Melbourne Phoenix brought Sydney's record 15-match National Netball League winning streak to a grinding halt with a resounding 57-40 victory in Melbourne.

Phoenix led all the way to hand the Swifts their first defeat since the corresponding round of last year's premiership.

And to cap off an eventful opening night to the penultimate round of the competition, controversial recruit Danika Wipiiti helped Hunter Jaegers move closer to their first semi-final berth with a 56-50 victory over Perth in Newcastle.

Melbourne's emphatic win moved the second-placed Phoenix to within two points of Sydney and two points clear of Adelaide, which hosts struggling AIS Canberra Darters on Sunday.

Veteran shooters Sharelle McMahon and Eloise Southby-Halbish each missed just six attempts, scoring 36 and 21 goals respectively, for an overall combined success rate of 83 per cent.

Competition leading scorer Catherine Cox was limited to 20 goals at 67 per cent by Australian teammate Bianca Chatfield, who was celebrating her 100th National league appearance. Youngster Johannah Curran also had an outstanding game.

"All season she (Cox) has been the best goaler, so I knew I had to have a good game on her, but she will bounce back and be on fire next time," Chatfield said.

Sydney trailed 17-10 after the first break and never cut the deficit below seven.

"We made way too many errors," Cox said.

In Newcastle, 2002 New Zealand Commonwealth Games representative Wipiiti shot 30 goals at 81 per cent in her first game for the fourth placed Jaegers.

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