By Sam Campbell
TOPSPINS have capped off a dominant spring tennis campaign by winning the Open A competition in a tight tussle last Thursday.
The side met Volleys in the grand final – who were on a fairytale run in the post-season, winning their qualifying final before cementing a spot in the big dance by winning the prelim.
Volleys went in as underdogs against the highly favoured Topspins, but they did not let that label define their night.
The evening’s frivolities kicked off with the one-two and three-four doubles.
The top double saw Patrick Reincke and Dale Dodimead face Jeff Fisher and Josh Niarros.
Reincke and Dodimead jumped out of the blocks to lead three-love before Fisher and Niarros got the motor going and tied it up at three-all.
Turning the momentum back on, Reincke and Dodimead claimed the next four games with some blistering tennis to win the set 7-3.
In the secondary doubles, Andrew Molloy and Tom Kennedy secured a second set win for Topspins as they beat Brady Wauchope and Steve Gleeson 7-3.
With their backs to the wall, Volleys found a way back into the night as Fisher teamed up with Wauchope to best Reincke and Molloy 7-5.
After Niarros and Gleeson won 7-3, it was locked at two sets apiece.
Reincke and Kennedy were too hot to handle for Fisher and Gleeson, a crucial 7-2 win going the way of the Topspins.
Needing a 7-0 win to tie the match and force a sudden-death super tiebreaker, Niarros and Wauchope took to the court to play Dodimead and Molloy.
While the set went their way, they conceded four games en route to victory.
This meant, at the end of the night, Topspins were standing victorious three sets 33 games to 3 sets 29 games.
Division 1
THE result was even closer in the Division 1 grand final last Wednesday.
Net Ninjas squared off against Couldabeens in a match that made for an extremely interesting scoresheet.
Net Ninjas opened their account with Nathan Crabb and Ken Caldwell dicing up Wayne Lee and Glenn Andrich 7-1.
However, that advantage was short-lived as Couldabeens’ Jamie Passlow and Leonie Channing played an Uno-reverse to beat Praise Ukpong and Oliver Brown 7-1
Resoundingly, this happened again over the next two sets.
Crabb and Brown beat Lee and Channing 7-3 to put Net Ninjas back in front – only to be cancelled out by Andrich and Passlow beating Caldwell and Ukpong 7-3.
It was 2-18 to 2-18 heading into the last two doubles of the final.
Crabb took no prisoners when he partnered with Ukpong, serving up a storm and leading the duo to a 7-2 victory over Lee and Passlow.
Again, Couldabeens responded.
But the combination of Caldwell and Brown managed to snag three games in their 7-3 defeat to Andrich and Channing.
As the teams left the court and the scoresheet was tallied up, Net Ninjas won by just one solitary game, 3-28 to 3-27.
Division 2
AND the Division 2 spring competition came to a close with Allegra Rogers and Julie Sandy tied at plus 17 apiece to jointly win the season.
“Some exceptional matches to capped off our spring tennis competitions,” association president Patrick Reincke told the Broken Hill Times.
“Well done to all players who played across the season and across the year.
“I look forward to seeing you all back on court in the new year, ready to play in the summer comps.”
