The premierships for the Club’s third season of the year were decided last week in both divisions of the city’s top-grade weekly competition, held at the Table Tennis Centre in Leichhardt Park. The season, which featured a series of competitive team matches, was decided based on first-past-the-post results.
The top division was set for an intriguing finish, with two of the leading sides going head-to-head. Additional points were up for grabs when Matthew Pettett and Judd Carr faced off against Joel Coughlan and Nick Green, in a match rescheduled from earlier in the season. With the combination of Rayden Smith and Gerard Watts also in contention, it was anyone’s game heading into the final round.
The highly anticipated clash between Pettett’s and Coughlan’s teams delivered a surprising outcome. While Pettett comfortably defeated Nick Green and Coughlan eased past Judd Carr, the rest of the match proved far more eventful. The doubles tie, played between the singles rounds, saw Pettett and Carr triumph in a hard-fought 13-11, 8-11, 6-11, 14-12, 11-6 win after being on the back foot early. In the crucial next match, Carr showcased excellent composure to defeat Green in straight sets, proving that his promotion to the top division this season was well-earned. The final match, which was now a dead rubber, saw Pettett defeat Coughlan 3-0, though each game was tightly contested, with two sets going to deuce.
In the end, Pettett and Carr secured the premiership, with Rayden Smith’s team finishing second, and Coughlan’s side relegated to third.
The second division contest was less complex but equally thrilling. Going into the final round, Allan Clarke and Cooper Bulow held a two-point lead over Monica Deeth and Warun Wilkinson, with Leo Lai and Joe Clifton, as well as Geoff Geddes and Linda O’Sullivan, just one point further back in a tie for third.
Clarke and Bulow managed to earn two points from their 3-2 defeat in the final round, while Deeth and Wilkinson edged out Geddes and O’Sullivan in a 3-2 victory. The final leaderboard saw Clarke and Bulow narrowly clinch the season title by a single point over Deeth and Wilkinson, with Lai and Clifton taking third place after their own narrow win, just one point further behind. Geddes and O’Sullivan finished fourth, a mere point behind the third-placed team.
The complete results from Season Three; as well as some awesome action shots taken throughout the season can be found on our website at the following link: https://www.rockhamptontabletennis.com/fixtures-v2