WITH two rounds remaining in Gippsland Premier League tennis before the finals on December 15, second-placed Maffra showed it means business with a five rubbers to four win over top side Sale Star Hotel.
Now sitting just one point behind the Stars, Maffra is challenging to take top spot by season end.
Maffra got off on the right foot with Hailey Shanahan winning a very tight rubber over Karen Brown 7-6 6-2, and Mitchell Allman and David Taylor taking a brilliant tiebreaker 9-8 from Abe Schuback and Nick Board, before the Stars struck back in a nail biter with Cohen Schuback and Lexie Joyce defeating Jake Weir and Natalie Allman 7-5 7-5.
After losing the first set 2-6 to David Taylor, Star’s Nick Board won the second 6-0 and dominated the super tiebreak, 10-0, to even the match, but when Maffra’s Mitchell Allman and Hailey Shanahan had a comfortable 8-3 victory over Abe Schuback and Karen Brown, and Natalie Allman defeated Lexi Joyce 6-3 6-2, the home side held a two-rubber buffer.
Mitchell Allman decided the outcome winning 6-4 6-3 over Abe Schuback in a very high quality match.
The Stars came home with the final two rubbers with Nick Board and Karen Brown too strong for David Taylor and Hailey Shanahan, 8-5, and Cohen Schuback nailed the super tiebreak third set over Jake Weir after splitting the first two sets, 6-4 3-6.
THE scoresheets for the derby between Traralgon Win TV and Traralgon Loy Yang Power and the match between Sale Heron Todd White and Bairnsdale have not been lodged by the required time. The winners of these matches will take a premiership penalty as the fight is on to determine third, fourth and fifth spots on the ladder.
THIS Saturday, Sale Star Hotel will host Traralgon Win TV, Sale Heron Todd White will head to Traralgon to play Loy Yang Power and Maffra will be at home against Bairnsdale.
