12 March 2006

Soffe Cup
In a precursor to the Soffe Cup interclub tennis final, Sandfords Manaia were made to work for their 13-3 defeat of Hooker Pacific Pukekura. 
 Manaia showed why they are the champion side; the match at the Pukekura courts on Saturday featured six third set tie-breaks with Pukekura only winning one. If they had been able to win them all, they would have secured a draw.
The men's singles were all torrid affairs, decided in the third set tie-break. Manaia's No 1 Jason Mills defeated Zac Wills 6-2,4-6,7-6 while Pukekura's Ben Aves, (a member of the successful NPBHS team, which won the Taranaki secondary school title recently), had a very good win, 6-1,4-6, 7-6 over Thomas Luxton, the Taranaki No 6.  Manaia's Alaister Murdoch and Michael Gates won their matches against Meto Snegirev and Nick Steventon respectively.
The women's singles all went to Manaia; all surprisingly easy wins apart from the No 2 match between Aleisha Ford and Donna Thorne, another three setter. Nicole Koch, Cindy Death and Davina Mills only dropped six games between them.
The result was decided after the doubles with Manaia picking up three wins to lead 10-2. Mills and Luxton won their match against Wills and Snegirev 7-5, 6-0 while Aves and Steventon defeated Murdoch and Gates 7-5, 6-3.
 
Kaponga defeated Stratford 12-4 at Stratford in the match between the fifth and sixth placed teams.
The men's singles were shared with Kaponga's No 2, Mark Atkins not dropping a game against Grant Kite and No 4 Jason Hurley defeating Daniel Schopfer 6-4, 6-2. Stratford's No 1 of recent weeks,  Bruce Cleland defeated Len Adamson 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 while No 3 Hasley Lobb continued his winning form defeating Kyle Crowley 6-2, 6-3.
Kaponga's top three women, Leith Atkins, Krystal Oakes and Maree Jones all had easy wins over the young Stratford trio of Kylie Jury, Min Zimmerman and Tracey Zimmerman while Stratford's No 4 Debbie Jury defeated Helena Goodin 6-2, 6-4.
Kaponga won seven of the eight doubles matches, only dropping the No 3 combines match.
 
In the other match Waiwaka defeated Midhirst 10 - 6.
 
 
Wilson Trophy
Okaiawa 12 Matapu 4, Oakura 12 Stratford 4, Huatoki 9 Manaia 7
Sumpter Trophy
Inglewood 13 Manaia (2) 3, Oakura beat Matapu by default, Okaiawa 11 Manaia (1) 5
Waiwaka v Huatoki to be played Monday
 
Final Points
Soffe Cup
Manaia 104.75, Pukekura 94, Waiwaka 70.75, Midhirst 70.5, Kaponga 61, Stratford 35.5
Wilson Trophy
Okaiawa 107.25,Matapu 95.25, Huatoki 78.75, Manaia 64.75, Oakura 55, Stratford 19.25
 
Semifinals 18 March
Soffe Cup
Manaia v Midhirst  Pukekura v Waiwaka
Wilson Trophy
Okaiawa v Manaia, Matapu v Huatoki