The Bombers got the jump on Shepparton winning the first game 6-5, but the Blues soon found form when Tom Turcato triumphed over Kade Starling (6-2) in the second men’s singles and Esma Corbic got the better of Miley Morris (6-4) in the first women’s singles.
While the Bombers wrestled back a bit of momentum, taking the first doubles 8-4, the Blues were able to stay one step ahead, taking the next two 8-5 and 8-2.
With just two doubles games left, Kyabram would have to take out both to claim victory, as Shepparton led 5-4.
The heroics of Mitch Cox and Katerina Warne over Tom Turcato and Palmira Rigoli (8-6) brought the match down to the final doubles rubber.
In a hard-fought battle, Kade Starling and Miley Morris pushed the Blues’ Bill Shattock and June Simpson to the brink but ultimately fell just short, 4-6.
After losing by the skin of their teeth (5-6), the Bombers will need to win both of their next two fixtures to guarantee finals, particularly with Cobram Crocs hot on their heels in the standings.
GM3
It was a round of great success for Kyabram in GM3, with both the Bombers and Redbacks claiming emphatic victories.
While the Bombers aren’t a realistic chance to play finals tennis this season, their dominant performance over Mooroopna Cats (9-4) will go a long way in boosting morale.
The Bombers got off to a hot start with Jaxson Eddy (6-2) and William Worsford (6-1) getting the ball rolling in the opening singles rubbers.
The pairs of Eddy and Greg Tarrant (8-7), Worsford and Zane Sutton (8-1), and Tarrant and Sutton (8-5) kept the good times rolling for the Bombers, the team getting off to a 5-0 start.
A three-match winning streak to the Cats brought the home side back into the contest, but the Bombers wrestled back momentum down the stretch.
While the Cats claimed the final rubber of the game, it was too little too late, with the Bombers tallying an overall victory by a five-rubber margin.
Meanwhile, the Redbacks found their contest with Numurkah Penguins a much closer affair but still managed to get the job done (8-5).
The two sides traded clean sweeps in the opening pair of singles matches, with Numurkah’s Nick Ludington overcoming the Redback’ Ben Dickens while Kyabram’s Xavier Dodos dominated the Penguins’ Michael Kam.
This back and forth continued as Numurkah won the first two doubles matches 8-4 and 8-7, but the Redbacks were able to go on a run through the middle doubles match-ups, claiming three vital wins 8-1, 8-6 and 8-5.
Despite the two teams trading blows, it was the Dodos siblings Xavier and Natasha that finished off the Penguins in the final rubber, decimating Kaleb McCrae and Carol Storer (8-0).
The Redbacks are all but locked in to play finals as they currently sit in third place.
GM4 Open
The Kyabram Bombers weren’t able to get over the line against the Tatura Twisters in a 4-5 thriller in round 13.
The Bombers won the first two doubles, led by Evan Cooknell who partnered with Scott Hausler (8-0) in the first and Bek Lawson (8-2) in the second.
The Twisters then clapped back, winning four straight doubles matches 7-8, 2-8, 6-8 and 8-3.
This would ultimately prove to be Kyabram’s downfall despite winning two out of the last three doubles 8-7 and 8-2.
Even though they the Bombers lost in round 13, the side is guaranteed to make an appearance in the finals, whether that be finishing in second or third.
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