Rochester 1 is one of those sides, but it now has a one-game buffer on the chasing pack after a dominant win over local rivals LBU 1.
In a stylish return to play, Rochester finished with a commanding 33-game buffer, winning 10 of the 13 rubbers to send a statement to the rest of division one, getting off to a fast start in the contest.
They now sit a game clear in third place and just a game behind competition pace-setters Echuca 1 and Rich River 1.
In the contest out at Elmore, the home side continued its winning 2022 start with Elmore 1 logging its second consecutive victory.
In a bona-fide thriller, Elmore pipped LBU 2 by a solitary game, dragging itself into finals contention.
Needing a six-game set win in the final rubber, LBU’s Bowden Stone and Meagan Brentnall went close with an 8-4 win over Bryce Niven and Jane McAdam, but Elmore managed to stave off the late assault to secure the points.
After a winless run leading into the year, Elmore now sits a game outside the top four of the CTA.
Out at Rich River, Echuca 3 and Rich River 1 went head-to-head with the host claiming a 15-game victory to get its year off to a winning start.
A comprehensive showing in the women’s doubles spurred Rich River to an 8-84 to 5-69 win, its fifth of the season.
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