Mackay Table Tennis Association

Tuesday Morning Fixtures – Round 8 Wrap-Up

Round 8 gave us a bit of everything: strong team wins, a 6–6 draw, comeback victories, and several matches where the players clearly decided that finishing in three games would be far too sensible.

Division 1

Division 1 saw Eclipse Spin defeat Orion Orbiters 8–4, while Nova Smashers and Astro Aces fought out a 6–6 draw.

Match of the Division contender:
Andrea Nicholson / John McGee d. Branko Vucurovic / Darryl Ross (-4, 11, 10, -12, 10)
This doubles match had the full menu: a slow start, a fightback, a fourth-game wobble, and then a 12–10 finish in the fifth. That is not a doubles match; that is a committee meeting with paddles.

Also worth a spotlight:
Bryan Marshall d. Peter Goodson (5, 11, -9, -9, 7)
Bryan won the first two, Peter stormed back to force a fifth, and Bryan finally closed the door in the decider. A match that tried very hard to escape both players.

Division 2

Division 2 produced one dominant result and one shortened but competitive fixture, with Spartan Spin defeating Samurai Swords 11–1, while Viking Raiders edged Ninja Strikes 5–4.

Comeback of the round contender:
Veronica Needham d. Coral Morgan (-9, -11, 12, 4, 5)
Two games down, then a third-game escape, and suddenly Veronica had the match heading in the other direction. A classic example of “not over until someone signs the scoresheet.”

Five-game grit:
Coral Morgan d. Ian Dodds (-8, 5, -9, 8, 13)
Coral was behind twice in games and still found a way through, taking the fifth 15–13. That is a proper arm wrestle, with just enough drama to make the scorekeeper nervous.

Division 3

Division 3 saw Aztec Warriors power past Gladiator Grip 11–1, while Celtic Smash and Mongol Power finished locked at 6–6.

Battle of the Division:
Janelle Keune d. Allison Day (-15, 2, -8, 7, 9)
After losing a marathon first game and then the third, Janelle still found a way back. Winning a five-game match after dropping the opener 17–15 is a fair sign that patience was packed in the table tennis bag.

Still fighting to the end:
Iris Grasso d. Trish Zamparutti (-7, 3, -6, 5, 11)
Iris had to come from behind twice and then survive a tight fifth game. By the end, this one had less “quick hit” energy and more “clear the afternoon” energy.

Congratulations to all players, especially those who once again proved that five games are not a problem - it is simply the long version of determination.

Full results are available on the website:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/fixtures-results

Interested in playing Tuesday Morning Fixtures?
Contact Steve Mathieson on 0418 700 236.

Tuesday Morning Fixtures – Round 7 Wrap-Up

Round 7 brought out the grinders, the comeback artists, and a few players who clearly believe a quick three-game match is an insult to the paying public.

Division 1
Division 1 served up a close result and a draw, with Nova Smashers edging Orion Orbiters 7–5, while Eclipse Spin and Astro Aces finished locked at 6–6.

Match of the Division contender:
Doug Dungavell d. Andrea Nicholson (-3, 7, -7, 3, 9)
Doug dropped the first and third games, then decided the fourth and fifth were a better time to start causing trouble. A proper five-game escape act.

Also worth a spotlight:
Darryl Ross d. Sally Muir (-7, -12, 3, 13, 5)
Two games down, including a very tight second, and Darryl still found a way back. That is not so much a win as a refusal to accept the paperwork.

Division 2
Division 2 produced two strong team wins, with Spartan Spin defeating Viking Raiders 9–3, and Samurai Swords powering past Ninja Strikes 10–2.

Comeback of the round contender:
Coral Morgan d. Pam Keune (-5, -8, 6, 3, 3)
Two games down, then Coral turned the match around completely. Somewhere after Game 2, the scoreboard may have started questioning its own confidence.

Five-game doubles drama:
John Hamelink / Coral Morgan d. Ken Best / Pam Keune (-10, 3, 3, -9, 5)
This one went the distance, with momentum changing hands more than a borrowed pen at the score table. John and Coral steadied late to take the decider.

