Sport
Gallery | Top sides consolidate positions of power in penultimate Shepparton District Tennis Association weekend
The region’s two tennis competitions threw vastly different dynamics at us over the weekend.
Sure, the Goulburn Murray Lawn Tennis Association had upsets aplenty, but the Shepparton District Tennis Association brought pure consolidation heading into finals.
The six-team A1 division featured the top three teams facing off against the bottom three, and favoured sides won in two out of three contests.
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McEwen Reserve Gold's Chris Wright takes a steady stance. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 7
Karramomus' Guy Duncan unleashes on serve. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 7
Karramomus' Stacy Kay extends out for a backhand. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 7
McEwen Reserve Gold's Justin Hunter drives his return down the line. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 7
McEwen Reserve Gold's Lloyd Akers is locked in preparing to return serve. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 7
Karramomus' Katha Veal directs down a slice. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 7
McEwen Reserve Gold's Robyn Storie gets all set on the baseline. Photo by Megan FisherThe gulf was perhaps most emphatically rubber-stamped at Karramomus, where the fifth-placed hosts met McEwen Reserve Gold knowing they would have been at risk of seeing the top-four door close in the event of a loss with one week left before finals.
Those concerns were put to bed almost instantaneously as, after splitting the first two ties, Karramomus ran the show thereafter with seven wins on the spin to wrap up a dominant 8-50 to 1-28 result and catapult up to third.
That said, Shepparton North is far and away the pace-setter and round 14 saw the minor premiership sealed with time to spare, courtesy of a comfortable 6-43 to 3-32 triumph over Central Park.
There was serious tension in the clash between McEwen Red and Lemnos though, in a contest that truly went down to the wire.
McEwen Red had five of the first eight sets in hand, but still entered the final tie at risk of falling on total games.
Will Kop and Susie Marshall ultimately prevailed 6-3, but it was tight enough that existing runs on the board saw McEwen Red home in a thriller, 5-40 to 4-40.
With finals on the other side of this coming weekend, third-placed Karramomus is separated from fifth-ranked Lemons by just half a game.