Bragging rights were up for grabs at Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday as two of its teams - Tropics and The Valley - battled it out in a gripping Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association division one clash.
A match that had major ladder implications, it was the Tropics that ended up prevailing, with a 7-71 to 5-57 win solidifying their spot in third as the run to finals begins to heat up.
A tight contest from beginning to end, three victories by number one David Poole proved the difference between the two sides, while number two Jeremy O’Brien was also impressive in recording two crucial victories.
Key Tropics player Tanner Hunter said the win was a crucial one in the context of his team’s season.
“It was always going to be a close game we thought, we have had some good battles with them in the past and this was no different,” Hunter said.
“We just needed to win a few key sets and hold firm in the doubles which we did and everyone executed really well.
“This result was very important for us, it helped us lock up third spot which was pleasing and gets us a bit closer to those top two teams.”
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Zeroed in: Tropics' Jeremy O'Brien. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 2 of 7
Desperation: The Valley's Ella Rohde. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 3 of 7
Fine form: Tropics' Anna Reynolds. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 4 of 7
Serving up: The Valley's Matt Crittenden. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 5 of 7
Unleashing havoc: The Valley's Will Rohde. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 6 of 7
Ready to roll: Tropics' Nathan Mitchell. Photo by Rechelle ZammitImage 7 of 7
In the zone: The Valley's Luke Turcato. Photo by Rechelle ZammitIn terms of the standouts, Hunter said it was the work of Poole and O’Brien in their singles ties which paved the way.
“It really helped having David Poole in, they changed their men’s line-up around a bit to try and skew some results that they didn’t get last time,” he said.
“But with Dave and Jeremy O’Brien up the top for us they really capitalised with some big wins that in turn set us up for getting the win.”
While the end result was a disappointing one for The Valley, they did get standout performances from some of their key players.
Men’s number three and number four Matt Crittenden and Luke Turcato were sensational in their respective ties, recording victories to the tune of 8-2 and 8-3.
Top women’s singles player Holly Curtis-McDonald did the job 8-2 and number two Ella Rohde got up in an 8-7 nail-biter.
But it was not enough for The Valley to secure the win, as it lost five of the six doubles matches.
As a result, The Valley now sits in fifth spot on the division one ladder with one victory to its name.
Elsewhere, Numurkah Warriors flexed their muscles with a clinical 10-92 to 2-50 win over Shepparton Lawn Average Joes.
The Warriors were buoyed by the performance of Lucy Bassett, who played a hand in three of her team’s 10 rubber wins.
Kyabram-Echuca rounded out the winners’ list, with its 8-81 to 4-65 victory over Velvet Tigers solidifying its position atop the ladder.