28 Oct 2017

As predicted, Pukekura proved too strong for Rotokare. Both teams were without their big guns at the top of the order, which meant other players had to step up.  Pukekura, being the larger club, can accommodate challenges of this nature with far greater ease. Brady Simpson, stepping up to number one, was easily accounted for by Ben Crowley, 6-2 6-1. David Barnard, who has buttoned back on his training regime somewhat, was still too much for Scott Campbell 7-5 6-0. Michael Erb won convincingly over Shane Devlin 6-1 6-2 and Meto Snegirev won over Rhys Sutton, 6-1 6-1. Nikayla Barnard, one of Taranaki's most promising juniors, showed consistent maturity, closing out her top singles duel with Chantelle Peters 6-1 6-0.  Ella Rogers was also too strong for Tania Atkinson 6-2 6-0.  Linda Reid, after starting slowly, found her feet and won ever Julie Foley 4-6 6-1 6-1.  Caitlin Haylock also sealed a healthy victory 6-0 6-1.  Pukekura found an edge in the doubles winning 3 out of the 4 matches.  Snegirev/Simpson were accounted for by Crowley/Campbell 6-2 6-3. Barnard/Erb were too strong for Devlin/Sutton 6-1 6-2. Barnard/Rogers cantered past Peters/Atkinson 6-2 6-2 and Reid/Haylock just squeezed past Foley/Goodin 4-6 7-5 7-6 (10-8).  In the mixed doubles Simpson/Barnard went down to Crowley/Peters 9-8 (7-3), Barnard/Rogers won over Campbell/Atkinson 9-4, Erb/Reid won out against Devlin and Goodin 9-6 and Snegirev and Haylock won against Sutton and Foley 9-8 (7-5). This meant that Pukekura ran out eventual winners 13-3. 

The match of the round, as the preview predicted, was between Pihama and Stratford. Pihama's dominance in the men's was balanced by Stratford's dominance in the women's. Pihama's Haveswood, Crowley, Edmonds and Padilla were all winners. Kite managed to steal a set from an otherwise fruitless Stratford men's mission. Lynn Stanners, Katie Stanners, Lourie and Tippet then returned the favour for Stratford at the expense of Blom, Osbourne, Matthews and Smith. This left Stratford a set up as all the women's singles were straight sets. The male, female split was then repeated in the doubles.  So it was all to play for going into the mixed.  Normally stronger male players would have been expected to carry the day—but not this day. Katie Stanners/Boland managed to claim a close 9-8 win over Stevenson/Matthews to be the difference.  Stratford won 3 of the 4 mixed doubles rubbers and the day was theirs by a score of 9-7. 

The Okaiawa/Manaia vs Oakura match up was a more one sided affair. The men shared the honours with Okaiawa/Manaia's Mark Laurence vanquishing Andrew Hood 6-1 2-6 6-1, Vince Baylis downing Len Adamson 6-0 6-1; then Oakura's Matt Stringer beat Josh Murdoch 6-4 6-2 and Sammy Lewis eased past Ryan Stockman 6-1 6-3.  The Oakura women won all four rubbers.  Miaana Walden defeating Sheri Hughes 6-1 6-1, Susan Oldfield outplaying Capree Wineera 6-2 6-1, Paula Evans conceding just the one game in the second set and Ana Spurdle giving two games away early before totally shutting up shop, 6-2 6-0. The men's top doubles was very tight with only two points separating the teams in a third set super tie break. Okaiawa/Manaia's Laurence/Baylis emerging the victors over Hood/Adamson 5-7 6-4 7-6 (10-8).  Murdoch/Stockman then lost to Stringer/Lewis 6-4 6-2. The women's matches both went to Oakura with Hughes/Wineera losing to Walden/Oldfield 6-3 6-1 and Johnston/Baylis capitulating to Evans/Bruckner 6-1 6-0.  Oakura then won 3 or the 4 mixed doubles match ups.  Laurence/Wineera lost to Hood/Walden 9-3, Baylis/Baylis beat Adamson/Oldfield 9-5, Murdoch/Johnston lost to Stringer/Evans 9-6 and Stockman/Hughes lost to Lewis/Bruckner 9-7.  Oakura wound up carrying the day 12-4. 

