6 December 2016 | Tennis Victoria

After five rounds of Tennis Victoria Premier League, the men’s Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club and women’s Liston Tennis Club have booked themselves a Grand Final berth after both teams finished the regular season on top of the ladder.

Last season’s runners up Liston, were undefeated during the home and away rounds and will watch the preliminary final action between last season’s champions MCC Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club and Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club closely.

One game separated both teams in their match last Sunday in the final home and away clash, as Ash Barty made her competition debut for Kooyong, and an exciting battle looms between these two arch rival clubs.

Kooyong Lawn, who have gone through the season undefeated in the men’s competition, will await the winner of the preliminary final between Grace Park Hawthorn Club, led by Steven De Waard and MCC Glen Iris Valley who have been bolstered this season by Peter Luczak.

The men’s competition appears wide open with all three remaining teams having legitimate claims to winning the title, with Grace Park Hawthorn Club peaking at the right end of the season in their quest for a rare four peat.

The men’s and women’s preliminary finals will both be played this Friday 9 December at Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club with play commencing at 4pm.

Capping off a blockbuster weekend, the Grand Final will be played this Sunday 11 December at MCC Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club with play commencing at 1pm.

“The Finals Day is one of the highlights of the Tennis Victoria yearly calendar and will also feature the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots League State Gala Day on the adjacent courts throughout the afternoon,” said Tennis Victoria’s Competitions Manager Jeff Downes.

We will also be announcing the club winner of the Community Engagement Award, who will receive $2000 as the most engaged Premier League club to their local community.”

Another highlight of the Finals Day will be the announcement of the winners of the Paul Arber Memorial Award after Daniel Nolan (Grace Park Hawthorn) and Destanee Aiava (Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club) were last season’s inaugural winners.

Final Ladders

Men’s

Kooyong Lawn                 33 points

Grace Park Hawthorn     25

MCC Glen Iris Valley        24

Royal South Yarra LTC    21

Dingley                                11

Country All Stars               6

 

Women’s

Liston                                  34 points

MCC Glen Iris Valley       28

Kooyong Lawn                 23

Royal South Yarra             20

Dingley                                11

Dendy Park                         4

 

Preliminary Finals

When: Friday 9 December

Where: Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club

When: 4:00pm

Who:

Men: Grace Park Hawthorn Club v MCC Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club

Women: MCC Glen Iris Valley Tennis Club v Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club

Final

When: Sunday 11 December

Where: MCC Glen Iris Valley

When: 1:00pm

Who:

Men: Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club v Winner of Preliminary Final

Women: Liston Tennis Club v Winner of Preliminary Final