Jade makes the grade

Marlborough’s leading tennis player, Jade Otway, is poised to take the next step in her burgeoning career after being selected in the New Zealand Billie Jean King Cup team.

Tennis NZ included Jade in a five-strong lineup which will take part in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly the Fed Cup) Asia/Oceania Group 2 competition in Malaysia from July 24-29.

The Kiwi squad is a mix of youth and experience. Nineteen-year-old Jade is one of two debutants, alongside Australia-based Monique Barry (21), the pair joining the more experienced trio of Valentina Ivanov (22), Vivian Yang (18), who debuted last year, and WTA tour professional Erin Routliffe. Long-time New Zealand representative Paige Hourigan was not available for selection due to injury.

Jade is currently based at Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, on a five-year scholarship. A winner of multiple national age group singles and doubles titles, she was named Tennis New Zealand’s junior female player of the year in 2020.

She has enjoyed a stellar season for her university, being named as the first NIT MVP winner after going undefeated through the 2023 NIT [national invitational tournament].

She is the first woman from this province to play Fed Cup or Billie Jean King Cup tennis, with Glenn Wilson the only Marlborough man to play in the Davis Cup, the male equivalent.

New Zealand were the victors last time they competed in Group 2 of the Billie Jean King Cup, gaining promotion with a final victory over The Philippines in 2020, when the event was played in Wellington. The competition was cancelled in 2021 and in 2022 New Zealand finished fifth out of six teams in their Group 1 tie which resulted in relegation back to Group 2.

Two sides out of the 12-team event will be promoted, with Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the hosts Malaysia shaping as the toughest to overcome. Teams will be split into pools of six, with the winner of each pool gaining promotion. Ties will consist of two singles and one doubles match daily between nations.

There is another Marlborough connection in the NZ camp, with team captain Matt Hair being based in Blenheim.