NZ title for Jade

Marlborough’s Jade Otway is the New Zealand under-18 girls singles champion after taking out a hard-fought final at Wilding Park in Christchurch on Monday.

After breezing through the earlier rounds, top-seeded Jade came up against the tenacious second seed Vivian Yang in the decider.

In perfect tennis-playing conditions, Jade had set points, ahead 5-4 in the first set but could not convert. After saving a set point to her opponent with a pinpoint rally, Jade claimed the vital first set 9-7 in a tense tiebreaker.

However, before she could settle in the second, she was 3-0 down. Although Jade regained her rhythm and fought back strongly to close the score up at 4-5, her rival served out the set to level at one apiece.

Stung by the reversal, Jade quickly settled into her work in the third and immediately went up 3-0, then led 4-1. She broke Vivian’s serve for 5-1 and made on mistake on her own delivery, wrapping up the set and match 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-1.

In the earlier rounds Jade beat Charlotte Tse 6-2, 6-0, fifth seed Elyse Tse 6-4, 6-4, then third seed Abby Mason 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinal.

Jade is a previous national under-16 singles champ and under-18 doubles title-holder.