With the commencement of the third round of the 2016 MTTC Autumn Pennant competition, we will get an opportunity to see the teams tussle for breathing space upon the ladder with an eye towards securing a spot in the top 4 in order to qualify for the Finals Series held over April and May.

Looking at Division 1, the imposing and ladder leading team of the Scorpions will seek to continue their good form against the Dragonflies, who are eager to build upon their impressive 4-1 victory over the Red Backs last week. Shahram and Farshad of the Dragonflies are excelling within their first MTTC Pennant and they will hope to overcome the experience and skill of Scorpions veterans Fabian and Christopher. In addition, Farshad will seek to maintain his unbeaten record and remain Leading Player of Division 1. The singles rubber between spin masters Shahram and Christopher is sure to go down to the wire, and smash superstar Fabian will undoubtedly rise to the challenge when he faces the skilled topspin attack of Farshad. Overall, the doubles rubber is set to be crucial and could determine the entire fate of the match. Ultimately, will the Scorpions sting the Dragonflies and remain undefeated? Or will the Dragonflies take flight and soar to the top of the table?

Round 3 will also witness the clash between the undefeated Tarantulas pairing of Abdullah and Hiep with the Bull Ants led by George. Within the singles rubbers, both Hiep and Abdullah will seek to secure their first victories over George, who has had a magnificent journey at MTTC from being a leading player within Division 2 in the Summer Pennant of 2015 to now strongly contesting for the top mantle of Division 1. Overall, this match will be one to watch and in addition to the rubber between Christopher and Shahram, the clash between Abdullah and George will be one of our unmissable rubbers of the round. Inevitably, this rubber will determine whether the Tarantulas can sink their fangs into victory or be overrun by the charging Bull Ants.

Finally, when the Wasps and the Red Backs meet both teams will be attempting to revive their season hopes and recover from close defeats in rounds 1 and 2. Xu Dong will seek to continue his recent good form and secure the mantle of Leading Player when he clashes with Bill and Justin. The rubber between Arash and Bill is set to be decisive with both hoping to kickstart their seasons with a strong victory. Justin and Xu Dong will also clash in a battle of spin and tactics that will undoubtedly be a classic five set thriller. Overall, our prediction is that the doubles rubber will determine the result for this match, which presents a crucial pathway into the top four for the victor. So can the Red Backs strike? Or will they be stung by the Wasps?

In Division 2 a similar situation is faced by both the Bears and Daredevils who are seeking to kickstart their season and keep their finals hopes alive. Steven and Reuben of the Bears will hope to secure their first victory after narrowly missing out in previous rounds. The singles rubber between team captains Steven and Howard is set to be full of fireworks as each player specialises within aggressive, topspin dominated styles of play. In addition, Glenn will seek to secure his first victory over Reuben who is steadily developing his skills and both players are showing great promise for the future. Ultimately this match will be settled by the doubles rubber and both teams are beginning to develop unique strategies and styles, which will surely dazzle the crowd as therefore this is another pick of the round. So can the Daredevils leap over the Bears towards the Finals or will they be clawed by the Bears team who are hungry for victory?

This round will see the Magic try and pull a rabbit out of the hat as they attempt to allude the Catapaults who are attempting to launch themselves to ladder supremacy. Another unmissable singles rubber will be held within this match as the title of Leading Player is on the line for the undefeated Warren of the Catapaults and team leader of the Magic, Hamish. In addition, Caleb will attempt to secure victory against Hamish in what is sure to be a closely contested rubber between the two junior players who are showing great promise.

Within the final match of Round 3, the ladder leading Tigers will look to continue their excellent form against the Lions who will be seeking to make amends for their close Round 2 defeat to the Daredevils. Tiger’s team captain Karem will seek to remain undefeated and cement his position as Leading Player, however he is sure to face a tough challenge when he comes against Tim of the Lions. Jacob will attempt to maintain his fantastic form when he faces up against fellow Junior player Oliver, with both eager to develop their skills and continue to excel both throughout the Autumn Pennant and into future seasons. Ultimately, this match will be determined by the doubles rubber, which is set to be another exciting clash. Will the Lions be crowned King of this Division 2 clash, or shall they be usurped by the Tigers?

Practice tables will also be available on this night, to enable visitors and fans to get a taste for the competition. So this Thursday evening be sure not to miss out on all of this action and much, much more at Templestowe Leisure Centre!!

Location

1/3 Anderson Street, Templestowe VIC 3106