SPRING Gully Bigpond and South Bendigo played out the first draw of the season in the Bendigo Tennis Association’s premier league match on Saturday afternoon.
Frank Ryan and Simon Kelly scored an 8-6 victory in the last set of the day to lock the scores.
Bigpond opened strongly, taking the opening men’s and women’s doubles sets.
Jack Baker and Barry Green beat Frank Ryan and Nathen Bowie, 9-8.
Heather Robbins and Jen Cook proved too experienced for Maxine Everitt and Paige Ipsen.
Grant Leader and Simon Kelly got South on the board, with their opening doubles victory against Leon Retallick and Reubin Ellis, 8-4.
The match hit the singles and South looked to fight back.
Bowie had his best win of the year, defeating Baker 8-5, and wins to Leader and Simon Kelly against Ellis and Retallick gave South a two set lead.
The Bigpond women fought back, with Robbins and Cook overcoming their opponents in Ipsen and Everitt respectively.
Green then put Bigpond back in front at the mixed, with an 8-3 win against Ryan.
Baker and Robbins combined to defeat Ipson and Bowie for a two set and five game lead.
However, South again rallied through Leader and Everitt against Retallick and Cook, 8-5, before Kelly and Ryan ensured the draw with an 8-6 victory in the last doubles.
Three-set winners for the day included Robbins, Kelly and Leader.
Bendigo Lawn took top spot on the Premier League ladder, after demolishing Castlemaine, 11-1.
The full-strength Lawn team showed no mercy and moved two points clear of the previous top-placed Spring Gully Brougham Arms.
Leroy Miller was added to the reigning premier’s line-up over the mid-season break and proved he has what it takes to play in the number one position. Miller combined with Ward Garwood in the opening men’s doubles to beat Leigh Campbell and Dean Harris, 8-2.
League number one Curt Garwood dropped to No.3 where he combined with Nick Bath to defeat Nathan Mitchell and David Carre.
Mandy Connors-Butson and Tamara Wright also combined strongly for the Lawn, taking their opening doubles set against Alyssa Cole and Jodie Campbell.
The match hit the singles with Lawn victories to Miller, Curt Garwood, Nick Bath and Tamara Wright in a great battle with Alyssa Cole.
Dean Harris got Castlemaine’s first and only point in a strong singles win againt Ward Garwood.
With the match over, the Lawn pushed the advantage in the last three matches of the day to record a convincing win.
Epsom Butterflies kept its top two chances alive, with a convincing 9-3 victory against Strath Park Storm. The Butterflies won four tie-breakers throughout the afternoon.
Epson started strongly, with Matt Hartland and Shane Burke outlasting Terry Smith and Michael Smyth in a tie-breaker.
Danielle Bowles and Lynda Gallagher proved too strong for Michelle Rodwell and Narelle Smyth.
Zoltan Smyth and Danny Watson played their best set together for the year, as they opened the Storm’s account with an 8-2 win against Jono Guy and Rob Jeffereies.
The Butterflies looked to take the advantage at the singles, with wins to Hartland, Burke, Jefferies, Guy and Bowles. Rodwell was the Storm’s only singles winner, with a tough 8-6 victory against Lynda Gallanger.
In the mixed, Burke and Bowles beat the Smyth combinatio,n 8-6. Hartland and Jefferies won men’s doubles.
Spring Gully Brougham Arms had the bye
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