During the Winter Solstice (shortest day of the year for natural daylight in the southern Hemisphere), 3 out of 7 teams won.

We are now at the halfway stage of the year so a summary of where each side is at.

Grades 5, 7 and 10 are capable of winning finals. Grade 8 sides are in finals contention (however need some of their more established players to step up). Grades 11 and 12 finding this season to be a learning season, gaining valuable experience.

Tennis Victoria Winter Pennant

Grade 5 Section 3 Maccabi 5-9-61 defeated Drouin 1-1-19

Assaf Drori/ Asaf Nagar 8-0
Daniel Sneider/ Gilad Nagar 8-3
Assaf Drori 6-0 6-2
Asaf Nagar 6-0 6-2
Daniel Sneider 6-1 6-4
Gilad Nagar 3-6 6-1 3-10

With clear skies and some strong wind Maccabi Grade 5 took on the long awaited Drouin at home.

The day got off to a super start with Asaf & Assaf playing some textbook doubles quickly beating their opponents 8-0. Gilad and Daniel played their second doubles match together and despite their lack of match play together, played a strong match to convincingly beat a couple of solid players 8-3.

Asaf and Assaf continued their dominance into the singles. Both winning 6-0, 6-2 against their opposition who might have spent more time driving from Drouin to Maccabi than playing on the courts. Daniel went from strength to strength and quickly went out to a 6-1 first set victory, and never looked back taking the second set 6-4. Despite some questionable serving and consistency in the first, Gilad managed to steal the second 6-1 but just came short in the super tiebreak.

Overall a great 5-1 win for the team who look to inch closer and closer to a finals push!

- Gilad Nagar

Grade 7 Section 4 Maccabi 1-2-28 defeated by MCC Glen Iris 5-8-56

Geoff Rosenberger/ Rob Minc 5-8
Steven Gostin/ Jan Tenenberg 7-9
Rob Minc 4-6 3-6
Steven Gostin 4-6 1-6
Jan Tenenberg 0-6 2-6
Geoff Rosenberger 6-2 6-1

A dirty day and one we need to put behind us quickly.

Cruising in both doubles in what should have been a 2 love lead turned into a 2 love deficit.

Rob played a handy player who could hit ground strokes off both wings. A great effort to not get demolished.

Steve had chances but couldn't keep up the intensity.

Jan playing injured could hardly move in singles. 

Geoff frustrated his opponent in the usual fashion to win convincingly.

Regroup and move on is all we can do.

- Geoff Rosenberger

Grade 8 Section 3 Maccabi 3-5-50 defeated by Patterson Lakes 3-5-55

Marcus Frajman/ Daniel Henquin 8-5
Lior Rauchberger/ Darion Pohl 8-6
Marcus Frajman 7-6 6-7 8-10
Lior Rauchberger 1-6 3-6
Daniel Henquin 2-6 2-6
Darion Pohl 6-2 7-5

A hard fought loss. Both Maccabi pairs played well in doubles to give us a 2-0 lead. Lior and Daniel had tough matches. Darion played well to keep his winning streak going. Marcus had a painful loss in the super tiebreak and we lost by 5 games.

- Marcus Frajman

Grade 8 Section 3 Maccabi 2-3-29 defeated by Doveton 4-7-53

Ilay Givoni/ Zvi Schweitzer 8-5
Jay Landau/ Charlie Landau 2-8
Ilay Givoni 6-4 6-0
Charlie Landau 2-6 1-6
Zvi Schweitzer 0-6 1-4 (Retired)
Russell Golden 0-6 3-6

Ilay and Zvi played well in the doubles, both had great rallies volleys and smashes. Got a good lead of 7-4 and then managed to close it out 8-5.

Jay and Charlie had some good points, but they played their number one and two singles and were unable to take the win.

As for singles, Charlie had a long match which is badly represented by the scoreline. He played a talented player who got the better of Charlie.

Ilay had an opponent who similarly to himself had a big serve and forehand. Ilay was able to get an early break in the first and was able to close out the second set quickly.

Zvi was playing an amazing one hander who could not miss. Unfortunately Zvi was suffering a bit of an injury so he was unable to perform as he usually does.

Russell filled in for our team for the first time. Unfortunately he could not find his rhythm in the first set but after some great backhands down the line and some long rallies he slowly made his way. Unfortunately the opponent got the best of him in the end.

 - Ilay Givoni

Grade 10 Section 4 Maccabi 4-7-50 defeated Drouin 2-3-34

Daniel Goodrich/ Ben Pollak 3-8
Sebastian Raboy/ Ash Raboy 8-1
Daniel Goodrich 2-6 1-6
Ben Pollak 6-3 6-3
Sebastian Raboy 6-3 6-1
Ash Raboy 6-2 6-1

Ben and Daniel started poorly going down 3-0 and although they got it back to 5-4, they were overrun late and lost 8-4.

