Week five table tennis action

With only a couple of weeks left to play in Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club’s Spring Season, the fifth week served up some tense moments and some outright dominant performances.

Both A Grade matches resulted in comprehensive victories, Felix Owusu keeping his singles sheet clean to guide Sods to a comfortable 7-4 win over Kevin Patzel’s Macca Pacca, while Travis Sweet and Ward Freeman also performed sublimely in Gowin’ Rowan’s 9-1 belting of Robin Pellen’s Billwillies. Patzel added some respectability to the scoreline for Macca Pacca with his two wins, while Pellen came away with the solitary victory for Billwillies in their otherwise embarrassing capitulation. Trailing by three rubbers to four, the Sods combination of Owusu and Olu Lande teamed up to win their doubles encounter, inspiring their Sods team to reel off the remaining three rubbers of the night for a stirring triumph.

Falcons also had to come from behind to secure victory over Rayban in their B Grade encounter, The former’s doubles pairing of Andrew Telford (pictured) and Mike Hosszu staved off Rayban’s Cameron Beal and Joel Schafer in a classic five-game marathon, sparking a run of 4 victories for Falcons to claim a 7-4 win. Telford remained undefeated on the night for the winning team, whilst Beal did his best to give Rayban some hope. The second of the B Grade matches was just as close, Wanderers player Rob Halleday needing to defeat Rennick Raiders’ Mark Bachmann to force a draw and countback to decide which team would prevail. Bachmann drew first blood by claiming the first game narrowly, Halleday hit back to win the second. Nothing separated the combatants in the third, both realising the stakes and feeling the pressure. Halleday’s intense firepower was unable to penetrate Bachmann’s solid defences, eventually with the scores locked at 14-all, the Wanderer’s players pounced on a tentative prod, Halleday whipping a forehand across the table, Bachmann having no choice but to acknowledge his opponent’s class as he watched the ball sail beyond his reach. Halleday served out the game, needing only one more for victory. Bachmann was having none of it though, lifting the intensity to claim the fourth comfortably, ensuring a crowd were treated to a decider fit for the occasion. Halleday began strongly, skipping out to an early lead before Bachmann steadily clawed his way back and surely overpowered his opponent, claiming the game by 11 points to 6. In doing so, he ensured Rennick Raiders took the overall win by seven rubbers to five.

Eion McIluff proved the difference for Lendy, maintaining an unbeaten record to help his side to an 8-6 win over Richard Horrigan’s Ramjet in their C Grade matchup. After McIlluf, Nudee Cook and Lorraine Halleday all posted victories in their respective opening singles rubbers for Lendy, Ramjet hit back through strong wins for Horrigan and Allan Withers. Lendy then turned up the heat through McIlluf and Youssef Malicden, claiming five of the remaining eight rubbers to coast to victory. The final C Grade match was a tense arm-wrestle between Tom Horrigan’s Vandals and Chris McGregor’s Mac Attack. Victories to Vandals players Dapo Olutayo and Angus Billing were countered by wins for Mac Attack’s McGregor and Jacob Ireland in the opening brace of singles rubbers. The trend continued throughout the evening until Vandals’ doubles combination of Olutayo and Tom Horrigan need to defeat McGregor and Annelise Holtz for force a tie and countback. The Vandals pair looked to have the situation under control, racing to a commanding two-game lead and smelling victory. McGregor and Holtz refused to go quietly however, fighting back to even the scores at 2-all as scorekeepers on the sidelines scrambled for their phones to calculate what was required. Teams went point for point in the thrilling fifth game, unable to break the deadlock until finally, at 10 points apiece, Horrigan unleashed his trademark smash, Holtz unable to do anything but look on as the ball smacked the table surface and sailed high and fast past her lunging bat. The Vandals had pair had given their team victory in the final rubber to level the overall scores, but sadly it was to no avail as a countback determined Mac Attack the winners by 25 games to 22.

Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club is always welcoming of new players of all ages, experience, and capability. Practice is held at 7pm on Monday nights and competition is at 7pm on Wednesday nights at the Mount Gambier Showgrounds Hall. Anyone interested in having a go, please contact the club at [email protected] or find the club’s Facebook page, or just come along on a Monday night and speak to a friendly welcoming committee member.

Undefeated players:
A Grade: Felix Owusu (Sods), Travis Sweet, Ward Freeman (Goin’ Rowan)
B Grade: Andrew Telford (Falcons), Mark Bachmann, Dale Bachmann (Rennick Raiders)
C Grade: Chris McGregor, Jacob Ireland (Mac Attack), Angus Billing, Dapo Olutayo (Vandals), Eion McIlluff (Lendy)