The Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association season will officially reach the halfway mark this weekend when players take to the courts for round 8 of 16.
The Division 1 ladder is already close to being set in stone as Reidy Park and Centrals/Uniting enjoy a four-game buffer to West Gambier and Glencoe.
Reidy Park looks to extend its ladder lead by travelling to Malseed Park with success.
Zayne Young’s team will be full of confidence after comfortable wins over West in rounds 2 and 5, plus last week’s thumping of Glencoe.
Glencoe has endured a challenging season so far and – on paper – more pain could follow against a well-oiled Centrals/Uniting side.
However, in the previous match-up three weeks ago the unfancied side led by Dylan Childs took it right up to its more fancied opponents and lost by just two sets, their narrowest defeat of the season so far.
The Division 2 fight is much closer as two sides are level at the top and little splits the remaining five.
Two of the main protagonists in the fight for last two semi-final berths Glencoe and Reidy Park go head to head.
Reidy Park has the home-court advantage and may need it after last week’s defeat, plus a confident Glencoe outfit is trying to stay in touch with the top two.
Ladder leader West Gambier Red will be confident of holding the position all on its own by beating Mount Gambier Blue, while West Blue has a bye.
The lower-ranked sides are even putting on a show as Mount Gambier Green and Mount Schank will hunt for premiership points in what could be the game that decides the wooden spoon.
After two 11-1 wins last week, fans will be hoping for a more competitive round in Division 3.
The Suttontown Tigers are the early favourites in the grade and are yet to drop a game, but are closely followed by Mil Lel.
The Tigers should tame Centrals comfortably, while Mil Lel should also prove too good for Moorak.
The closest game on the cards us Uniting versus Suttontown Dons.
The pair are only separated by seven points on the ladder with the Dons holding the high ground in third, while Uniting have scored more set wins.
