On a perfect Melbourne spring day, two out of five Maccabi teams won (Section 9 had the bye).

The returning Lachie Zuker, together with typically committed performances from Robert Minc, Steven Gostin and Joel Rabinov, inspired the Section 4 team to their first win of the season against the top team on the ladder! This was Lachie's first match of the season after a serious hamstring injury and Lachie played with composure and flair on the way to impressive victories in singles and doubles.

Below are pictures of Section 10 team. Three-time Maccabi Tennis Club Champion and Life Member Paul Kovacs was reacquainted with Glen Huntly Tennis Club, where he was Club Champion in 1974 at that club too (50 years ago)!

Tennis Victoria BRTA

Section 3 Maccabi 2-3-44 defeated by Highmoor 4-6-49

Jonny Henquin 4-8
Jess Flicker 8-3
Joey Pat 4-8
Steven Kleytman 6-8
Jess Flicker/ Jonny Henquin 6-7 2-6
Joey Pat/ Steven Kleytman 7-5 1-6 6-0

A close loss today for our team. Jess and Jonny had a great first set of doubles that was neck and neck with no breaks of serve. Their opponents then carried momentum to win the 2nd. Joey and Steve played well together, smashing their opponents 6-0 in the third. In singles, Jonny played a really solid Argentinian who was too consistent for him. Jess played his usual solid and aggressive tennis against a huge server to score us a great win! Joey played a really solid Frenchman who was too good. Steve had a great match and came back from 1-6 down but in the end his opponent fired some great winners. Great conditions for tennis today, and a special thanks to Joey for filling in.

- Jonny Henquin

Section 4 Maccabi 3-5-56 defeated Black Rock 3-4-47

Rob Minc 8-7
Steve Gostin 5-8
Joel Rabinov 4-8
Lachie Zuker 8-1
Rob Minc/ Steve Gostin 6-7 6-2 6-7
Joel Rabinov/ Lachie Zuker 7-6 6-1

We opted for doubles first.

Rob and Steve unfortuately losing the first set in the tiebreak before stepping up to take the 2nd set 6-2. Unfortately lost the match tiebreaker.

Joel and Lachie in their first doubles together started off slow for 0-3 (though did have break points in the 2 return games) before Joel steadied the ship by weirdly holding serve. Played catchup for 3all, before another deficit at 0-2 in the tiebreak, before winning the last 4 points for 7-4. 2nd set stepped up although got a bit fortunate (one of the opponents suffered a wrist injury but played on), to take it 6-1.

Lachie continued his impressive return from injury for a 8-1 win against a 16 year old kid.

Joel always trailing, had chances at 3-5 but couldn't get that break back and went down 4-8.

Steve gave a 3 game head start, before getting it back on his terms for 5all 15-40, before fading, going down 5-8.

Rob played in the closest singles of the day, playing somoeone he lost to last time and managing to overturn that result by winning in a tiebreak and sealing a win for the team.

Overall: Great to get a win, hopefully we can get another next week. Though we will need to get reaquianted with away venues, given we had 3 successive weeks of home games (we played our Yom Kippur game last week). Though the first goal next week is to find Hastings Tennis Club. That's the first goal for next week.

- Joel Rabinov

Section 5 Maccabi 5-7-64 def Beaumaris 1-3-50

Geoff Rosenberger 8-4
Ilay Givoni 8-4
Arvid Kreimer 7-8
Marcus Frajman 8-3
Geoff Rosenberger/Ilay Givoni 6-4 4-6 6-4
Arvid Kreimer 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-8)

On a beautiful day for tennis, our team recorded a win against the 3rd placed Beaumaris. Geoff, Ilay and Marcus had comfortable wins. The highlight was a tweener winner from Ilay. Arvid played a very consistent and difficult opponent, aged in his 70s, that is one of the best players in Australia for his age (much like our own Paul Kovacs and a man that defeated Jan Tenenberg last year). Arvid started strongly but was narrowly edged out.

In doubles, Geoff and Ilay started brightly. Arvid and Marcus were not playing well and a truly miraculous sequence of volleys at close range from Arvid to save a match point turned the momentum. Meanwhile, Geoff and Ilay were forced into a deciding 3rd set and the result was in the balance. Fortunately, both Maccabi pairs won the deciding sets to secure a 5-1 win that could have easily been a 3-3 loss.

- Marcus Frajman

Section 6 Maccabi 6-8-56 defeated Kings Park 0-0-23

Ryan Behr 8-7
Steve Bendel 3-8
Adam Needleman 8-4
Zvi Schweitzer 8-5
Ryan Behr/ Adam Needleman 7-5 6-7 6-7
Steve Bendel/ Zvi Schweitzer 0-6 6-1 6-4

Playing a strengthened Kings Park who had summoned the services of Marcus Frajman’s European travelling buddy, Raf Epstein, we played away at King George Reserve.

Zvi teaming with Steve B won a 3 set match after getting pantsed in the first set 6-0. The boys turning the match around and won the next 2 sets 6-1, 6-4

Adam and Ryan played in a tight match and unbelievably snatched a loss from the jaws of victory. Funny how a missed overhead from kissing distance from the net on match point that I reckon even Stephen Hawking could put away can alter the result. The plucky pair ended up losing their match point, their second set and eventually their match

But then came redemption !!

Ryan playing at No 1 - took on the opposition No 1, gave him a 4-0 start then clicked into gear eventually winning in a tie-break. Who needs Jan could be heard echoing in the winds as he walked from the court victorious.

Steve B played the highly impressive Raf at 2 and lost. 

Adam played his nemesis (a young man that he has never beaten). The stars aligned, the clocks were wound back, his feet moving like gazelles - our sexagenarian triumphed 8-4. A victory to be savoured !

Playing Zvi at No 4 - he was just too good. A classy 8-5 win.

- Steve Bendel

Section 9 BYE

Section 10 Glenhuntly 4-5-42 defeated Maccabi 2-3-30

Sebastian Raboy 4-8
Stephen Gorenstein 1-8
Jacob Nathan 2-8
Paul Kovacs 8-1
Sebastian Raboy/Jacob Nathan 1-6 2-6
Stephen Gorenstein/ Paul Kovacs 6-1 6-4