After falling to the unbeaten Echuca 1 in last season’s grand final, this year Rochester is the team to beat, two games clear at the top of the table after a perfect first half of the year.
Rochester Tennis Club president and Section 1 player Karen Taylor feels the side has really come together this season.
“Another season playing as a team has helped gel our side and make us play a better team game,” she said.
The major addition to the side has been Alyssa Moss, who linked up with Rochester after her previous club Rich River wasn’t able to field a section one side this campaign.
Moss has only dropped one set in the 2024-25 season.
Former champion Echuca 1 finds itself in a battle just to be the best Echuca team, let alone retain its championship, as Echuca 2 currently holds second place, having won the only meeting between the two.
Taylor isn’t taking either of Rochester’s likely contenders lightly despite recording comfortable wins in their meetings this season.
“I think Echuca are well-placed to play really competitive tennis from both teams depending on which team they field on the day,” she said.
“We obviously have really good hits with both of those sides when we face up against them and it's always a good battle.”
At the other end of the table, Echuca 3 has looked good at times and may be a side on the rise, breaking through for a win over Echuca 1 in the final round before the break.
Should it recapture that form, 3 could prove a tricky roadblock in the semi-final round.
The remaining side, Lockington-Bamawm United, has been better than its winless record would suggest, coming within a handful of games of victory on several occasions.
If it can string together a couple of results an unlikely finals push could be in reach.
Rochester is in a good position across the CTA, also fielding a side in section 2 and four junior sides, one each in A and C-grades and two in B-grade, although none are showing the dominance of the section one outfit.
Rochester will hit the courts again this Saturday at Echuca Lawn Tennis Club as it takes on Echuca 3, while in the other fixture Lockington-Bamawm United will host Echuca 2.
Echuca 1 has an extra week off, drawn for the bye.
“(The plan is to) keep everyone fit and healthy and, hopefully, we can make it to the grand final and bring home the championship shield,” Taylor said.
CTA mid-season ladder
1. Rochester- 7-1-0 - 34 points
2. Echuca 2- 4-2-2 - 24
3. Echuca 1- 3-2-3 - 20
4. Echuca 3- 2-2-4 - 16
5. Lockington-Bamawm United- 0-1-7 - 6
