Players eye one last serve before break

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Players eye one last serve before break

The big names of the Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association will throw every ounce of power they have into each serve in the final round before Christmas this weekend.

The ninth week of tennis action is a big one for teams because it will be important to enter the festive season break on a high with more than a month on the sidelines ahead.

Division 1’s pecking order appears set in stone, but one team made a giant leap last week.

Reigning minor-premier Glencoe looks certain to relinquish its crown this season having yet to taste success.

However, the maroon team was closer than ever in a home clash with its nearest rival West Gambier last week.

Glencoe started on the back foot after losing the first four singles rubbers before Jorja Mitchell and Laura Edwards put it on the board.

The home team then bounced back hard in the doubles with Dylan Childs and Will Hahn scoring an important 6-1 win in the opening rubber.

The eight rubber went to a tie-breaker with West’s Ethan Schultz and Ty Lang victorious, but aware they were in for a fight.

After the ninth set went West Gambier’s way, Glencoe had to win all the remaining doubles.

Alice Tentye, Sarah and Laura Edwards combined beautifully to win all three battles and level the scoreboard with six sets apiece.

However, their opponents fought hard enough to score enough games to take the premiership points with them back to Malseed Park.

Despite falling just six games short of a breakthrough win, Glencoe can carry plenty of confidence into the fixture and hopes to end a challenging start to the season on a high.

But it may be a tall order with Glencoe lined up to host Reidy Park this Saturday afternoon.

Reidy Park led by Zayne Young has been the biggest improvers of 2021/22 moving up to second on the ladder, well clear of third.

But the team is desperate to regain some winning momentum after a tough afternoon against its nearest rival for the flag Centrals/Uniting.

Reidy Park hoped to fight until the last set, but lost heavily 10-67 to 2-36 and cannot afford a similarly disappointing performance before the break.

Young can draw confidence from a big win in the two previous encounters with Glencoe which were both significant eight-set wins.

However, Glencoe only needs to turn to round 1 for inspiration when the sides fought out a classic draw after recording the same amount of games and sets.

West faces the tough prospect of meeting a Centrals/Uniting team at the top of its game.

On all three contests this summer the combined team has scored at least double the amount of sets as West which suggests another one-sided battle is in store.

Division 2 is a much more even contest around the ladder.

The match of the round is between Glencoe and Mount Gambier Blue who are currently in an arm wrestle for second spot on the ladder.

Glencoe holds the superior win-loss record, but Mount Gambier Blue is ready to fight fresh from a week off.

The previous battle in round 4 was a classic after only a single game separated the rivals with Glencoe finishing marginally ahead.

The Mount Schank and West Gambier Red match-up appears to be a one-sided affair with the sixth hosting first on the ladder.

Mount Gambier Green may also be in for a tough afternoon against West Gambier Blue.

The team sitting peerless at the top of Division 3 is the Suttontown Tigers.

The Tigers have not lost a game and will come up against an Uniting outfit looking to bounce back after losing to Mil Lel.

Second seed Mil Lel should be confident of success against Suttontown Dons after the latter’s unexpected defeat to Centrals last weekend.

Moorak is yet to get off the mark this summer, but could be in with a chance of victory facing its nearest competitor on the ladder Centrals.

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