Serving up sun for today’s final
Summer has finally returned to the upper North Island, with gorgeous conditions set to greet the elite female tennis stars walking on to centre court for today’s ASB Classic women’s final.
Auckland should be bathed in a sunny high of 25C for the big game as light winds and afternoon sea breezes brush across the city, MetService says.
Caroline Wozniacki couldn’t make it the dream final many fans were hoping for, but Serena Williams steamrolled Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to book her place in the showpiece match.
Williams won the match 6-1 6-1, needing just 45 minutes to dispatch the 18-year-old world No 25 in a onesided match in front of a boisterous crowd.
She’ll meet world No 82 Jessica Pegula, who was too good for Wozniacki, in the final. After losing finals in 2015 and 2018, the fifthseeded Wozniacki was hoping to make today’s title decider, but she was outclassed by the American.
Wozniacki, who was appearing in Auckland for the final time before she retires after the upcoming Australian Open, was hoping for the perfect send-off in 2020 but it wasn’t to be.
Yesterday was a stunner and those not at the tennis flocked to beaches, pools and parks. A favourite spot was St Heliers in Auckland where a giant inflatable waterworld was built in the shallows, while Ruakaka hosted the Surf Life Saving Northern Region IRB championships.
The light winds couldn’t spoil a day when the mercury hit 23C — marking the start of a week of settled and fine weather across much of Northland and the upper North Island.
It means competitors and spectators at this week’s ASB Classic men’s tournament should enjoy temperatures into the mid-20s each day.
Gisborne will be among the country’s warmest locations, with a high of 30C today.
However, those in the South Island will need to batten down the hatches with heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 140km/h predicted to hit. Warnings stretch along almost the entire West Coast.
Queenstown, Invercargill and Christchurch are not included in the heavy rain warnings but do have strong wind warnings.
Across the upper North Island conditions are looking fine and settled.
Whanga¯rei and Hamilton are heading for a sunny top of 27C today, Tauranga a high of 24C and Napier a high of 26C.