One out of six Maccabi teams won. 

A reminder that there are no scheduled matches on Saturday due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday. 

BRTA Summer Pennant

Section 3 Maccabi 4-6-52 defeated Highmoor Uniting 2-3-45

Joel Fredman 8-2
Marty Schwarz 2-8
Daniel Sneider 6-8
Rob Minc 8-7
Joel Fredman/ Rob Minc 6-2 6-2
Marty Schwarz/ Daniel Sneider 3-6 6-4 7-6

Maccabi were looking to make it three wins on the trot. Taking on Highmoor away at on the en-tout-cas at Royal Avenue, the team started with singles.

Joel was too good for his opponent, frustrating him with high percentage tennis and not allowing him into the match going up 8-2. Marty never quite found his feet on the en-tout-cas, coming up against a crafty left hander and going down 8-2. Dan and Rob were both engaged in tight battles. Rob played great tennis against a talented youngster, edging him out in a tiebreak to go up 8-7. Meanwhile Dan narrowly lost to his older opponent 8-6, despite playing good tennis at times, but lacking the consistency in the end.

Highmoor were up by one game going into the doubles. Joel and Rob played smart and aggressive tennis to dominate their opponents and win in straight sets 6-2 6-2. Marty and Dan sealed the win for Maccabi, despite losing the first set but regaining their composure, taking the second and the super tiebreak to seal off a great win for the team.

- Daniel Sneider

Section 5 Maccabi 2-3-45 defeated by Kings Park 4-5-54

Jess Flicker 8-2
Marcus Frajman 3-8
Luka Federman 8-5
Ben Pollak 7-8
Jess Flicker/ Luka Federman 2-6, 4-6
Marcus Frajman/ Ben Pollak 1-6 6-4 6-7

Jess hadn't played much tennis since moving interstate last year. It didn't show though as he showed class and power to overcome a very strong opponent. Marcus would probably have preferred a few more practice hits since returning from injury and was pleased to come though unscathed. Luka showed his talent to edge out a big hitter. Ben filled in for us and started brightly, racing out to a 7-3 lead but couldn't quite hold on.

In doubles, Jess and Luka rued a few missed opportunities in a high quality contest. Marcus and Ben had a slow start and nothing seemed to be going right but they turned it around to win the second set, led by incredible serving from Ben. In the end, Kings Park were too strong.

- Marcus Frajman

Section 6 Maccabi  3-4-41 defeated by BLTC 3-4-43

Dean Steinberg 8-3
Nathan Rapoport 5-8
Daniel Henquin 8-4
David Guberek 2-8
Dean Steinberg/ David Guberek 1-6 4-6
Nathan Rapoport/ Daniel Henquin 7-5 6-3

Dean maintained his spotless record in singles and Daniel also secured a win. Nathan and David (filling in first time) fought hard but faced tough opponents. After singles it was all square, even on games.

In doubles unfortunately Dean's back seized up late in the first set. A change of tactics at first threw the opponents in the second set but they lifted when it counted.

Nathan and Daniel sealed a very close first set, and as they later found out, could have secured a tie when they were up 5-1 in the second. Unfortunately the next two games went against them and they proved to be pivotal, before closing it 6-3.

Against the undefeated BLTC, a great effort all round.

- Nathan Rapoport

Section 7 Maccabi 3-4-45 defeated by Parkdale 3-5-47

Steve Bendel 8-3
Adam Needleman 8-7
Errol Dorfan 2-8
Blake Golden 8-7
Steve Bendel/ Errol Dorfan 1-6 4-6
Adam Needleman/ Blake Golden 6-3 2-6 6-7

A very strong effort in the singles winning three of the four with a particularly good effort from Blake Golden.
Losing both doubles was disappointing and if we can get this right we will start winning regular matches.

