Four sides searching for one finals place in Echuca Table Tennis

By Matthew Kappos

Sep 17, 2024

Ryan Simmons’ Smash Bros can seal a finals berth with a win in the final round. Photo: Matthew Kappos

Echuca Table Tennis teams have just one round to go before semi-final match-ups are locked in.

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With three sides finals bound and four more battling for the final spot, seven of the 10 teams have something to play for in round nine.

Last Wednesday’s round eight matches saw Racket Scientists stand alone at the top of the table after defeating rivals Rebels.

After the early singles went to form, the Scientists gained a crucial edge, taking the first doubles 3-0.

Rebels responded with a 3-0 win of their own in the second doubles, leaving the remaining three singles to decide the tie.

Rebels took the first in a tight contest, Nathan Mackrell prevailing over Duncan Friday 3-2, before Daniel Barry hit back for Scientists.

The deciding match between Rebels’ Hank Doller and Racket Scientists’ Stephen Hope went down to the wire, with Hope eventually earning the win for his side by the narrowest of margins, 5-11, 13-11, 11-6, 12-14, 13-11.

Despite Rebels tasting their second defeat of the season, both sides are confirmed to feature in the finals.

The other side with a guaranteed finals place is Dragons, who defeated Tall Timber 7-4.

Both doubles went the way of Tall Timber, but Dragons earned some crucial singles wins to be in the hunt down 4-3 going into the final singles block.

Proving why they are a finals side, the Dragons reeled off all three remaining matches to book their spot in the last four.

Of the four sides searching for the last finals place, Smash Bros is best positioned, breaking away from the group by virtue of a win over Snap, Crackle and Pop.

The doubles matches proved invaluable for Smash Bros, their pairings taking them by a combined six games to one.

SCP pulled things level with two singles wins, setting up the final rubber as match-deciding.

In the end, the game went the way of Smash Bros, who kicked clear of their opponents on the competition ladder.

Both at 3-4, the loser of Loopers or Andromeda would be mathematically eliminated from finals contention.

Not content to go quietly, Andromeda took the first doubles match to gain a valuable advantage, although their success was soon cancelled out by the Loopers, who claimed the second.

Momentum continued to swing back and forth in the final singles block but it was Andromeda who did just enough to take the match 6-5 to keep finals chances alive.

The final match of the round saw either CBD or No. 1 Draft Pick destined to claim their first win.

A back-and-forth match-up saw the sides split the doubles before CBD broke free in the home stretch, getting out to an unassailable 6-4 lead.

No. 1 Draft Pick grabbed the final rubber but the match went to CBD 6-5.

The final round of matches will see No. 1 Draft Pick take on Rebels, Dragon will face off with Snap, Crackle and Pop, and Racket Scientists battle Andromeda.

CBD is up against Loopers, while Smash Bros can secure the last finals place against Tall Timber.