Sport
11 February, 2026
Fight for finals heats up
Round 11 of the Ararat & District Tennis Association was played in hot conditions, and the tennis proved just as intense as teams fought for valuable ladder positions with finals approaching.
BY MEL MURNANE
Landsborough travelled to Maryborough in what turned out to be one of the tightest contests of the season. The men’s section set the tone early, with both teams claiming two sets apiece. When the games were counted, Maryborough edged ahead by the narrowest of margins, taking the section 29–28.
The women followed suit with another evenly fought contest. Again, each side secured two sets, and once more Maryborough prevailed by a single game, winning 25–24 to carry a slender two-game advantage into the mixed section.
Maryborough made the most of that lead, producing a strong mixed performance by winning three of the four sets, including one decided in a tie-breaker. They claimed the mixed section by five games and secured the overall victory 83–76 games, collecting all 10 match points, while Landsborough were unlucky not to take valuable ladder points from the encounter.
Not far down the road, Elmhurst-Amphitheatre hosted Crowlands. The home side began strongly, taking control of the men’s section with a 30–19 games win. Crowlands responded emphatically in the women’s section, turning the match around with a dominant 32–9 result to put themselves in a strong position heading into the mixed.
Crowlands carried that momentum forward, sweeping the mixed section in straight sets to seal a convincing overall victory, winning 83–53 games and 8–2 match points.
Buangor-Ararat had the bye, although several of their players were called upon to fill in for other teams across the competition.
Attention now turns to the final round before finals, with ladder positions still to be decided and plenty at stake. Elmhurst-Amphitheatre will host Maryborough, Landsborough will take on Buangor-Ararat, and Crowlands will have the bye.
Read More: Ararat, Buangor, Amphitheatre, Elmhurst