Dickins’ golden summer continues

Manawatu No 1 women’s tennis player Bridget Dickins continued her golden run of form this summer at this week’s Taranaki Open.

Dickins dropped a miserly five games in total on her way to claiming the women’s open title at the Hawera Lawn Tennis Club.

The Taranaki senior open is unique in that it is one of the few provincial open tournaments still played on grass.

What makes Dickins’ feat even more impressive is that it was the first time she has played on that surface.

Dickins cruised through the early rounds of the singles draw without dropping a game and it wasn’t until the final where she played highly- ranked Taranaki player Alice Caskey that she was made to work, winning 6- 2 6- 3.

Dickins then teamed up with Manawatu’s Kara Duxfield to win her second title, the women’s doubles, against Caskey and Frances Gray in the final 6- 2 7- 6.

Dickins’ third title came in the mixed doubles with interclub teammate Jono Spring.

This was the toughest victory of the tournament for Dickins as she and Spring battled through rain delays of close to four hours to finally overcome a valiant effort by top Taranaki juniors Jamie Simpson and Hikaru Han 7- 6 5- 7 6- 4.

Dickins has now strung together 20 successive singles wins dating back to March last year..

Earlier in the tournament, Manawatu junior Kurt Amey won the under12 boys’ singles and then teamed up with Taranaki junior Caleb Fleming to take the under- 12 boys’ doubles title. Shenae Salisbury was runner- up in the under- 16 girls’ event, succumbing to Hikaru Han in a tough final 6- 2 2- 6 2- 6.