9 Feb 2004
Taranaki's two-year Christie Cup tennis reign came crashing down at the Rotokare courts in New Plymouth on Saturday.
Taranaki lost 16-8 to challenger Manawatu, with the result virtually decided after singles play. The home side won only three matches, with Manawatu ahead 9-3 leaving Taranaki an almost impossible task of winning nine further matches to retain the cup. Only No.1 Michael Fleming, No.3 Max Ladame and debutant Nicole Koch at No.6, won singles matches for Taranaki. Koch was the only Taranaki player to win three from three, while Fleming, Ladame, Catherine Stevenson and Katherine O'Sullivan each won two games.
Taranaki fared little better in the doubles winning two womens doubles and three combines.
There was better news for Taranaki with the B team drawing 12-12 with its Manawatu counterpart. Chris Popata and David Geange celebrated their first games for Taranaki with three wins from three, as did captain Donna Thorne. Chris Pulford and Kirsten Adam both won two matches.
A Team results
| M. Fleming | b | C. Kelly | 6-2 7-5 |
| C. Patten | lost to | A. Nicolai | 6-1 5-7 6-1 |
| M. Ladame | b | M. Narafuji | 6-4 2-6 7-5 |
| A. Hine | lost to | B. Popata | 6-3 4-6 6-3 |
| G. Gopperth | lost to | S. Sutherland | 6-2 6-3 |
| Z. Wills | lost to | K. Newland | 7-5 7-5 |
| D. Mills | lost to | M. Hagges | 4-6 7-5 6-4 |
| C. Stevenson | lost to | K. Toa | 7-5 6-1 |
| K. O'Sullivan | lost to | K. Dransfield | 6-3 7-5 |
| C. Death | lost to | J. Hall | 6-3 4-6 6-1 |
| L. Reid | lost to | T. Nickelson | 6-3 6-2 |
| N. Koch | b | K. Craw | 6-1 6-1 |
| Fleming/Patten | lost to | Kelly/Nicolai | 7-6 6-4 |
| Ladame/Gopperth | lost to | Narafuji/Sutherland | 6-2 3-6 6-3 |
| Hine/Wills | lost to | Popata/Newland | 6-4 6-2 |
| Mills/Death | lost to | Hagges/Toa | 6-2 6-2 |
| Stevenson/O'Sullivan | b | Hall/Nickelson | 6-1 6-7 6-4 |
| Reid/Koch | b | Dransfield/Craw | 1-6 6-4 6-4 |
| Fleming/Mills | b | Kelly/Hagges | 2-6 6-2 6-2 |
| Patten/Death | lost to | Nikolai/Toa | 7-5 6-4 |
| Ladame/Stevenson | lost to | Narafuji/Hall | 4-6 6-1 6-4 |
| Hine/O'Sullivan | b | Sutherland/Dransfield | 1-6 6-1 6-3 |
| Gopperth/Koch | b | Popata/Nickelson | 6-2 6-3 |
| Wills/Reid | lost to | Newland/Craw | 6-4 6-3 |
B Team results
| C. Brown | lost to | C. Liggins | 7-5 6-0 |
| A. Murdoch | lost to | G. Toland | 6-2 6-4 |
| T. Luxton | lost to | J. Hooper | 6-3 6-4 |
| C. Pulford | b | K. Chapman | 6-4 6-2 |
| C. Popata | b | K. McNamara | 6-1 6-2 |
| D. Geange | b | S. Howard | 6-1 6-0 |
| D. Thorne | b | K. Rankin | 6-7 7-5 6-2 |
| V. Grindlay | lost to | G. Gibb | 6-1 6-3 |
| B. Feek | lost to | O. Toa | 6-4 6-4 |
| K.Adam | b | J. Brooker | 6-3 7-5 |
| J. White | lost to | S. Durie-Aranga | 7-5 6-4 |
| C. Lynskey | b | J. Holdaway | 6-2 6-1 |
| Brown/Murdoch | lost to | Liggins/Hooper | 5-7 6-3 7-6 |
| Pulford/Popata | b | Toland/Howard | 6-4 6-7 6-2 |
| Luxton/Geange | b | Chapman/McNamara | 4-6 6-3 6-2 |
| Thorne/Feek | b | Gibb/Rankin | 6-3 6-1 |
| Grindlay/Lynskey | lost to | Toa/Durie-Aranga | 6-1 6-0 |
| Adam/White | lost to | Brooker/Holdaway | 6-4 6-3 |
| Brown/Thorne | b | Liggins/Gibb | 2-6 6-4 7-5 |
| Murdoch/Lynskey | lost to | Hooper/Rankin | 6-4 6-2 |
| Luxton/Grindlay | lost to | Toland/Brooker | 6-4 6-2 |
| Pulford/Feek | lost to | McNamara/Toa | 6-3 4-6 7-5 |
| Popata/Adam | b | Chapman/Durie-Aranga | 6-3 6-1 |
| Geange/White | b | Howard/Holdaway | 2-6 6-2 6-4 |