LBU records tense win as Rochy pushes unbeaten Echuca to the limit

Echuca’s good form continued into the men’s doubles, with Rosendale and Joshua Hunter claiming an 8-6 win, while the pairing of Hunter and Hugh Melville earned a dominant 8-0 win in their set.

Darryl Squires and Ian Haines claimed LBU’s first set with a hard-fought 8-7 win over Kingma and Melville to get the home side on the board.

LBU roared back into contention following the women’s doubles, claiming all four rubbers to well and truly shift the momentum.

Katie Condliffe and Narelle Bacon got things going, earning an 8-3 win, before Melissa Haines and Lois Toohey continued the charge with an 8-2 triumph.

Condliffe and Haines united to take the third rubber 8-3, before Bacon and Toohey earned an emphatic 8-0 win to seal an LBU sweep of the women’s doubles sets.

A nervous final four mixed doubles rubbers would decide the contest, which were split two sets apiece, and although Echuca managed to claw back four games, LBU hung on to win overall 73-70.

Rochester 1 vs Echuca 1

The CTA top of the table clash delivered in spades on Saturday, with Echuca 1 recording a 7-83 to 6-73 win over Rochester 1.

Playing at Rochester Lawn Tennis Club, Jaycob Dingwall and Jacob Grieves got the home side off to a flyer, earning 6-4 and 7-6 singles wins respectively.

The undefeated Echuca 1 returned serve in the men’s doubles, however, with the pairing of Todd Charnas and Stephen Hope recording an 8-3 win, as did Nick Bush and Shane Coatsworth.

The visitors wrapped up the third and final men’s doubles rubber with a huge 8-0 win courtesy of Hope and Coatsworth.

The women’s doubles provided an entertaining contest, with the four sets spilt evenly between the two sides.

Roxanne Dicketts and Celine Joyce earned an 8-5 win for Echuca, before Dicketts paired with Vicki Bavich to claim another win 8-6.

Rachael Major and Karen Taylor mustered an 8-3 win for Rochester to keep their side in it, with Taylor going on to triumph alongside Kate Lee in the final rubber, 8-2.

The mixed doubles rubbers were also split evenly, with Echuca extending its lead by one game to earn a 10-game win, and keep its unbeaten record intact.

Division 2

Elmore 1 vs Echuca 5

Elmore 1 went down to Echuca 5 in a close affair at Echuca Lawn Tennis Club, falling 6-54 to 7-61.

Mitchell Byrne claimed a singles win for the visitors, prevailing 7-6 over Baxter Anderson, however Echuca hit back to claim the second singles set, before claiming the next three doubles match-ups.

Taylah Pratt and Meg Howlett combined to secure LBU a 6-0 win, with Katherine Jamieson and Rory Hayes following suit to pinch a 6-1 win.

Pratt and Jamieson united for a 6-2 doubles win as LBU roared back into contention, with Howlett and Hayes clinching a 6-4 victory before Pratt and Byrne made it five rubbers in a row with a 7-6 triumph.

Echuca managed to halt the momentum, however, securing wins in each of the final three sets to emerge victorious overall by seven games.

LBU 2 vs Echuca 6

LBU 2 were agonisingly close to victory against Echuca 6, coming up four games short in the 6-58 to 7-62 loss at Lockington-Bamawm Tennis Club.

Stuart Newton gave the home side its first win, a 6-4 singles victory over Echuca’s Jack Byrne, before combining with Simon Portwine for a 6-2 doubles rubber win.

Cindy Portwine and Chelsea Newton would also record a doubles win for the home side, emerging 7-5 victors over Echuca pair Dusk Gronow and Kath Head.

James and Meagan Brentnall would clinch another win for LBU in the see-sawing contest, winning their rubber 6-4, before Stuart Newton and Monica Brereton would pair up for a 6-3 victory.

Simon Portwine and Cindy Newton would clinch the final set 6-1 over Echuca duo Dusk and Peter Gronow, however they would still fall an agonising four games short of the overall win.

Scores for the match between Rochester 2 and Echuca 4 were not provided.