President’s grade action returns
Twenty three teams will do battle when the ever-popular WK+ Advisors and Accountants President’s Grade tennis competition gets underway on Tuesday.
This year there are five teams in division one, eight teams in division two and 10 teams making up divisions three and four.
The division one competition is again expected to be tightly-fought, with the return of five out of last year’s six teams and a similar line-up of players. There are two teams from the Marlborough club, two from Rapaura and one from Grovetown.
In the conclusion to last season’s competition, Grovetown Top Shelf proved too strong for Rapaura Viognier and both sides look capable of getting their name on the trophy in 2017-18.
In the first round, Rapaura Viognier will face Marlborough Simply Smashing at the Marlborough club, while Rapaura Drylands will battle it out at Rapaura against the Marlborough Anzacs. Grovetown Top Shelf has the bye.
In division two, eight strong teams will ensure a tight competition.
Defending champions, Rapaura Pinot, return this year while the other top-performing team last year, Marlborough Swallows, also returns with the same line-up of players. A
President’s grade division one teams Rapaura Viognier: Mark Evans, Tony Fenemor, Hiro Kishida, Donna Clark, Pauline Fudge and Debra Schollum. Rapaura Drylands: Kyle Heagney, Mike Russell, Loren Hickin, Emily Stenhouse and Jane Bay. Grovetown Top Shelf: Brendon Sutherland, Darin Herd, Owen Dodson, Venice Langrope, Raewyn Heta. Marlborough Simply Smashing: Garry Tait, Brian Martin, John Patchett, Simon Clark, Lyn Murray, Eveline Apthorp van der Linden, Denise Rounthwaite. Marlborough Anzacs: Dave Williams, Peter Stubbs, Amy Heath, Meiko Kimura. Draw for October 17 Division one: Rapaura Drylands v MTC Anzacs RTC 1 & 2 (if wet, MGC 5 & 6); Rapaura Viognier v MTC Simply Smashing MTC 6 & 7; Grovetown Top Shelf a bye. Division two: MTC Volleyeurs v Rapaura Mighty Four MTC 1 & 2; MTC Swallows v MTC Swifts MTC 3 & 4; Rapaura Matadors v Rapaura Pinot RTC 3 & 4 (if wet, MGC 7 & 8); MTC Power v Rapaura Newhawkes MTC 8 & 9. Divisions three and four: Rapaura Riesling v MTC Bjorn Again RTC 5 & 6 (if wet, Spring Creek); MTC Summer Smashers v MTC Re-strung MTC 5 & 10; Grovetown Turf & Tackle v Rapaura Shiraz MTC 15 & 16; Rapaura Chardonnay v Grovetown Shakers Grovetown TC; Renwick Rebels v MTC Tennis the Menace Renwick TC.
team to watch will be Marlborough Volleyeurs, a new team containing some very experienced and talented players including Jim Sampson, Mike Birkett, Paddy Lankshear, Roberta Marshall, Suzanne Sampson and Alison John. Another will be Marlborough Power. Last year Pauline Low and Mary-Anne Sloper lost only one match and this year their men’s team is strengthened by two new members, the experienced Brian Powell and Glen Mackie.
As there were five teams in division three and five teams in division four the decision was made to combine the two divisions in the first round. Thereafter the top six teams will make up division three and the bottom four teams, division four.