22.05.2008 – Rob Jackson
Finals spots are up for grabs entering the second leg of the MGCCA Head Badge Competition. A string of stirring performances in Round 8 matches on Saturday leaves a number of SU teams well within striking distance of premiership triumph.
In the Manning early session, SU1’s Emily Alexander, Zsanette Der-levine, Phoebe Hooke and Anna Leksinski were pitted against a feisty Roseville foursome, eventually splitting sets and snaring victory by just six games.
Their third win of the season, the players will reap the benefit of coaching support from Australian tennis great John Alexander in coming weeks.
“They have all the shots,” commented Alexander after Saturday’s hard-fought tie. The long-time Davis Cup stalwart will concentrate on doubles skills and strategies with the team in the run home to semi-final playoffs.
Alexander calls the shots
In other matches, SU2 Women hold on to fourth spot on the table in Grade 2/2 after a convincing defeat of White City at Kingsford, while the late squall at Manning spoiled some major upsets-in-the-making in the men’s sections.
In Grade 1/1, SU1 Men are vying for a top-three finish after holding competition front-runners Sydney to a 3 sets all scoreline before rain stopped play, while SU2 were on the verge of a classic boilover victory at 4 sets to 2 against their top-of-the-table rivals from Chatswood. SU10 ended their match at locked horns with Tennis Cove two sets apiece as play was halted.
Completed local derbies played on a maximum capacity afternoon on the Manning lawn see SU5 and SU4 both still in the running for a grandstand finish in Grade 1/4, with SU6 and SU7 similarly neck-and-neck and in strong contention in Grade 1/5.
Prospects are good also for SU9, SU12 and SU13, hovering just outside the four in Grades 2/2, 3/1 and 3/2 respectively after Saturday’s start of second round matches.
Head Badge Round 8
17/05/08
Women
1/2 SU (1) 4-36 def Roseville (2) 4-30
2/2 SU (2) 6-41 def White City (3) 1-21
Men
1/1 SU (1) 3-29 v Sydney (1) 3-28 unf
1/1 SU (2) 4-32 v Chatswood (1) 2-31 unf
1/2 Auburn (1) 5-40 def SU (3) 3-29
1/4 SU (5) 6-45 def SU (4) 2-27
1/5 SU (6) 6-45 def SU (7) 2-22
2/1 Beecroft (1) 6-43 def SU (8) 2-28
2/2 SU (9) 5-37 def Chatswood (5) 3-28
2/3 SU (10) 2-28 v Tennis Cove (3) 2-31 unf
2/6 Manly (5) 8-48 def SU (11) 0-10
3/1 Tennis Cove (4) 4-38 def SU (12) 4-33
3/2 SU (13) 5-39 def White City (8) 3-30
