Final Round Set to Decide Premierships at Leichhardt Park Table Tennis Centre

After some entertaining and hard-fought matches last week, the stage is now set for an exciting final round in the Open Grade fixtures at the Leichhardt Park Table Tennis Centre. With both divisions using a first-past-the-post points system to determine the winners, this week’s matches will decide the premierships.

In the top division, Joel Coughlan and Jakob Baker lead the way with a strong four-point advantage over Matthew Pettett and Erica Nolan. Just one point behind them sit Rayden Smith and Glen McDonald, while Dane Coughlan and Ann-Louise Stewart are tied for fourth with Nick Green and Leo Lai, only a single point further adrift.

However, the leaders will face a challenge this week, with Joel Coughlan unavailable due to work commitments. Jakob Baker will pair with a substitute, hoping they can secure enough points to hold onto the top spot. While the four-point buffer is useful, a slip-up could open the door for any of the other top four teams to swoop in and steal the flag.

In contrast, the second division has shaped up into a virtual grand final. Although two full rounds couldn’t be played due to the number of teams versus the season length, the draw has delivered a fitting climax. Long-time favourites Pam Clarke and Linda O’Sullivan enter the final match one point ahead of Allan Clarke and Julien Wright, who have stayed in the hunt with a series of strong recent performances.

No other team is in contention, meaning this head-to-head will decide the title. Based on recent form, Clarke and O’Sullivan remain favourites, but an upset from their challengers could flip the script in spectacular fashion.

Last week’s action saw several standout individual performances across both divisions. In the top grade, Leo Lai was incredibly unlucky not to get a win on the board. He came agonisingly close against Dane Coughlan, who edged him out in a five-set thriller: 9–11, 13–15, 11–9, 11–4, 17–15. Lai also led Ann-Louise Stewart two sets to one before Stewart mounted a gritty comeback to win in five.

Nick Green continued his excellent season with a gutsy five-set comeback win over Dane Coughlan: 6–11, 10–12, 12–10, 12–10, 11–9. In other notable matches, Glen McDonald narrowly defeated James O’Sullivan 12–10 in the fifth, while O’Sullivan bounced back with a surprise five-set win over Rayden Smith.

In second division, rising junior Cooper Bulow clinched a narrow victory over Warun Wilkinson: 3–11, 11–9, 11–8, 6–11, 12–10. Meanwhile, Pam Clarke proved too strong once again for Monica Deeth, despite Deeth holding the best for-and-against ratio for the season. In one of the matches of the round, Geoff Geddes mounted a remarkable comeback from a significant deficit in the deciding set to edge out Allan Clarke in a tie-break finish.