Decisive Bennett Cup victory

The Bennett Cup, symbol of tennis supremacy fought out annually between the Marlborough and Nelson Tennis Clubs, will spend the winter on this side of the Whangamoas.

After the clubs battled out a 22-22 draw in Nelson during November, Marlborough seized the initiative on their home courts on Sunday, eclipsing Nelson LTC 28-16 for a decisive overall 50-38 winning margin.

The trophy’s history dates to the mid-1920s, making it one of the longest-standing club tennis ties still going in New Zealand.

Teams from each club, comprising 12 men and 12 women compete in doubles, singles and mixed doubles.

Sunday’s tie was evenly-poised after the doubles, MTC holding a 9-7 lead after the men’s and women’s doubles. The women's singles were shared 4-4, but the home side claimed all bar one of the men’s singles to take a 20-12 advantage into the mixed.

Another strong effort by the home combinations saw them win eight of the 12 mixed clashes to complete a decisive victory.

A couple of the singles matches were notable for length and endurance. In the women’s singles Eveline Apthorp van der Linden held on to pip Clare Holmes 5-7, 7-6, 10-8 in a super tiebreaker, while, in the men’s singles, a similarly long match ensued with Daniel Riordan overcoming Amnat Theprassit 7-6, 6-7, 10-4.

Marlborough fielded four Bennett Cup debutants - Mia Harris (the youngest), Joey Beckett, who won all three of her matches, Logan Croad and Emily Stenhouse.

The Marlborough team:

Men: Hamish Morrow, Stephen Dempster, Stu Campbell, Owen Dodson, Jaco van Hensbergen, Glen Cameron, Chris Nott, Daniel Riordan, Logan Croad, Scott Booth, Koos Richter, Rob Milne.

Women: Amber Lyons, Donna Clark, Emily Stenhouse, Mia Harris, Joey Eade, Mieko Kimura, Eveline Apthorp van der Linden, Isobel O’Brien, Anna Simpson, Sarah Dillon, Mary-Anne Sloper, Taylor Keen.