Hopetoun will play for a fourth straight Dimboola and District Tennis Association premiership after overcoming Warrack Gold at Anzac Park on Saturday.

The preliminary final result saw Hopetoun claim four match points to one to advance to the grand final where they will play Antwerp this Saturday.

The match produced a closely fought contest throughout the day with Hopetoun gaining a vital break in the mixed doubles section where they set up a lead that they were able to hang onto for the remainder of the day.

Winning four sets to two proved vital to Hopetoun with nothing separating the teams after the first three sets finished.

Mitch Greenwood and Sarah Spicer made a winning start for the home side with a 9-7 win before Taylor Donnan and Zali Brown answered for Hopetoun with a 9-6 win.

The third set saw a thriller when Mal McLean and Jonti George came from behind to claim a thrilling tie-break win which gave their team a two sets to one lead.

The final three sets saw Hopetoun claim another two wins, including a 9-0 win in the final set after Chris Kellett and Jan Greenwood claimed Gold’s second win 9-4.

After the Mixed section, Hopetoun led on games 47 to 36 and would build on their lead throughout the Men’s section where they would claim all six sets played.
But the day remained even as Warrack Gold’s ladies followed a similar path to the Hopetoun men and would not drop a set throughout their section.

Hopetoun’s Jacob Holm and Mal McLean gave their team a winning start claiming the opening set 9-5 and would follow up with 9-2, 9-2, 9-4, 9-5 and 9-1 wins to claim the section 54 games to 19.

The Ladies section saw Sarah Spicer and Lauren Kellett claim a decisive 9-1 win in the opening set for Gold and would follow up with 9-3, 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4 wins before a thrilling final set saw Gold win all six sets when Jan Greenwood and Lynley Clyne claimed the final set in a tie-breaker 9-8.

Winning 54 games to 24, Gold was unable to make up the difference from the other two sections that saw Hopetoun advance to its fifth grand final in succession.

Saturday’s grand final will be played at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre courts where minor premier Antwerp will clash with Hopetoun.

But the day remained even as Warrack Gold’s ladies followed a similar path to the Hopetoun men and would not drop a set throughout their section.

Hopetoun’s Jacob Holm and Mal McLean gave their team a winning start claiming the opening set 9-5 and would follow up with 9-2, 9-2, 9-4, 9-5 and 9-1 wins to claim the section 54 games to 19.

The Ladies section saw Sarah Spicer and Lauren Kellett claim a decisive 9-1 win in the opening set for Gold and would follow up with 9-3, 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4 wins before a thrilling final set saw Gold win all six sets when Jan Greenwood and Lynley Clyne claimed the final set in a tie-breaker 9-8.

Winning 54 games to 24, Gold was unable to make up the difference from the other two sections that saw Hopetoun advance to its fifth grand final in succession.

Saturday’s grand final will be played at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre courts where minor premier Antwerp will clash with Hopetoun.

Preliminary Final Result

Final result: Hopetoun four match points, 10 sets, 125 games d. Warrack Gold one match point, eight sets, 109 games.

Mixed: Mitchell Greenwood, Sarah Spicer d Jacob Holm, Remy George 9-7; Cameron Clyne, Emma Koschitzke lost to Taylor Donnan, Zali Brown 6-9; Dave Nitschke, Lauren Kellett lost to Mal McLean, Jonti George 8-9, Dan McKenzie, Rikki Nitschke lost to Tony George, Emma Mill 4-9; Chris Kellett, Jan Greenwood d Lou White, Nicole McLean 9-4; Mitchell Hadley, Lynley Clyne lost to Anthony Schache, Tahlia Durie 0-9.

Men: M. Greenwood, D. Nitschke lost to J. Holm, M. McLean 5-9; C. Kellett, M. Hadley lost to T. George, L. White 2-9; M. Greenwood, C. Clyne lost to J. Holm, T. Donnan 2-9; C. Kellett, D. McKenzie lost to T. George, A. Schache 4-9; C. Clyne, D. Nitschke lost to T. Donnan M. McLean 5-9; M. Hadley, D. McKenzie lost to L. White, A. Schache 1-9.

Ladies: S. Spicer, L. Kellett d R. & J. George 9-1; R. Nitschke, J. Greenwood d E. Mill, N. McLean 9-3; S. Spicer, E. Koschitzke d R. George, Z. Brown 9-3; R. Nitschke, L. Clyne d E. Mill, T. Durie 9-5; E. Koschitzke, L. Kellett d Z. Brown, J. George 9-4; J. Greenwood, L. Clyne d N. McLean, T. Durie 9-8.