SOUTH Bendigo’s quest for back-to-back Bendigo Tennis Association premier league titles began in awesome fashion on Saturday.
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The Jordan Hicks-led South Bendigo scored a comprehensive 17-game win against Spring Gully Strath Eppalock Butterflies in their clash at the new-look William Loud tennis complex in Nolan Street.
A South Bendigo line-up of Jordan Hicks, Connor Gledhill, Grant Leader and Mick Mulgrew won five of six rubbers, and led the sets tally 10-4 on its way to a 63-46 victory.
Hicks did not concede a game in a straight sets win against Jacob Grieves.
Sole rubber for Butterflies was a 7-5 6-1 win by Jamie Brown against Connor Gledhill.
Leader fought back from a 7-5 defeat in the first set against Simon Kelly to win the next, 6-4, and then 10-8 in the match tie-breaker.
A closely-fought match between Mulgrew and Danielle Bowles ended 6-3 4-6 10-7 in South’s favour.
Hicks and Gledhill teamed up for a 6-4 6-2 win against Grieves and Brown.
Leader and Mulgrew scored a 6-4 6-3 win against Kelly and Bowles.
Castlemaine marked its return to the BTA’s top flight in a 11-game win against Strathfieldsaye.
Both teams won three rubbers apiece, but Castlemaine led the sets-games tally, 7-56 to 6-45.
In the doubles, Isaac Watson and Ben Bailey teamed up for a 6-1 6-3 victory against Terry Smith and Tova Penno.
Strath struck bnack as Casey Fleming and Lachlan Perdon beat Nathan Mitchell and David Carre, 6-3 6-2.
In the number one singles, Watson beat Smith, 6-2 6-1.
Bailey added to Maine’s run as he defeated Perdon, 6-4 6-3.
A hard-fought match between Mitchell and Penno went the way of Strath’s ace, 6-2 1-6 10-5.
Fleming played well to beat Carre, 6-3 6-4, but it was Castlemaine which took the points.
BTC clubmates Cobras and Taipans played out a closely-fought duel.
The Jono Guy-led Cobras won four of six rubbers on their way to an 8-56 to 5-47 victory.
Highs included a 6-4 5-7 10-7 win by Guy against Ryan Michell, while Frank Ryan beat Dom Barton, 6-3 6-2.
Taipans struck back as Cameron Lilburn defeated Rashelle Blencowe, 6-1 6-2.
Kealy Oswald dropped just one game in a 6-1 6-0 victory against Freddie Malony.
Guy and Ryan joined forces in a 6-4 6-2 win against Michell and Barton.
The other doubles went the Taipans way as Lilburn and Malony beat Blencowe and Oswald, 6-3 6-3.
In the Quest Bendigo-backed section one action, Spring Gully Net Assets lost to Axedale, 3-44 to 7-69.
Panthers beat Phoenix in the all-Spring Gully duel, 6-69 to 4-64.
Infants made a superb start to the season in an 8-67 to 2-37 triumph against Reckoners in the battle of the BTC clubmates.
A South Bendigo line-up of Jordan Hicks, Connor Gledhill, Grant Leader and Mick Mulgrew won five of six rubbers.