Lucas Cup goes down to the wire
Just nine games separated tennis rivals Marlborough and Nelson when the annual Lucas Cup was contested in Nelson on Sunday.
After matches were shared 8-8, and sets level at 17-17, it came down to a countback of games won with the home side narrowly retaining the senior representative silverware, 151 games to 142.
The tight scoreline represented a dramatic upswing for Marlborough, after last season’s 13-3 result.
The tie opened with doubles matches at the Nelson Lawns Tennis Club. Nelson took out the No 1 match with Albie Hailes and Hamish Morrow going down to Dave Averill and Paul Muncaster 1-6, 7-6, 0-6. However the experienced Marlborough duo of Dave Sandford and Chris Nott evened things up in the No 2 match, prevailing 7-5, 6-2 over Taylor Bianco and Oscar Symons.
In the women’s doubles, Marlborough twins Jade and Kyla Otway picked up a 7-5, 6-3 win over Nelson juniors Farrah Richards and Holly Mace while, in the No 2 match, Donna Clark and Pauline Fudge went down 1-6, 1-6 to Suzanne Spencer and Robyn Sheaves.
Marlborough dominated the top singles matches with Hailes beating Averill 6-1, 6-3, Morrow getting the better of Petley 6-3, 6-0, Jade Otway defeating Richards 6-4, 6-0 and Kyla Otway overcoming Hore 7-5, 6-2. However, Nelson staged their recovery in the third and fourth match-ups with Bianco edging Sandford 6-4 7-6, Symonds downing Nott 6-4 6-3, Spencer beating Clark 6-3, 6-2 and Mace defeating Amber Lyons 6-2, 6-2 to lock the scores at 6-6 going into the mixed doubles.
Once again Marlborough took out the top pairings with Hailes and Jade Otway beating Averill and Spencer 6-4 6-4, then Morrow and Kyla Otway edging Petley and Richards 6-1, 4-6, 10-6. But once more Nelson fought back with Symonds and Hore overcoming Dave Williams and Donna Clark 6-3, 6-2 and Muncaster and Mace defeating Nott and Fudge 6-2, 6-2.
For Marlborough, the Otways twins scored perfect three out of three records while Hailes and Morrow scored two wins each.
This weekend sees the focus switch to the junior reps with Marlborough hosting Nelson in the annual Malcolm Shield under14 rep match. Marlborough have held the trophy since 2011 and are keen to hang onto it for a seventh consecutive year. The match starts at 10am Sunday at the Forrest Winery Marlborough Tennis Centre.
Marlborough team. Boys: Oscar Parkinson, Oscar Sandford-Jury, Ruairi Meighan, Lachlan Mackie, Lucca Wiseman. Girls: Jade Otway, Kyla Otway, Lily Parkinson, Ella Sowman.