Youngsters finish on top at Rapaura
Jade Feneon and Harry Pugh won yesterday's mixed doubles final at Rapaura. Photos: Peter Jones
Youth stole the show when the final of the Rapaura Tennis Club’s mixed doubles tournament was played at the grass court venue yesterday.
In a classic inter-generational battle, students Jade Feneon and Harry Pugh took on Jade’s parents Joelene and Remi Feneon in the competition decider, the younger duo prevailing 6-3, 6-3.
It was a second consecutive Rapaura mixed doubles title for Jade, who won last year alongside Liam Adams.
The final was a high-quality affair, with the silky net skills of Nelson-based Harry, a nationally-ranked junior, balancing out Remi’s big-serving power game. Both Jade and Joelene underlined their well-honed skills during some extended rallies.
The mixed event attracted a maximum draw of 32 combinations, making for a long day.
In the semifinals, Christchurch-based Remi and Jolene beat Liam and Suz Adams 9-2, while Jade and Harry accounted for father-and-daughter combination Glenn and Bailee Wilson 9-2.
Glenn, a former Davis Cup player and captain, will play alongside his brother Dene in the doubles competition, staged on Sunday and Monday. The pair won the title twice in the 1990s.
They will have plenty of competition in the men's draw through, including past winners Gareth Robb and Hamish Morrow, Josh Gwynne and Andrew Forgesson, as well as mixed final adversaries Remi and Harry.