21 November 2009
Sanfords Manaia continued their unbeaten run this season defeating Central Finance Rotokare 9-7 at the Manaia courts to grab this competition by the scruff of its neck, at least for the present moment. Cameron Koch got the ball rolling for the home side, comfortably beating Kyle Crowley 6-0 6-2. Jason Mills and Michael Gates then corroborated their dominance in the men's singles defeating their opponents in straight sets. Malcom Elder put up the sole resistance for Rotokare by beating Jacob Gopperth 6-4 6-3. The women's singles were split 2-2, Grace Kelly and Helen Johnston doing their bit for Manaia by winning their matches over Rebecca Atkins and Frances Gray respectively. In the doubles, Koch and Mills quelled a threatening surge by Crowley and Elder to win 6-1 3-6 7-6. Atkins and Gray meanwhile gained revenge on their on single's defeats to beat Kelly and Johnston 7-6 6-3. Manaia held a 7-5 advantage into the combines where they grabbed the top two matches and that was enough to secure their position on the top of the Soffe Cup points table after four rounds.
AWE Huatoki came out on top of a water-logged match against Tariki Icon Sports Pukekura 11-5 on the weekend. Mike Fleming led by example in his bid to inspire Pukekura to topple their opponents by winning all three of his matches against a spirited challenge by Jonathan Ussher. Fleming defeated Ussher 1-6 7-5 7-6 in the singles before teaming up with his apprentice Callum Old to beat Ussher and Neil Bridgeman 6-4 7-5. Old, for his part defeated Bridgeman 6-4 6-4 in his singles match to go from strength to strength this season. That was as good as it got, however for the home side; their one remaining victory secured in the top ladies doubles match between Linda Reid and Tania Fleming who beat Saori Han and Chris Wilson 2-6 7-6 7-6 (10-3). Overall it was Huatoki's day, winning all four women's single's matches, the highlights of which came from Saori Han a three-set victor over Linda Reid and Trudy Neilson, who stepped up from the Wilson Trophy to defeat Tania Fleming 6-3 6-2. Thereafter Huatoki completed their dominance taking two doubles matches and three of the four combines.
Stumble Inn Waiwaka will consider themselves desperately unlucky after four rounds to have not yet registered their first win of the season after another heartbreaking loss by two games 7-9 to visitor’s Hareb Deken Oakura on Saturday. Having given themselves every opportunity of causing an upset after levelling the singles at 4-4, Waiwaka let themselves down in the doubles, taking the foot off the throat of Oakura and were thus made to pay losing three of the doubles, then 2 of the mixed to leave them pondering an opportunity lost once more. In the singles, Graham Mitchell beat Waiwaka's No. 1 Mike Lace 6-3 6-4, while David Lace beat Josh Walden in the No.2 match 6-0 6-0. Miaana Walden defeated Krystal Oakes 6-3 3-6 7-6 to keep her perfect singles record in season 09/10 in tact. Michelle Lace conversely made a welcome return to the Waiwaka side winning her match against Becky Bruckner 6-2 6-3. Mitchell and John Hardie Boys combined in the doubles to secure a crucial victory for Oakura in the context of the match, beating the Lace brothers 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-8). Oakura sealed the tie with victories to the pairings of Hardie Boys and Miaana Walden, and Aaron Hine and Louise Brankin.
Results
Wilson Trophy
Okaiawa 11 Huatoki 5, Matapu 9 Rotokare 7, Stratford 10 Manaia Blue 6, Hawera 13 Waitara 3, Inglewood 15 Manaia White 1, Waiwaka 13 Oakura 3
Sumpter Trophy
Hawera def Okaiawa by default, Huatoki 10 Stratford 6, Waiwaka Opunake/Coastal cancelled due to weather
Points Table
Soffe Cup
Sanfords Manaia 46, Central Finance Rotokare 44, Hareb Deken Oakura 44, AWE Huatoki 38, Stumble Inn Waiwaka 27, Tariki Icon Sports Pukekura 17
Wilson Trophy
Hawera 54, Waiwaka 47, Matapu 46, Stratford 46, Inglewood 46, Rotokare 40, Okaiawa 35, Huatoki 30, Waitara 26, Manaia Blue 25, Manaia White 20, Oakura 17
Sumpter Trophy
Stratford 46, Hawera 38, Huatoki 35, Okaiawa 27, Opunake/Coastal 20, Rotokare 18, Waiwaka 3