Maccabi lead as rain halts play

MACCABI is the favourite to progress to the Pennant Grade 3 grand final after taking a 2-0 lead against Wellington in the semifinal last Saturday.

In the competition, which includes two doubles matches and four singles matches, the lead means that Maccabi is on the verge of claiming victory.

Team captain Asaf Nagar and his doubles partner Asaf Drori defeated their opponents 6-1, 6-2, and Maccabi players Joel Fredman and Arthur Kaganovitch won their match with the same scoreline. But soon after the singles matches began rain halted play.

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When the matches resume on Saturday morning Maccabi will have to win one of the four remaining singles rubbers and a set in another, because they were able to stop Wellington winning any sets in the doubles competition, to claim a spot in the grand final against Grace Park.

Drori, Nagar and Kaganovich all have breaks in the first set of their singles game, and so a positive result for the Jewish side looks extremely likely.

Nagar said he hopes the team can make the grand final like last year.

“We made the final last year but then we lost, so hopefully we can win this year and then move up to grade two.”

The grand final will be played against Grace Park on Saturday afternoon only hours after the semifinal.

JOSHUA LEVI

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