For the first time in a decade Rochester 1 will bring the Dolly Christie Memorial Shield back home after defeating Echuca 2 in emphatic fashion on Saturday, March 22.
After a week's delay due to severe heat, the two sides met at Echuca Lawn Tennis Club to determine the section one champion.
Things started off hot for Rochy as Jacob Grieves dominated the first men’s singles rubber against Chris Milnes 6-0.
Lachlan Smith doubled the early lead for the visitors, coming out on top after a tough battle against Echuca 2’s Shaun Trice 7-6.
Echuca 2 managed to pull themselves back into the contest, claiming two of the three men’s doubles rubbers.
Grieves was on a hot-streak, combining with Todd Woodfine to topple Milnes and Echuca 2 team-captain Phil Higgins 8-3.
Yet, Trice and dynamo Stephen Hope brought Echuca back into the contest with their victory over Smith and Tobie Woodfine 8-4.
Higgins and Chris Potter finished off the men’s matches on a high, taking down Woodfine again and Nash Hocking 8-4.
The Rochester women once again pulled through in their doubles, taking out the first three rubbers.
Alyssa Moss and Kate Lee took down Madeline O’Nial and Lucy Higgins 8-6, Rachael Major and Karen Taylor got on top of Jess Cox and Judy Poole 8-4 and Moss partnered Kaitlin Familari for a dominant win over O’Nial and Cox 8-1.
Higgins and Tanya Godfrey got one back for Echuca 2, taking down Lee and Taylor in a final women’s doubles thriller, 8-7.
Rochy carried the momentum of a strong showing in the women’s rubbers into the mixed doubles, again taking out the first three contests to essentially seal the deal.
However, they were far from one-sided contests.
Grieves and Lee got the upper hand for Rochy when they took down Phil and Lucy Higgins 8-5.
Smith and Moss carried that momentum through in a more challenging match against Potter and O’Nial 8-6.
Woodfine and Major completed three-in-a-row for Rochy, overcoming Trice and Godfrey 8-5.
With the grand final all but sealed, men’s aggregate winner Hope partnered Cox to beat Hocking and Taylor, giving Echuca 2 one final victory for the season.
The final score was Rochester 9-89 to Echuca 2 4-68.
Along with Hope’s male aggregate win, Moss, recruited to Rochester from Rich River this season, had a great year with her new team, earning female aggregate honours.
Rochester captain Karen Taylor reflected on the day and her team’s performance when it mattered most.
“We started off strongly, there were a few hotly contested games throughout, yes, we got to win, but we’ve had a great tussle,” she said.
“Jacob Grieves was so consistent today, as usual, he is wonderful on the net.
“Kate Familari has hardly played since Christmas, but her and Alyssa stepped up, it was a really solid effort across the board.
“We have gelled really nicely throughout the year and are absolutely thrilled with the win.
“It is very satisfying being able to bring the shield back to Rochy, we will display it proudly.”
Taylor also praised Echuca 2’s performance as well as its efforts in hosting the CTA section one and two grand final.
“Playing against Echuca 2 was never going to be easy and they definitely made us work for it, they played hard in every game and every set,” she said.
“The courts have been great and the weather has been perfect, Echuca have provided a wonderful venue, so we really appreciate that.”
Echuca 5 v LBU 2
In a similar result to the section one final, the minor premier prevailed nine sets to four, with Echuca 5 claiming the championship, 9-69 to 4-51, over Lockington-Bamawm United 2.
The men’s contingent for Echuca 5 was in sparkling form and gave its side a huge leg up in the early exchanges.
Xavier Stewart (6-2) and Dale Boyd (6-1) got their team straight onto the front foot with wins in the singles and the men’s doubles soon followed a similar trajectory.
Stewart and Boyd, along with Graeme Webb, Peter Gronow, Greg Byrne and Matthew Jones formed combinations that took all three sets for Echuca by a total of 18 games to eight.
LBU 2 attempted to get itself back in the contest during the women’s doubles, Michelle Stone performing particularly well, winning both sets she participated in, first with Chelsea Newton, 6-3, and then with Meagan Brentnall 7-6.
Echuca 5 grabbed the other two sets to have one hand on the trophy going into the mixed doubles, Jodie Jones featuring in both Echuca victories.
LBU needed a perfect sweep of the mixed doubles to have a chance of coming back, but could again only manage to split the four rubbers.
The biggest win of the grouping did go LBU’s way, 6-1 to Stone and Charlie Byrne, but Echuca had done more than enough to raise the shield.
Echuca 5’s Dale Boyd was the men’s aggregate winner for the season, while LBU 2’s Michelle Stone picked up the women’s aggregate award.