Division 3
Division 3 stayed right on brand: Aztec Warriors edged Celtic Smash 7–5, while Mongol Power and Gladiator Grip could not be separated, finishing 6–6.

Doubles battle of the Division:
David Muir / Myles Dutton d. Iris Grasso / Glenda Brookes (7, -5, -7, 7, 5)
A five-game doubles arm wrestle with both pairs having their chances. David and Myles finished strongest, probably after everyone else had already started packing up in their minds.

Still swinging in the fifth:
Laurie Bradshaw d. Sharon Muller (0, -7, -3, 2, 5)
Laurie started with an 11–0 opening game, then had to survive a full five-game fight. Nothing says “comfortable win” quite like needing a decider after winning the first 11–0.

Congratulations to all players, especially those who once again proved that five games is not a problem — it is just a longer opportunity to be stubborn.

Full results are available on the website:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/fixtures-results
Interested in playing Tuesday Morning Fixtures?
Contact Steve Mathieson on 0418 700 236.

Tuesday Morning Fixtures – Round 6 Wrap-Up

Round 6 gave us close team results, five-game survival missions, and a few matches that clearly decided “quick and simple” was not on the menu.

Division 1

Division 1 delivered two tight 7–5 results, with Astro Aces edging Orion Orbiters, and Eclipse Spin getting past Nova Smashers.

Match of the Division contender:
George Camilleri d. Andrea Nicholson (-9, 5, -9, 11, 13)
George had to come from behind twice, survive a fourth-game arm wrestle, then sneak home 15–13 in the fifth. That is less a table tennis match and more a stress test with bats.

Also worth a spotlight:
Branko Vucurovic d. Doug Dungavell (-5, 8, -6, 9, 9)
Branko dropped the first and third games, then dug in to pinch the last two. A proper “I’m not finished yet” performance.
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Division 2

Spartan Spin powered to a 10–2 win over Ninja Strikes, while Viking Raiders claimed a hard-fought 7–5 win over Samurai Swords.

Five-game grit:
Helen Ware d. Chris Collins (12, 6, -9, -7, 10)
Helen looked in control after taking the first two, Chris stormed back to force a decider, and Helen finally closed it out 12–10 in the fifth. Nobody was leaving early on that one.

Comeback alert:
Louise Gould d. Robyn Bushell (-8, -7, 7, 7, 8)
Two games down? No problem. Louise flipped the match completely and won the next three. Somewhere after Game 2, she clearly found the “restart match” button.
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Division 3

Aztec Warriors continued their strong form with a 9–3 win over Mongol Power, while Gladiator Grip and Celtic Smash fought out a dramatic 6–6 draw.

Doubles chaos of the round:
Kim Challender / Glenda Brookes d. Gerry Synnott / Thelma Caruana (14, -20, 6, -10, 8)
Yes, that second game really did go to 22–20. Then the match still went five. At some point, this stopped being doubles and became a negotiation.

Refusing to keep it simple:
Allison Day d. Trish Zamparutti (-13, 9, 4, -9, 7)
A first game that went deep, momentum swings everywhere, and a fifth-game finish. Allison eventually got there, but Trish certainly made her pay full price.

Congratulations to all players — especially those who turned Tuesday morning into a full sporting drama series.

Full results are available on the website:
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/fixtures-results

Interested in playing Tuesday Morning Fixtures?
Contact Steve Mathieson on 0418 700 236.

The 2026 North Queensland Veterans & Mackay Open Tournament brought together players from across Queensland for two and a half days of outstanding competition, sportsmanship, and friendship.

With competitors travelling from near and far — from the Gold Coast to Far North Queensland — our hall was buzzing from the very first serve to the final point.

This year’s tournament showcased the true spirit of our sport, with our youngest competitor just 7 years old and our oldest competitor an incredible 85 years young.

Over 100 players took part across a huge range of rated and age events, producing countless competitive matches, thrilling rallies, and memorable moments throughout the weekend. The standard of play on display was exceptional, and the atmosphere inside the hall reflected exactly what makes the table tennis community so special.

