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Newcomers Oakura nearly pulled off a major upset by drawing 8-8 with defending champs, AWE Huatoki at Oakura on Saturday.

Huatoki led 5-3 after the singles. In the men, No 1 Jonathan Ussher won 7-5 6-4 against former top Taranaki player, Steve Novak; No 3 Jordan Stayt had a good win against John Hardie Boys and Amrit Rai won in three sets against Horry Hubbard. Oakura's No 2, Josh Walden, beat Roy Gaskin 6-3 6-0.

In the women's singles, honours were shared. Huatoki's No 1 and 3, Saori Han and Chris Wilson, had easy wins against Leah Fletcher and Miaanna Walden. Oakura's No 2 Becky Bruckner won a three setter against Janice Taylor and No 4 Jill Barron won 6-4 6-3 against Megan Walsh.

After the doubles, the scores were locked at 6-6, with Oakura picking up three out of four. Oakura won both men's matches in close games. Novak and Walden had a 7-5 6-4 win over Ussher and Rai, while Hardie Boys and Hubbard beat Gaskin and Stayt 7-6 4-6 7-6. Huatoki's top women's pairing, Han and Wilson, had a three set win over Fletcher and Bruckner and Oakura's pairing of Walden and Barron also had a three set win over Taylor and Walsh. The mixed doubles were shared 2 -2 with Oakura winning the No 3 and 4 easily and Huatoki winning both the No 1 and No 4 matches 9-7.

Hookers Pacific Pukekura continued its winning way with a 12-4 win against McDonald Real Estate Matapu at home. Pukekura were without their No 1 and No 3 women Linda Reid and Kirsten Adam. Donna Thorne took over at No 1, defeating Helen Kelly 6-1 6-2. Matapu won the rest of the women's singles. No 2 Carolyn Koch won in a third set tiebreaker over Jeanette Harding; Michelle Furness beat Carole Medway 6-3 7-5 and Anne Bridges was not troubled in her defeat of Tania Fleming 6-16-3.

Pukekura won all the men's singles easily. No 1 Michael Fleming beat Tom Luxton 6-2 6-0, No 2 Meto Snegirev beat Blair Crowley 6-2 6-2, No 3 Dennis Reid beat Brent Perrett 6-1 6-1 and Paul Simpson beat Nigel Corbett 6-1 6-0. Matapu only picked up one further match, the No 2 women's doubles. Furness and Bridges beat Medway and Fleming 6-3 6-3. Pukekura has a 14 point lead on the points table but has a bye next week.

Hookers Pacific Pukekura 41, Central Finance Rotokare 27, Matapu 23, AWE Huatoki 21, Oakura 19, Waiwaka/Stratford/Midhirst 17,Sandfords Manaia 14