Unseat Shepparton North.
That will remain the case for at least another week after the ladder leaders swept past McEwen Reserve Gold for the second time this season.
The Northerners returned from the bye with a vengeance, claiming a 6-0 win in the opening tie courtesy of Dean Pritchett and Clark Pettigrew.
McEwen’s Charlie Thompson backed up in the second rubber with Murray Akers for a 6-5 result, but Pettigrew and Gary Harvey delivered the same dominant performance as the first tie with another 6-0 victory over their opposition.
A dominant three-rubber stretch saw scores of 6-1, 6-1, and 6-0 as Louise Dwyer, Helen Jackson and Kellie Crosier produced some impressive tennis to put the game to bed.
Thomson and Christine Wright claimed a set for McEwen but could not mount a comeback, Shepparton North extending its winning streak to six games on the back of the 7-51 to 2-19 victory and leaving them perched two games clear on top of the ladder.
North’s next best challenger, Lemnos, did not get on the court after receiving a forfeit from Murchison, with next week’s clash against McEwen Reserve Red set to be a key one before the Christmas break.
In the junior ranks, Shepparton Lawn White continues to lead strongly in the Shepparton Junior Tennis Association A-grade competition.
Shepparton picked up a 33-game win over Kialla Park OS Blue for its seventh consecutive win, while Tallygaroopna, positioned in the tight second to sixth group with just one game separating those sides, maintained their advantage with a crucial 20-game victory.
KPOC White also made a strong move with a big win over Nathalia Lawn, consolidating a four-point gap in fourth spot.
It marks an intriguing middle point as the SJTA turns for home, with the region’s young guns beginning to turn the heat up on the courts.