Shepparton North and Lemnos will clash at McEwen Reserve Tennis Club on Friday evening to decide the Shepparton & District Tennis Association 2025-26 champion.
Both sides coasted to semi-final wins, with North booking its grand final ticket on the back of a clinical 8-52 to 1-13 triumph over McEwen Reserve Red, extending its winning streak to 11 games.
Clark Pettigrew joined forces with Gary Harvey and Mark Jackson in the first two sets and both delivered 6-0 bagelling’s of their opposition to fire the title favourites to the perfect start.
Harvey and Jackson served up another substantial result in the third rubber before Louise Dwyer and Kellie Crosier kicked off the women’s doubles with a convincing 6-1 result that had North 23 games clear close to the halfway mark.
Sofia Stojanovski and Debbie Hosie claimed a set back for McEwen Reserve, but there was no stopping the freight train that is Shepparton North.
Crosier and Helen Jackson claimed another flawless rubber before the combinations of Pettigrew and Dyer (6-2), Harvey and Crosier (6-1) and the Jackson’s (6-1) ensured Shepparton North head into the decider in fine fettle.
However, Lemnos will come in a well-oiled machine in their own right.
On the adjacent courts, Thomas and Peter Jeffrey launched Lemnos to an early advantage over McEwen Reserve Gold, Arjen Kop combined with both players in the next two victorious rubbers.
A gallant Gold fought valiantly through the middle sets but couldn’t reel in a dogged Lemnos, who streaked away to a 9-54 to 0-26 win.
Now only one mountain remains to be conquered for the SDTA’s final two sides.
The grand final will begin at 6.30pm at McEwen Reserve Tennis Club on Friday, February 27, the first time the two clubs will have met since North’s 12-game win in round five.
Ahead of the decider, just one question remains – who has the final ace up the sleeve on the road to the title?
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