And when it came to the Open Singles events, the champions were not prepared to share the spotlight! Congratulations to Paola Lovera and Alan Walsh from Townsville Table Tennis Club on taking out the Women’s and Men’s Open Singles titles respectively — a tremendous achievement against strong fields of competitors.

On behalf of Mackay Table Tennis Association, thank you to every player, official, volunteer, supporter, and spectator who made the journey to Mackay and helped make the event such a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone back again in the future!

Think table tennis is just hitting a little white ball? Think again.

It’s not just a game. It’s doing more for you than you think.

These 5 reasons make a pretty strong case for picking up a bat.

Which one surprised you most?

Want to join us? Check out the options here: https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/play

**Tuesday Morning Fixtures – Round 3 Wrap-Up**

Round 3 served up a little bit of everything: dominant team wins, five-game cliffhangers, doubles drama, and several players apparently deciding that three games simply wasn’t enough entertainment for one morning.

**Division 1**

The headline team results saw Orion Orbiters and Eclipse Spin both take 8–4 victories, but there was no shortage of resistance along the way.

**Match of the Division contender:**

Peter Goodson d. John McGee (9, 4, -9, -9, 4)
Peter looked in control, John stormed back to force a fifth, and then Peter steadied the ship to take it. Just a casual emotional rollercoaster before morning tea.

**Also worth a spotlight:**

Kevin Abbott d. Veronica Needham (-9, 11, -7, 5, 6)
Kevin had to recover from dropping two of the first three games before finding the finish line in five. A match that politely refused to be straightforward.

**Division 2**

Division 2 produced both a commanding team performance and a genuine arm wrestle.

Spartan Spin powered to a 10–2 win over Ninja Strikes, while Viking Raiders edged Samurai Swords 7–5 in a contest that stayed close all the way.

**Comeback of the round:**

Helen Ware d. Chris Collins (-8, -8, 1, 10, 7)
Two games down? Apparently, Helen saw that as a warm-up. She turned the match completely on its head and claimed one of the gutsiest wins of the morning.

Division 2 doing Division 2 things

Kim Daffy d. John Hamelink (16, -5, -9, 11, 10)
This one had a marathon opening game, momentum swings, and a fifth-game finish. Kim eventually snuck home, presumably after everyone nearby had forgotten what time it was.

**Division 3**

Division 3 gave us a tight 7–5 win to Celtic Smash over Gladiator Grip, while Aztec Warriors arrived with the subtlety of a freight train in an 11–1 victory over Mongol Power.

**Five-game doubles chaos:**
Trish Zamparutti / Myles Dutton d. Allison Day / Madge Saunders (-7, -8, 6, 6, 11). After losing the first two games, Trish and Myles flipped the script completely and pinched it in five. Somewhere between Game 3 and Game 5, they clearly found the “refuse to lose” button.

**Refusing to let it end quietly:**
Gerry Synnott d. Janelle Keune (-5, -8, 4, 7, 9)
With Aztec Warriors flying, Gerry produced a determined fightback to claim Mongol Power’s lone rubber - and did it the hard way, coming from two games down. That is what we call earning the scoreboard entry.

Congratulations to all players, and especially to those who turned a simple Tuesday morning hit into a full sporting saga.

📋 **Full results are available on the website:**
https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mackaytta/fixtures-results

Interested in playing Tuesday Morning Fixtures?
Contact **Steve Mathieson** on 0418 700 236.

Thank you to the following businesses who provided sponsorship and prizes for our raffles during our 2026 Mackay Open held over the weekend 8 – 10 May. The competition was fierce and was a marathon two and a half day event where over 100 players battled it out in varying age and rated events. Without local businesses, supporting grassroots sports within our region, we would struggle to get players from outside the region to travel to Northern Queensland to compete so we very much appreciate your ongoing connection to Mackay Table Tennis Association.

Thank you: John & Helen Ware, Jesse Knight and Amizon Hair & Beauty

Find a direct link to the timetable here :https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/mackaytta/files/pfjuoopeqt69itgj.pdf