The Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association players can take a hard-earned rest after giving it their all in the first segment of the 2021/22 summer of tennis.

The final round before the festive break took place on Saturday and teams were desperate to end two months of effort on a high, particularly in the Division 2.

Division 2 has been hotly contested all season and the Glencoe v Mount Gambier Blue battle was a prime example.

Earlier in the year the difference was a single game with Glencoe emerging on top and the side needed to finish on the winning end again in the rematch to maintain its stronghold on second position on the ladder.

Starting off strong was pivotal and the visiting Mount Gambier enjoyed an early advantage after Michael Cameron brought his A game and outclassed Mark Feetom six-love.

But it did not take long for Glencoe to get on the board and build its case.

Sam Auld outlasted Lachlan Patzel in a tight 6-4 set, while Sam McCracken showed no fear.

Playing his first set of the season, McCracken was too good for Will Cameron winning 6-1 to put the home side in the overall lead for the first time.

Jodie Carey continued her strong form to defeat Ruth Thami in the opening women’s single.

However, that success proved to be an outlier as Glencoe turned the screws.

Eliza Cole and Alison Auld scored in important wins over Renae Cameron and Jayel van den Hurk respectively to put the home well in front as the players prepared for their doubles.

Glencoe sensed an opportunity and pounced to all-but secure an important overall win.

Feetom and Sam Auld fought off a tough challenge from Jamie Clarke and Patzel to win 6-4.

Feetom then teamed up with fill-in McCracken and easily overcame Clarke and Michael Cameron.

McCracken’s dream first hit of the season continued when he made it a hat-trick of set wins alongside Sam Auld.

The pair wrestled a hard-fought encounter away from Patzel and Michael Cameron after striking the winning shots in some close rallies.

The 7-5 triumph ensured Glencoe enjoyed an impregnable five-set lead with only three to play.

Despite the disappointment of letting the overall win slip away, Mount Gambier Blue salvaged some pride.

The likes of van den Hurk, Carey and Renae Cameron teamed up brilliantly to win all three sets by solid margins to end the day on a high.

It gave Mount Gambier Blue some respectability and ensured both sides won 51 games across the board, but did not stop Glencoe from winning 7-5 and jumping a game clear on the ladder.

Mount Gambier Green may be battling at the bottom of the ladder, but it took the fight to West Gambier Blue at Heriot Street on Saturday.

The visiting team was clear favourite and lived up to the tag by winning the opening two sets.

Jamie Higgins continued his near-perfect singles record with a 6-4 win over Ben Kerin, while Mark Stutley hit double the amount of games as Tim Benny.

However, Mount Gambier Green was not going to lie down on its home court without a fight as Andrew Le Cornu won his sixth straight singles set with Matthew Charlton the latest unlucky opponent.

But the hope of more singles success faded for the home side as West Gambier Blue showed its class.

Ella Jolley saw out a tight battle against Grace Edwards, while Lucy Clarke and Rylee Seidel were no match for Kirra McKenny and Layla McPherson respectively.

West Gambier Blue dominated doubles and left Mount Gambier Green in the dire situation of being 5-1 down.

But the hosts responded and improved as the afternoon progressed to score important wins in some thrilling duels.

Kerin and Le Cornu had to fight to the final game to outlast Higgins and Charlton 7-6.

The following battle also went down to the wire with Le Cornu also in action alongside Benny.

The pair had plenty of resolve and held their nerve to defeat Stutley and Charlton in another tiebreaker.

An overall win started to become a possibility as the good times kept rolling for the hosts as Edwards and Clarke defeated Jolley and McPherson 6-4.

The incredible comeback was completed by Edwards and Seidel, who scored double the amount of games as Jolley and McPherson.

The 6-3 win set up a winner-takes-all final set with both teams locked at six apiece with Mount Gambier Green searching for a second win of the season from a near impossible position and West Gambier Blue battling to hold onto an important triumph in the contest of its season.

Clarke and Seidel were tasked with pulling off the home side’s comeback, while McKenny and McPherson were standing in their way.

McKenny and McPherson found the early advantage and held onto it until the end to win the vital set 6-2.

It crushed Mount Gambier Green’s dreams and meant West Gambier Blue jumped into fourth spot on the ladder, displacing Reidy Park which had the bye.

Ladder-leader West Gambier Red was always expected to knock over Mount Schank and did so with relative ease winning 10-2.

The summer of tennis takes a pause over the festive season and returns in the middle of Australia Open fever on Friday, January 28.