in the women’s singles but Renee Affleck for Legends pegged her back to finish with an 8-3 win.
As the spectators shivered on the sidelines, the competition heated up in the doubles.
Joel Hamilton and Warren Searle for Sarnia continued their good form, beating Matt Bates and Arron Wilkie 8-5.
Hamilton and Samaras followed up with an 8-3 win over Swaeney and Bates.
When Sarnia’s Brenda Hornsby and Demi Turlan snuck in a win over Jess Tiller and Michelle Riordan, Sloggers were up four sets to one and looking the goods.
However, a run of three sets to Legends brought the scores back level with the mixed to play.
Searle and Turlan combined well and an 8-5 win over Wilkie and Riordan had Sloggers in the box seat.
The Legends’ combination of Bates and Tiller had other thoughts though and their 8-4 victory over Hamilton and Hornsby sealed the premiership for Nichols Point for the second year running, five sets all, 66 games to 61.
St Andrews Slammers just held on to win over Wentworth Webels in the Division 2 final.
Coming from fourth on the ladder, the team from Wenty put up a great show going down five sets to four, 58 games to 56.
Rod Healy got the better of his Wentworth rivals, scoring a perfect 24 with only 13 games against.
Webels’ Caitlin Hancock finished the day with a highly commendable 24/14, but it was to be the Slammers premiership in 2024.
The Division 3 final was expected to be close, but most punters would have been backing Nichols Point Diamonds to overcome second-placed St Andrews Spartans.
The final result was anything but close with the premiership going to Spartans 8 sets to 1, 69 games to 32.
St Andrews’ Mick Tisler with 24/12 was the best of the men, while the Spartans’ women were unbeatable – Julie Dunn, Regina Warne and Kirty Pattinson all finishing with single-figure scores against.
Due to injury and unavailability, Sarnia Saints were not able to field a full team in the Division 3 reserve final, giving the Red Cliffs Ratbags a three-set-and-24-games head start that proved unassailable.
Ratbags’ Brent Byrne finished the day with the best score of 24/18 as his team won the title seven sets, 66 games to the Saints two sets, 40 games.
Kenny Park Magpies were the victors in Division 4 after claiming top spot early on in the season and remaining there.
St Andrews Almost Skilled picked up a couple of sets for the day but Stephen Bennett and the super strong Magpie women, Mel Currah, Mandy Bone and Andrina Mitcham, made sure the shield was going home to Kenny Park.
The A Grade junior pennant was between the two top teams, Sacred Heart Gold and Sarnia Gold. While some of the sets had one-sided scorelines, the final outcome was very close.
Derek Bagacay got Sacred Heart off to a good start with a 6-2 win over Aydin Yazici.
Cooper Young all but levelled the score with a 6-3 victory over Pranav Chowdhry.
A strong 6-1 win for Sarnia’s Antonio Daniele and Jayden Smyth over Nate Lawn and Nevae Strangio put their team in the lead.
Nicola De Maria and Nate Lawn then both had decisive wins in their singles, giving Sacred Heart the lead 22 games to 16.
Yazici and Young clawed back a few games beating Bagacay and Chowdhry 6-3. The last two doubles were shared and a final score of 31 to 29 saw the grand final going to Sacred Heart.
Summer tennis begins at Mildura Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday, October 5.
SDTA winter tennis grand finals results:
SENIORS
Division 1: Nichols Point Legends 5(66) d Sarnia Sloggers 5(61): Renee Affleck 24/10 (Nichols Point).
Division 2: St Andrews Slammers 5(58) d Wentworth Webels 4(56): Rod Healy 24/13 (St Andrews), Caitlin Hancock 24/14 (Wentworth).
Division 3: St Andrews Spartans 8(69) d Nichols Point Diamonds 1(32): Mick Tisler 24/12, Julie Dunn 24/4, Regina Warne 24/9, Kirsty Pattinson 24/8 (St Andrews).
Division 3B: Red Cliffs Ratbagz 7(66) d Sarnia Saints 2(40): Brent Byrne 24/18, Jenny Timmis 24/0.
Division 4: Kenny Park Magpies 7(65) d St Andrews Almost Skilled 2(31: Stephen Bennett 24/11, Mel Currah 24/3, Mandy Bone 24/9, Andrina Mitcham 24/6 (Kenny Park), Andrina Mitcham 24/16 (Kenny Park).
JUNIORS
A Grade: Sacred Heart Gold 31 d Sarnia Gold 29
B Grade: Sarnia Gold 24 d Sarnia Blue 22
C1 Grade: Sacred Heart White 18 d Sacred Heart Blue 3
C2 Grade: Red Cliffs 14 d St Andrews 9
D Grade: Red Cliffs 18 d Wentworth 6
