In one of the more impressive results of the season, Echuca 3 shocked reigning champions Echuca 1 in this week’s Campaspe Tennis Association action.
Echuca 1 hasn’t replicated the form it displayed last season, but had positioned itself firmly mid-table, with a two-game gap to Echuca 3 in fourth place
The underdogs immediately made a statement of intent, grabbing 6-4 wins in both singles rubbers to establish a handy advantage.
Ryan More and Josh Boyd got the job done for 3, setting their side up to challenge the champions.
Echuca 1 rebounded in the men’s doubles, winning two of three to minimise the deficit.
Todd Charnas was the best performer of the section, taking both of his sets.
The match remained in the balance after the women’s doubles, each side picking up two wins.
Echuca 3’s Charlotta Groenewald and Carly James had the biggest win of the grouping, getting up 8-2 in their set.
It was anyone’s game heading into the final mixed doubles section, and although Echuca 1 took three of the four sets, Groenewald and Boyd managed an 8-0 triumph in Echuca 3’s lone win.
It would turn out to be a decisive margin as despite Echuca 1 taking seven of 13 sets, it was Echuca 3 who snatched the win by a single game, 6-76 to 7-75.
Rochester vs LBU
Rochester is the unbeaten leader of the competition, while Lockington-Bamawm United is without a win, making the match-up between the sides somewhat of a foregone conclusion on paper.
Both sides continued their trajectories in the tie at Rochester Lawn Tennis Club, Rochy picking up a comfortable win, 10-90 to 3-60.
The fixture started relatively evenly as the sides split the singles rubbers, Jacob Grieves picking up a 6-1 win for Rochester, while Noah Condliffe responded 6-3 for LBU.
Rochester took control in the men’s doubles, winning all three sets to establish an advantage, Nash Hocking and Lachlan Smith featuring in two wins each.
The women’s doubles were also a dominant section for the hosts, all four matches going Rochester’s way by a combined 32 games to 17.
LBU broke the streak of seven consecutive losses with a victory in the mixed doubles, Harrison and Katie Condliffe getting up 8-5 to stem the bleeding.
The visitor would pick up one more win in the section, but Rochester was out of reach, Tobie Woodfine and Mandy Dingwall closing out the fixture with an 8-3 win.
The competition is now heading into the Christmas hiatus, with action to resume on January 11.
On that day, Rochester will visit Echuca 3, LBU will host Echuca 2 and Echuca 1 has the bye.
Division two
Elmore sunk to the bottom of the ladder after going down to Echuca 5 9-70 to 4-44.
Elmore started well with a pair of singles wins but Echuca had the quality down the stretch, reeling off seven straight sets at the end of the match.
Rochester 2 surprised the now former leader LBU 2 with a narrow 7-63 to 6-56 win.
Singles wins to Justin Coghill and Christopher Murray got Rochy off to a dream start, and the host held on despite a late LBU run that saw it win the final three sets.
Echuca 4 had the bye.