Soffe Cup Results

Pukekura 13 Rotokare 3

Brady Simpson Lost to Ben Crowley 6-2 6-1
David Barnard b Scott Campbell 7-5 6-0
Michael Erb b Shane Devlin 6-1 6-2
Meto Snegirev b Rhys Sutton 6-1 6-1
Nikayla Barnard b Chantelle Peters 6-1 6-0
Ella Rogers b Tania Atkinson 6-2 6-0
Linda Reid b Julie Foley 4-6 6-1 6-1
Caitlin Haylock b Helena Goodin 6-0 6-1
Simpson/Snegirev lost to Crowley/Campbell 6-2 6-3
Barnard/Erb b Devlin/Sutton 6-1 6-2
Barnard/Rogers b Peters/Atkinson 6-2 6-2.
Reid/Haylock b Foley/Goodin 4-6 7-5 7-6 (10-8)
Simpson/Barnard lost to Crowley/Peters 9-8 (7-3).
Barnard/Rogers b Campbell/Atkinson 9-4.
Erb/Reid b Devlin/Goodin 9-6.
Snegirev/Haylock b Sutton/Foley 9-8 (7-5) 

Pihama 7 Stratford 9

Rob Haveswood b Bruce Cleland 6-3 6-2
Kyle Crowley b Grant Kite 6-1 3-6 6-2
Sean Edmonds b Michael Boland 6-4 6-2
James Padilla b Paul Waite 6-0 6-1
Catherine Blom lost to Lynn Stanners 6-1 6-0
Ngakura Osbourne lost to Katie Stanners 7-5 6-2
Brianna Matthews lost to Kirsten Lourie 6-2 6-0
Georgia Smith lost to Courtney Tippet 6-0 6-1
Crowley/Edmonds b Cleland/Boland 6-3 6-1
Stevenson/James b Kite/Waite 6-2 6-0
Blom/Osbourne lost to Stanners/Stanners 6-2 4-6 10/8
Matthews/Smith lost to Lourie/Tippett 6-1 6-2
Crowley/Blom lost to Cleland/L. Stanners 9-1
Edmonds/Osbourne won vs Kite/Tippett 9-1
Stevenson/Matthews lost vs Boland/K. Stanners 9-8
Symons/Smith lost vs Waite/Lourie 9-1 

Okaiawa/Manaia 4 Oakura 12

Mark Laurence b Andrew Hood 6-1 2-6 6-1
Vince Baylis b Len Adamson 6-0 6-1
Josh Murdoch lost to Matt Stringer 6-4 6-2
Ryan Stockman lost to Sammy Lewis 6-1 6-3
Sheri Hughes lost to Miaana Walden 6-1 6-1
Capree Wineera lost to Susan Oldfield 6-2 6-1
Helen Johnston lost to Paula Evans 6-0 6-1
Jaimee Baylis lost to Ana Spurdle 6-2 6-0
Laurence/Baylis b Hood/Adamson 5-7 6-4 7-6 (10-8)
Murdoch/Stockman lost to Stringer/Lewis 6-4 6-2
Hughes/Wineera lost to Walden/Oldfield 6-3 6-1
Johnston/Baylis lost to Evan/Bruckner 6-1 6-0
Laurence/Wineera lost to Hood/Walden 9-3
Baylis/Baylis b Adamson/Oldfield 9-5
Murdoch/Johnston lost to Stringer/Evan 9-6
Stockman/Hughes lost to Lewis/Bruckner 9-7 

Results
Soffe Cup

Pukekura 13 Rotokare 3, Oakura 12 Okaiawa/Manaia 4, Stratford 9 Pihama 7, Huatoki Bye

Wilson Trophy

Pukekura 12 Oakura 4, Rotokare 4 Inglewood 12, Huatoki Won by def. South Combined 0, Matapu 5 Hawera 11 

2017/2018 Soffe Cup Points as at 28 Oct 2017

Pukekura 15,  Oakura 14,  Stratford 11, Pihama 7,  Okaiawa/Manaia 4, Rotokare 3,  Huatoki 0 

2017/2018 Wilson Trophy Points as at 28 Oct 2017

Inglewood 14,  Pukekura 14,  Huatoki 14,  Hawera 13,  Matapu 5,  Oakura 4,  Rotokare 4, South Combined 0