Horsham Lawn Tennis Club claimed the 2023/24 Central Wimmera Tennis Association Pennant premiership on Saturday, March 23, defeating Central Park, 8-4 in the grand final showdown.
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Having been form team for the balance of the year, Horsham Lawn came into the game as favourites, having claimed the top spot in the regular season.
Central Park and Horsham Lawn clashed four times through the regular season, with each side won two matches against the other.
But on grand final day, Underneath a clear Wimmera sky, Graeme Wood and Tahlia Thompson were the pick of Horsham Lawn's tennis stars.
Both players finished the afternoon unbeaten.
Wood picked up two doubles wins on the men's side of the fixture, alongside Lachlan Punchard (8-3) and Sam Hoffman (8-6), and his singles rubber against Central Park's Matt Jones (8-5).
Thompson won in doubles action 8-2 and 8-7, while also winning her singles rubber 8-6 against Willow Sainsbury.
Central Park's side struggled to accumulate rubbers against Horsham Lawn.
Between Willow Sainsbury, Adele Joseph and Eve Wear, the women's side of the fixture only claimed two rubbers against Horsham Lawn's solid trio of Thompson, Gemma Walker and Cherie Wood.
Meanwhile Reece Harmon, Matt Jones and Brenden Nitschke also claiming only two rubbers in the men's fixtures against Horsham Lawn's Graeme Wood, Sam Hoffman and Lachlan Punchard.
Two of the day's biggest rubber victories came in doubles action with Horsham Lawn's Thompson and Walker, and Central Park's Joseph and Wear, claiming sets 8-2.
Wear also claimed a singles set 8-2.
Despite losing on the count of rubbers two-to-one, Central Park were a lot more competitive per game, falling only eight short of Horsham Lawn (79-71).
A special
Kalkee claimed the CWTA's A special premiership, beating Natimuk 8-2 in the grand final.
Natimuk's only two rubber victories came from double action with Tom Bourchier and Matthew Lee beating Aiden Richardson and Luke Byrne, 8-7, and Cheryl and Olivia Sudholz beating Emily Polack and Debbie Lawson, 8-1.
Kalkee's Polack, Richardson, Tyler Pidgeon and Meghan Polner each claimed singles wins.
Pohlner's 8-1 win against Bethany Sudholz was one of two rubbers with a seven-set margin.
Kalkee also four doubles matches, including one with Polner and Anna Exell.
Exell also won alongside Lawson and Polner.
A grade
While unsuccessful in the pennant, the Central Park Tennis Club did lift the silverware of the CWTA's A grade division.
The side beat St Michaels red, 8-4 in the decider.
With victories in three rubbers, Rod Shurdington was the pick of Central Park's players.
He won alongside Phoebe Sudholz, Shaun Alexander and Frazer Shurdington.
Alexander had a strong afternoon while playing in two rubbers, he won both.
Emma Lutze, Kim Trounce, Roger Kotz and Erin Alexander made up the rest of Central Park's winning team.
B special
Laharum beat Central Park 10-6 to win the CWTA's B special premiership.
Reuben Launder, Lucy Butler, Tony Sykes, Vanessa Lenehan, Oliver Sykes, Mia Geue, Jayke Greig and Stacey Peucker made up the premiership winning side.
Launder was Laharum's strongest, only dropping four games across three rubbers, and winning a fourth rubber 6-0.