Despite the wet conditions which saw the 8pm match cancelled the re-jigged Ararat City Tennis Club's winter competition got away to a great start last week.
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Eleven teams make up this season's competition, including 12 new or returning players the best winter draw seen in several years.
Watson Auto and Graeme McKay Earthworks played out one of the matches of the night, with Ben Pietsch and Wayne Jerram guiding Watson Auto to a 4-35 to 1-21 victory.
Michael Hope won the points battle against his counterpart number one Andy Tucker, who was returning following a break, with the two left handers providing plenty of entertaining rallies.
Young gun Ben Hartwich combined with Tucker for GME's only set win of the night.
Matt Haddow played very well against the highly regarded Greg McInnes in the clash between RSL and First National.
Haddow's solid drives to the corners saw his team take the early lead, while First National pairing Stan Payne and Chris Hartwich backed that up with another victory in the second set.
New player Paul Melenhorst served strongly and moved about in a speedy fashion for RSL, but it wasn't enough with the team going down 3-32 to 2-24.
The first two sets of the J Ward and Embroidability match were very close, with the results falling J Ward's way 7-6 on both occasions, which ultimately proved the difference.
J Ward's Andy Marx had a great tussle with opponent Simon Fennel, emerging victorious in the 4-36 to 1-27 win.
The final match of the night between McDonalds and Molloy Bros was abandoned due to the wet weather.
Results
Watson Auto 4-35 def Graeme McKay Earthworks 1-21
M hope, B Pietsch def A Tucker, J Christie 10-2; W Jerram, P Hartwich def B Hartwich, A Ives 6-5; M Hope, W Jerram lost to A Tucker, B Hartwich 3-4; B Pietsch, P Hartwich drew with J Christie, A Ives 4-4; M Hope, P hartwich def A Tucker, A Ives 6-4; B Pietsch, W Jerram def J Christie, B Hartwich 6-2.
RSL 2-24 lost to First National 3-32
G McInnes, P Melenhorst lost to M Haddow, A Drosg 3-7; N Spinks, G McInnes lost to S Payne, C Hartwich 4-7; G McInnes, N Spinks def M Haddow, S Payne 6-5; P Melenhorst, G McInnes drew with A Drosg, C Hartwich 4-4; G McInnes, N Spinks def M Haddow, C Hartwich 4-2; P Melenhorst, N Spinks lost to A Drosg, S Payne 3-7.
Embroidability 1-27 lost to J Ward 4-36
N Christie, M Verdon lost to S Gason, R McKay 6-7; S Fennel, G Dowling lost to A Marx, T Ives 6-7; N Christie, S Fennel drew with S Gason, A Marx 6-6; M Verdon, G Dowling lost to R McKay, T Ives 2-9; N Christie, G Dowling def S Gason, T Ives 6-1; M Verdon, S Fennel lost to R McKay, A Marx 1-6.
