Sport
17 December, 2025
Festive Finish Delivers Drama in Final ADTA Round
The final round of the year in the Ararat and District Tennis Association was played in true festive spirit, with old rivals Landsborough and Elmhurst-Amphitheatre adding a touch of Christmas cheer to their on-court attire as they faced off in a thrilling end-of-year clash.
WRITTEN BY MEL MURNANE
All dressed up and ready to take the court, the opening sets immediately set the tone for a long and entertaining day of tennis, with the first two matches going right down to the wire.
Elmhurst-Amphitheatre made the early running in the ladies section, edging out Landsborough’s number one and two pairing 8–5. Landsborough responded strongly in the second set, evening the ledger with an 8–4 win, before delivering a decisive blow in the third set with an emphatic 8–0 victory. That result proved costly for Elmhurst-Amphitheatre, as Landsborough claimed the ladies section 29–18 and opened up a handy 11-game advantage.
The men’s section was equally hard fought, with both teams claiming two sets apiece.
Landsborough managed to edge ahead on total games, taking the section by just three games and extending their overall lead. A brief storm caused a short rain delay before play resumed, with Landsborough carrying a 14-game buffer into the mixed section.
Elmhurst-Amphitheatre, however, were far from finished. They stormed home in the mixed, winning the first three sets and clawing their way back to take a narrow one-game lead as the final set got underway. All eyes were on whether Elmhurst-Amphitheatre’s Daryl and Heather Driscoll could topple Landsborough’s undefeated pairing of Aiden Lee and Claire Monaghan.
The Landsborough duo held their composure, maintaining their unbeaten run with an 8–4 win to seal a thrilling overall victory. Landsborough claimed the match 75–72 games and 8–2 match points.
A short distance away, Crowlands hosted Buangor-Ararat in another contest that stretched well into the early evening. The men’s section was fiercely contested, with two of the four sets going to tie-breakers and the remaining sets narrowly avoiding the same fate. Buangor-Ararat edged the section 33–31 in games.
Crowlands’ women continued their strong form, winning the ladies section 32–17 despite several competitive sets, and opening up a solid lead heading into the mixed. Buangor-Ararat, traditionally strong in the mixed, were still well in the hunt and started positively, with Chris and Kim Hartwich edging out Crowlands’ Doug and Alana Newberry 8–6 in the opening set. From there, however, Crowlands took control, winning the remaining mixed sets to claim the section 30–17 and secure the overall match 93–67 games and 8–2 match points.
Maryborough avoided the tumultuous weather and enjoyed the bye heading into the Christmas break.
The ADTA will now pause for the holiday season, with competition set to resume on January 31, 2026. The Association wishes all players, supporters, and officials a happy and safe holiday season, and looks forward to seeing everyone back on court in the new year.
RESULTS
Crowlands (93/8) def Buangor (67/2)
Mens
Doug Newberry, Kate Vance (9) def Chris Hartwich, Wayne Hoare (7)
Keith Boatman, Pieter Jardine (8) lost to Tom Bartlett, Shaun Day (9)
D. Newberry, K. Boatman (6) lost to C. Hartwich, T. Bartlett (8)
K. Vance, P. Jardine (8) lost to W. Hoare, S. Day (9)
Ladies
Julia Harricks, Mary Lou Boatman (8) def Kim Hartwich, Sabaya Woods (5)
Jess Frampton, Alana Newberry (8) def Kara Bartlett, Isobel Leggett (3)
J. Harricks, J. Frampton (8) def K. Hartwich, K. Bartlett (3)
M. Lou Boatman, A Newberry (8) def S. Woods, I. Leggett (6)
Mixed
D. Newberry, A. Newberry (6) lost to C. Hartwich, K. Hartwich (8)
K. Vance, M. Lou Boatman (8) def W. Hoare, S. Woods (2)
K. Boatman, J. Frampton (8) def T. Bartlett, K. Bartlett (1)
P. Jardine, J. Boatman (8) def S. Day, I. Leggett (6)
Landsborough (75/8) def Elmhurst/Amphitheatre (72/2)
Mens
Aiden Lee, Theo Browne (6) lost to Josh Barker, Daryl Driscoll (8)
Karl Scott, Mat Jenkins (8) def Marlow Edgar, Mel Boatman (6)
A. Lee, K. Scott (8) def J. Barker, M. Edgar (3)
T. Browne, M. Jenkins (7) lost to D. Driscoll, M. Boatman (9)
Ladies
Christiana Henke, Claire Monaghan (5) lost to Sally Riley, Mel Murnane (8)
Kate Mulvenney, Courtney Ellen (8) def Heather Driscoll, Merryn Boatman (4)
C. Henke, K. Mulvenney (8) def S. Riley, H. Driscoll (0)
C. Monaghan, C. Ellen (8) def M. Murnane, M. Boatman (6)
Mixed
T. Brown, C. Henke (4) lost to J. Barker, S. Riley (8)
A. Lee, C. Monaghan (8) def D. Driscoll, H. Driscoll (4)
K. Scott, K. Mulvenney (3) lost to M. Edgar, M. Murnane (8)
M. Jenkins, C. Ellen (2) lost to M. Boatman, M Boatman (8)
Read More: Ararat, Landsborough, Elmhurst, Amphitheatre