 - Adam Needleman

Section 8 Maccabi 2-2-38 defeated by Royal South Yarra 4-6-48

Steven Kleytman 8-2
Stephen Gorenstein 5-8
Daniel Brami 2-8
Evgeni Grishin 8-5
Steven Kleytman/ Stephen Gorenstein 4-6 6-7
Daniel Brami/ Evgeni Grishin 3-6 2-6

 

Playing together for the first time, Steven and Stephen had a slow start, going down 3–6 in the first set. The second set was much tighter, but their opponents proved too strong, winning in a tiebreaker. 

On the adjacent court, Daniel and Evgeni had a tough day at the office and were simply outclassed by their opponents, who hardly put a foot wrong. There were some bright moments Evgeni served well in the first set, and Dan found his rhythm in the second but overall, the opposition was too good. Plenty to work on in training for both Dan and Evgeni.

Steven must have been in a hurry to be somewhere else, as he made quick work of his opponent and was off the court and in the car home in no time.

Stephen faced a tough match against a very experienced left-hander who was incredibly hard to break down. The match featured excellent rallies, with most games going to deuce. Despite having multiple chances, Stephen couldn’t convert early on and trailed 2–6. True to form, he dug deep, turning the match into a real dogfight. With his opponent tiring, Stephen clawed back to 5–7 and, with a few close points, even had a chance to turn it around. Unfortunately, his opponent held firm and served it out for an 8–5 finish in what was an excellent match played in great spirits.

Daniel also faced a consistent opponent in what was a much closer match than the score suggests. He squandered several break and game points, and although he showed some good play, his opponent defended well and was simply the better player on the day.

Evgeni produced a solid performance against a talented young opponent who couldn’t find a way past the more experienced left-hander. A strong and well earned win for Evgeni.

- Daniel Brami

Section 9 Maccabi 1-2-42 defeated by BLTC 5-6-60

Jesse Stowe-Lindner 5-8
Ash Raboy 5-8
Jacob Nathan 5-8
Paul Kovacs 4-8
Jesse Stowe-Lindner/ Jacob Nathan 2-6 6-7
Ash Raboy / Paul Kovacs 6-3 2-6 7-6

Under perfect spring conditions on the sandy mod-grass courts at Bodley Street, Maccabi Section 9 took on a strong BLTC (Beaumaris LTC White) outfit in what turned out to be a spirited afternoon of tennis, filled with momentum swings, grit, and a touch of controversy!

Jesse and Jacob went up against two big servers from BLTC. After struggling to get in the points, they found themselves down 2:6. Coming in to the second set with new plans, they fought with grit, but with 4 set points in the super tiebreaker, they couldn’t finish it off and lost 7:9 but were happy with their play.

What a match this was! Down 0–3 early, the turning point came during a controversial “double hit” call when Paul reached high for a lob. The ball hit his frame, then racquet, and flew over for a winner — but the opposition called a double hit. Though Paul believed it was one continuous motion (and thus legal), the team decided to let the call stand and move on.

That moment fired up Paul, and from there, he and Ash went on an incredible tear, winning six straight games to take the first set 6–3. BLTC hit back strongly to take the second 6–2, but in the super tiebreak, Maccabi’s pair lifted again — dominating 10–4 to take the rubber and finish the day on a high! 💪

In singles, Jesse played a young, tough opponent who had pinpoint accuracy. Not willing to be controlled, Jesse used powerful backhands and long rallies to hold his ground. At 4 all, scores looked equal, but it was clear that Jesse was just not getting into the points, and with a few aces, and winners, Jesse’s opponent won 8:5.

 

Ash came up against a young gun with a huge serve that kept him on the defensive from the start. Despite great consistency and a never-give-up attitude, Ash couldn’t quite break through, eventually going down 5–8.

Jacob described the match as “a bit of back and forth with plenty of unforced errors from both sides.” The contest was close throughout, but his opponent steadied at the right time to seal it 5-8.
 

Coming straight off a long doubles match, Paul fought hard against the young and energetic William. Despite flashes of brilliance and good court craft, fatigue set in, and William’s consistency saw him take the rubber.
4-8.

Despite the overall result, the Maccabi team showed tremendous spirit and sportsmanship throughout. With every week, the chemistry grows stronger, and matches like this prove the team’s competitive heart and fighting attitude.

- Ash Raboy