Everyone felt initial nerves and rustiness after the gap in matches due to the lockdown and excessive Olympics TV watching. Black’s Jenny Bell and Di Ellis were able to defeat Red’s Susie Treacy and Carolyn Murray 8-1 in their opener while Red’s experienced Loretta Armitage and Pat Howard defeated Di Bergelin and Rhonda Carpenter 8-6 in their lengthy set.
Bell had found her rhythm and served superbly, winning again 8-1 with Carpenter while Red’s Murray and Armitage maximised their court time against Bergelin and Ellis to win their set tiebreak 7-5.
Treacy and Armitage took their set 8-6 against Bell and Bergelin, while Black’s Ellis and Carpenter finished strongly 8-1. The sets were shared three-all, but the games told the difference with Black winning 43 games to Red’s 27, for their first win of the season.
Mansfield Blue took on Moglonemby in Euroa, including Keira McDonagh in their team. The hosts Deb Seach and Marlene Hanrahan began well, winning 8-2 against Blue’s Jill Breadon and Clare Beecham, but Blue showed some fabulous form getting on top after that.
Blue won every set, including one in a tiebreak, to win 5 sets to 1, 42-32. McDonagh and Sophie Yencken won all their sets for the day.
In the other match Euroa were too strong for Benalla, only losing their opener against Maureen Jewell and Claire Sharp but convincingly winning the remaining sets, three at 8-2, one 8-0 and one 8-3. Euroa’s Lyndall Bigland, Sue Vaughan, Julie Harrington, and returning player Lyn Pierce, showed their strength by taking 44 games to Benalla’s 17.
Terip had the bye but remain on top of the ladder on 57 points, Euroa 54, Moglonemby 48, and Mansfield Blue 40, well ahead of the other teams.
