25 Nov 2017

Another great weekend of tennis. Another interesting set of results suggest a clear gap between the top sides in Soffe Cup and the rest.  

The tie of the weekend had to be the tightly fought battle between Oakura and Rotokare.  Matches ebbed and flowed with many a third set being needed to decide the matches.  In reality the entire tie was decided on only a few points.  For instance, the top doubles match of Oakura’s Simpson and Adamson only narrowly went down to Rotokare’s Crowley and Campbell 6-0 4-6 7-6 (11-9). Two other doubles were decided in super tie breaks with Rotokare winning both of these as well.  Then in the last mixed doubles of the day Oakura managed to squeeze a 9-8 (7-4) win to tie the matches at 8 all. Had Rogers and Ingram managed to get up in that tie break the entire tie would have gone to Rotokare.  A fantastic effort by both clubs. It is sometimes disappointing that an overall winner has to be found when the tennis is so close.  

Huatoki, as expected, are a different proposition with an extra man at number 1.  Jayden Harrison came in at the top of the order and the result was a sound beating for Stratford by 13 matches to 3.  Bruce Cleland will be happy that one of Stratford’s wins was his doubles victory with Grant Kite over Alistair Nairn and Ross Lilley. However, in general, it was a dominant performance by Huatoki that will lift the team’s spirits moving forward into the competition. 

Pukekura also had a dominant victory over Okaiawa/Manaia 14-2.  There were possibly four matches that could have swung in the other direction, which would have made the score-line far more respectable.  The top mens singles for instance, could have easily been pushed into a deciding set.  If this had happened it would have been interesting to see which version of Brady Simpson turned up for that third set. In the doubles Simpson and Barnard could have gone down.  Once again they managed to squeeze a win with a good effort in the third set tie breaker 10-6.  So Okaiawa/Manaia can take some heart from the tie especially when they had to do without their 3 top men.  

Oakura 8 Rotokare 8 (won by Oakura on sets countback 18-15) 

J Simpson b B Crowley 6-2 6-4

A Hood lost to S Campbell 3-6 6-3 6-1

L Adamson b S Devlin 6-1 4-6 6-2

S Lewis lost to B Rogers 7-5 6-2

P Evans lost to K Cranston 7-5 6-3

S Oldfield b C Peters 6-4 7-6

A Spurdle b T Atkinson 6-2 6-3

J Keenan b P Ingram 6-0 6-2

Simpson/Adamson lost to Crowley/Campbell 6-0 4-6 11-9

Stringer/Lewis lost to Devlin/Rogers 6-7 6-4 10-4

Evans/Oldfield lost to Cranston/Peters 2-6 6-4 10-5

Spurdle/Keenan b Atkinson/Ingram 6-1 6-0

Simpson/Evans b Crowley/Cranston 9-6

Stringer/Oldfield lost to Campbell/Atkinson 5-3 (retired)

Adamson/Spurdle lost to Devlin/Peters 9-7

Lewis/Keenan b Rogers/Ingram 9-8(4) 

Huatoki 13 Stratford 3 

J Harrison b B Cleland 6-0 6-2

A Nairn b G Kite 6-3 6-3

M Keast b M Boland 6-1 6-1

L Silva b P Waite 6-2 6-2

T Old lost to L Stanners 6-2 7-6

E O’Byrne b M Thwaites 6-1 6-3

C Wilson b C Tippett 3-6 6-3 6-2

J Wilson lost to Kristen Lourie 6-2 2-6 6-4

Nairn/Lilley lost to Cleland/Kite 3-6 6-2 10-6

Keast/Silva b Boland/Waite 6-2 6-2

Old/O’Byrne b Stanners/Thwaites 6-4 6-2

Wilson/Wilson b Tippett/Lourie 6-7 6-3 10-2

Harrison/Old b Cleland/Thwaites 9-3

Keast/Wilson b Kite/Tippett 9-5

Lilley/O’Byrne b Boland/Stanners 9-2

Silva/Wilson b Waite/Lourie 9-3 

Pukekura 14 Okaiawa/Manaia 2 

B Simpson b J Murdoch 6-0 7-6

D Barnard b R Stockman 6-0 6-0

M Erb b P Mihaljevich 6-0 6-0

M Snegirev b A Baylis 6-2 6-0

N Barnard b L Mekalick 6-0 6-0

E Rogers b H Johnston 6-0 6-0

C Haylock lost to A Putt 3-6 6-3 6-1

A Gadsby b J Baylis 6-4 3-6 6-1

Simpson/Barnard b Jurdoch/Stockman 7-5 6-7 10-6

Erb/Snegirev b Mihaljevich/Baylis 6-1 6-1

Barnard/Rogers b Mekalick/Baylis 6-1 7-5

Haylock/Gadsby lost to Johnston/Putt 6-3 6-2

Simpson/Rogers b Murdoch/Mekalick 9-7

Barnard/Barnard b Stockman/Johnston 9-0

Erb/Haylock b Mihaljevich/Putt 9-4

Snegirev/Gadsby b Baylis/Baylis 9-1  

Results
Soffe Cup

Pukekura 14 Okaiawa/Manaia 2, Rotokare 8 Oakura 8 (Oakura wins on sets countback 18-15), Huatoki 13 Stratford 3 Pihama Bye 

Wilson Trophy

Hawera 2 Pukekura 14, South Combined 0 Inglewood 16, Oakura 7 Matapu 9, Huatoki 7 Rotokare 9 

Sumpter Trophy

Pukekura Yellow 12 Waiwaka 4, Waitara 15 Huatoki 1, Oakura 6 Pukekura Green 10 

Points
Soffe Cup
Oakura 69, Pukekura 59, Rotokare 40, Okaiawa/Manaia 29, Stratford 26, Pihama 25, Huatoki 22. 

Wilson Trophy
Inglewood 78, Pukekura 70, Hawera 49, Matapu 43, Oakura 37, Rotokare 36, Huatoki 32, South Combined 12. 

Sumpter Trophy
Pukekura Yellow 56, Waiwaka 43, Waitara 42, Pukekura Green 36, Oakura 29, Huatoki 10