Blair Cup win completes quadruple tennis success
The victorious Blair Cup team with cioach Reilly Quirk. Photos supplied.
Marlborough’s junior tennis players have notched up a remarkable quadruple achievement.
The rep team’s victory over their Nelson counterparts in the annual under-18 Blair Cup fixture on February 9 in Nelson cemented their place in history. Marlborough now holds all four junior representative fixtures – the Wilding Cup (v West Coast), the Gardiner Trophy (v Nelson), the Malcolm Shield (v Nelson) and the Blair Cup.
Coach Reilly Quirk says, “this remarkable achievement underscores not only the talent and determination of the players but also the strength of Marlborough’s supportive tennis environment, which has been instrumental in nurturing these young tennis players.”
The Blair Cup team consisted of five male and five female players. Stand-out performances came from young Zoey She, who won her singles match against an older and higher-ranked player, while Emily Precce notched a solid win over Nelson's Shaylyn Ilton.
Marlborough finished the tie off strongly, winning all four mixed doubles matches to create a 12-4 victory margin.
Blair Cup team: Dan Clarke (c), Max Sowman, Flynn Weaver, Jack King, Ryo Kimura, Isobel O'Brien, Mia Harris, Emily Preece, Pippa Sowman, Zoey She. Reilly Quirk (coach).