Sport
3 November, 2026
Landsborough win by a whisker
Landsborough and Elmhurst Amphitheatre played out a thriller in the Ararat District Tennis Association last Saturday, with Landsborough claiming victory by a solitary game.
Scheduled for an earlier start, the match was able to go ahead despite a wet start, and it certainly didn't disappoint!
The men's section got underway with a thriller, going game for game until Landsborough's Theo Browne and Seth Blake managed to get the break, defeating Elmhurst-Amphitheatre's Daryl Driscoll and Will Edgar 8–6.
Landsborough's John Hannett and Matt Jenkins then delivered a convincing 8–1 win in the second set to give their team a handy lead. Elmhurst-Amphitheatre fought back in the remaining two sets, but couldn't quite close the gap, with Landsborough taking the men's section by just two games, 26–24.
The ladies' section was just as competitive. Landsborough's Christiana Henke and Claire Monaghan got their team off to a good start, defeating Elmhurst-Amphitheatre's Lucy McLay and Sally Roberts 8–4.
Elmhurst-Amphitheatre's second pairing of Aimee Harrison and Mel Murnane responded with an 8–3 win over Landsborough's Courtney Ellen and Rachael Austerberry to even things up.
The remaining two sets were incredibly tight, with neither team able to gain the upper hand. The ladies' section finished all square at 25 games apiece, leaving Landsborough with a narrow two-game advantage heading into the mixed.
Landsborough started strongly in the mixed, claiming the first two sets and putting Elmhurst-Amphitheatre under pressure. However, a late fightback from Elmhurst-Amphitheatre kept the contest alive, with father-daughter combination Lucy and Mark McLay defeating Landsborough's Courtney Ellen and Seth Blake 8–5.
The fourth and final set went Elmhurst-Amphitheatre's way again, with an 8–3 victory, giving them the mixed section by just one game, 25–24.
Unfortunately for Elmhurst-Amphitheatre, the late comeback wasn't quite enough to get them over the line, with Landsborough hanging on for an incredibly close overall victory of 75–74 games and 7–3 match points. What a match, with just one game separating the two sides after a fantastic afternoon of tennis!
The Crowlands versus Maryborough match was declared a washout, with each team receiving five match points. Buangor-Ararat had the bye.
Tomorrow promises another exciting round, with Elmhurst-Amphitheatre hosting Buangor-Ararat. Maryborough will welcome Landsborough in what should be a great contest, with Maryborough and Landsborough currently sitting first and second on the ladder. This will be an important match-up for both teams.
Crowlands will have the bye.
Results
Landsborough 75 games, 7 points def Elmhurst Amphitheatre 74 games, 3 points
Mixed
Theo Browne, Christiana Henke (8) def Daryl Driscoll, Mel Murnane (6)
John Hannett, Claire Monaghan (8) def Will Edgar, Aimee Harrison (3)
Seth Blake, Courtney Ellen (5) lost to Mark McLay, Lucy McLay (8)
Mat Jenkins, Rachael Austerberry (3) lost to Marlow Edgar, Sally Roberts (8)
Men
T. Browne, S. Blake (6) lost to D. Driscoll, W. Edgar (8)
J. Hannett, M. Jenkins (8) def M. McLay, M.Edgar (1)
T. Browne, J. Hannett (9) def D. Driscoll, M. McLay (7)
S. Blake, M. Jenkins (3) lost to W. Edgar, M. Edgar (8)
Ladies
C. Henke, C. Monaghan (8) def L. McLay, S. Roberts (4)
C. Ellen, R. Austerberry (3) lost to M. Murnane, A. Harrison (8)
C. Henke, C. Ellen (6) lost to L. McLay, M. Murnane (8)
C. Monaghan, R. Austerberry (8) def S. Roberts, A. Harrison (5)
Read More: Landsborough, Elmhurst, Amphitheatre