The 14th round of the 2021/22 Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association season was brought to life by the Division 3 players on Saturday after some stunning matchups.

As finals draw ever closer in the twilight phase of the summer, the on-court battles are getting hotter and the temperature was beyond boiling point on Kennedy Avenue.

Over the course of the season Mil Lel has established itself as one of the top Division 3 contenders with a fine win-loss record of 12 and one.

However, the side’s fine campaign came within inches of being derailed by a spirited Uniting side which almost pulled off one of the upsets of the season.

Coming up against one of the might of Mil Lel was always going to be a tough task, but Uniting came out swinging winning a hat-trick of singles sets.

Jace Maxwell, Sergio Cesaro and Peter Jelleff fronted the assault with comfortable wins to create endless possibilities for the underdogs.

Vital wins by Kate Fabian and Jessica Douglas ensured Mil Lel stayed in touch, but enter the doubles on the back foot after Jess Stewart showed strong form for the visitors.

The trio of Maxwell, Cesaro and Jelleff continued to irritate the hosts with more success when they combined as pairs.

Maxwell’s fine work alongside Cesaro and Jelleff saw Uniting score two straight doubles wins to put its fancied opponents on the brink of defeat.

After eight sets, Uniting enjoyed a 6-2 lead which meant Mil Lel had to win all four remaining sets by at least 16 games to turn the tables and escape with an overall win.

Fortunately for the ladder leaders their women had something special up their sleeves.

After Cesaro and Jelleff were finally beaten by Pattrick Robinson and Riley Boneham 6-3, Mil Lel showed off its class.

Fabian and Jorja Douglas were on a mission and smashed their opponents six games to love.

Fabian then teamed up with Jessica Douglas to play more serene tennis and score another important win, this time over Bec Hogg and Sue Murray 6-2.

The run of wins meant it all came down to the final set, with Uniting holding the aces, but aware a three-game defeat would be disastrous.

Stewart and Sue Murray gave it their all, but struggled to find answers for Jorja and Jessica Douglas.

The Douglas pair had all the synergy in the world to step up when it mattered and win 6-1.

The result was enough to level the scoreboard at six sets apiece and more importantly steal the overall win by a slender margin of just two games.

In the previous head-to-head battles Uniting lost by two and four sets respectively, so to pull within two games of victory against the ladder leaders was a mighty effort.

The odds were also defied to a similar extent at Olympic Park where Centrals hosted Suttontown Dons.

Sitting proudly in the top three, the Dons came into the clash against Centrals as the overwhelming favourites with four more wins compiled across the season.

However, the Centrals side was determined to put up a fight.

John Forster handed Christian McCombe his first singles defeat of the season by three games, while Mitchell van Riet was in peak form beating Cameron Pritchard 6-1.

Despite the disappointing start, Suttontown was able to put its campaign back on track.

Hard fought two-game wins to Nathan Beck and Joanne Millar over Mitch Duryea and Kirrilee Liebelt squared the scoreboard, while big wins to Trudy-Anne Doyle and Stephanie Beck drove the game in the Dons’ direction.

Centrals found a response in the doubles controlling the opening two sets thanks to Forster.

Forster teamed up with Duryea and they initially struggled during the first couple of serves before coming hard at their opponents.

Across a competitive set, the Centrals pair eventually emerged victorious 6-4.

Forster also lined up with van Riet and formed a formidable team to compile a convincing five-game win.

At this point it was all to play for with both sides enjoying four sets each.

But when it mattered the cream rose to the top and Suttontown flexed its muscles.

Nathan Beck and Pritchard turned the tables with a momentous effort outlasting Duryea and van Riet in a tiebreaker.

The stunning win provided the launching pad for the Dons to fly to glory as Stephanie Beck, Doyle and Murrell brought their games.

A hard-fought 5-7 win by Murrell and Stephanie Beck covered Kirrilee Liebelt and Maddy McGregor’s 6-3 triumph to give Suttontown the premiership points.

The Dons may have prevailed 7-5 overall, but the 57-56 games score line was the true reflection of the tight battle between the sides.

In the other contest Suttontown Tigers faced off with Moorak in a one-sided affair.

Moorak had to settle for just two sets as the Tigers cruised to victory, with Brody Sharam, Kobe Cole, Cory Sharam, Casey Sampson and Molly Lennon being unbeatable.