MORNINGTON ace Jarryd Cathcart cruised to a 4-0 win against Mark Flavel in round seven of the Mornington Peninsula Table Tennis Association's winter pennant competition.
Flavel, who tasted defeat for only the second time this season, was outclassed by his hard-hitting opponent but still kept a stranglehold on the leading player award, with a two-game buffer on his nearest rival.
Cathcart's victory helped Mornington to a 3-2 win against Langwarrin and a share of second spot on the ladder with three rounds in the winter pennant season to play.
In a round of upsets, Mt Martha's Phil Bolitho won a thriller against the highly ranked Sam Palmer and led his side to a 4-1 win against Frankston, who are now out of contention for the medal play-offs at the end of the home-and-away season.
In the other match, second-placed Dromana scored a percentage-boosting 4-1 win against Somerville. Dromana's Luke Bronsema won a tight seven-game match against Sean O'Meara before O'Meara turned the tables on Bronsema's partner, Stuart Sutherland, and won 11-9 in the seventh. Mornington has settled into second position on the A2 grade ladder, with Geoff Lloyd and Jim Furness on top of the leading player standings with 10-4 win-loss ratios.
In A3 grade, Mornington has moved to the top of the ladder and looks set for a gold medal play-off in four weeks, thanks to Lucy Fowler, who has chalked up 12 wins from her 14 games to date.