In Sebastian and Ashley's doubles, Sebastian came out of the gates and was in amazing form, must have been a wake up call from the Thursday night practise. Ash and Seb  continued to win and show dominance 8-1.

Sebastian followed by playing his Singles match straight after, winning comfortably 6-3, 6-1.

Ashley played well and showed dominance and experience to win 6-2, 6-1.

Ben probably played his most consistent match all season, playing well throughout to win 6-3 6-3 in a slightly fiesty match.

Daniel had the most challenging opponent, not just because he was playing No. 1, but his opponent  had an exceptionally high utr 8.19, unusual to see in our Grade 10 Section 4 teams...but he really played well to stay in the match. 
Note: there was a cluster of leaves in between the courts, and Daniel, whilst chasing around the court and competing had a bad fall where he slipped on the cluster of leaves, and a heavy fall, hurting his left shoulder. He made up his mind to continue, and finished the match, unfortunate to come just short, 2-6, 1-6, the score not indicating how well fought each point was.

All in all, very proud of how our team played, well done team, great win!!
PS: Daniel's performance last week at Coatesville was the best tennis he remembers playing and felt in control of the match,  deserving best stand-out player for our team on that day!!

- Ash Raboy

Grade 11 Section 2 Maccabi 5-7-59 defeated Burwood 1-3-48

Jonah Stowe-Lindner/ Aiden Minaker 9-8
Errol Dorfan/ Daniel Vertes 8-3
Errol Dorfan 5-7 7-5 10-7
Daniel Vertes 7-6 6-1
Jonah Stowe-Lindner  4-6 6-4 9-11
Aden Minaker 1-6 6-2 11-9

Our first win of the season!

In doubles, Jonah and Aden were up 4-1 until their opponents rallied and tough games ensued. Errol and Daniel played together confidently. Errol's first serve percentage was high and Daniel enjoyed moving fast to finish the point at the net.

In singles, three of the rubbers went to super tie-breaks. Errol is now playing at his best again and it shows. Daniel reversed his last singles match scorecard. Jonah came so close while his proud dad looked on. Well done to Aden for his first singles win of the season.

Onwards and upwards!

- Daniel Vertes

Grade 12 Section 3 Maccabi 1-2-31 defeated by Burwood 5-8-58

Daniel Brami/ Asher Brami 3-8
Justin Amler/ Jonathan Krywicki 1-8
Daniel Brami 6-4 6-2
Justin Amler 2-6 1-6
Jonathan Krywicki 2-6 4-6
Asher Brami 2-6 4-6

The team took to the court with high spirits and some new faces. Both Justin Amler and Asher Brami made their pennant debuts, stepping onto the competitive stage . What made the day even more special was the historic pairing of Daniel and Asher Brami – father-son duo playing their very first pennant match together which was certainly a moment they will remember.

Though Daniel and Asher fell 3–8, the match was full of chemistry and flashes of solid play. Asher held his ground well in his debut, showing excellent composure under pressure. A few unforced errors at key moments tipped the balance, but the experience was invaluable. Dan was proud of Asher’s performance and poise, and this outing marks the first of many promising matches to come.

This was a tough outing for the newly paired team (Justin and Jonathan). The match started with promise, but nerves got the better of the duo. Justin found it hard to settle, while Jonathan, though showing signs of improvement, couldn’t turn the tide. Despite the lopsided scoreline, both enjoyed their match.

Dan came into this week determined to notch a win in singles, having prepared to play at number one. Though surprised to find his expected opponent not playing, he stayed focused. The Burwood #1 who stepped in brought strong resistance, turning the first set into an arm wrestle. A late break gave Dan the edge, taking the opener 6–4. From there, Dan took control—an early double break in the second set paved the way for a confident and composed 6–2 finish.

Debut nerves continued into singles for Justin. There were glimpses of potential in the early games, but a consistent opponent exposed cracks in rhythm and movement. A tough introduction to the pennant grind, but Justin had a lot of fun and with his first singles match now behind him, he is looking forward to going again.

Jonathan showed noticeable improvement in his game, especially in the second set where he pushed hard and played some of his best tennis to date. He moved better, constructed points with more purpose, and nearly turned the match around. Though the win slipped away, some very promising signs indeed.

Young Asher’s singles debut was nothing short of brave. The first few games saw him battling nerves, but he soon settled in and turned the second set into a real contest. He had a genuine chance to take it, pushing his opponent to raise their level just to avoid a deciding tiebreaker. There were moments of sharp shot selection and confident play. A loss, yes – but one a performance that lays a solid foundation for what looks to be a promising future.

 -  Daniel Brami