Tactics and tight matches to the fore

Taranaki was treated to another exciting weekend of intriguing tennis, where tactics played a big part in the winning and losing of ties.

The most tightly contested battle came as Pukekura visited Rotokare on their home courts; Pukekura won 9-7.

There was a very clear split between the strength of the Rotokare men and the strength of the Pukekura women.

Spearheaded by Ajeet Rai, all four of the Rotokare men posted victories over their Pukekura counterparts.

Nikayla Barnard won comfortably at the top of the order for the Pukekura women against Tania Atkinson 6-1 6-1. The rest of the Pukekura women followed suit to leave the score at four matches apiece after the singles.

The doubles played out in the same fashion, with Rotokare winning both men’s clashes and Pukekura accounting for both women’s matches. This meant it was all to combinations.

Unfortunately for Rotokare, tight matches went the way of Pukekura and they won both the three and four-seed matches 9-7.

The second spot saw Nikayla Barnard dropping down to play with her brother David and they won easily 9-1. Ajeet Rai won with his partner Lucy Atkinson in the top spot but Pukekura had already won the day.

Oakura hosted South Combined and ran out comfortable winners

13-3. The most exciting match up was the battle between Graham Mitchell and Hamish Mead in the top men’s spot. Mead won the match 7-6

6-7 7-5. Unfortunately for South Combined, all the doubles and combinations went to Oakura.

Stratford were at home Huatoki and Huatoki ran winners 12-4.

In the Wilson Trophy, South Combined lost at home to Rotokare

7-9, Pukekura lost at home to Inglewood 6-10 and Waitara lost at home to Oakura 6-10. play for in the to out