Premier interclub tennis begins

The four-team Wine Brokers NZ Marlborough premier interclub tennis competition kicked off on Wednesday.

Winners on opening day were Marlborough Forest Wines Whero and Rapaura Wairau River Blanc.

Whero came up against club mates Marlborough Forrest Wines Ma and came away with a hard-fought 4-2 victory.

Four players form each team with ties being a mixture of doubles and singles.

In the top doubles the vastly-experienced Whero duo of Hamish Morrow and Chris Nott overcame Stephen Dempster and Jaco van Hensbergen 6-4, 6-3 while Mieko Kimura and George Guthrie downed Koos Richter and Anna Simpson 6-3, 6-1. Both Morrow and Nott won their singles, against Dempster and van Hensbergen respectively, to sew up the overall win. Simpson beat Kimura and Richter overcame Guthrie in their singles clashes to claim two consolation wins for Ma.

The other tie was even closer, Blanc getting home 8-7 on countback after the games were tied 3-3.

The doubles were shared. Glen Cameron and Dan Clarke beating Ant Walkenhorst and Jared Bell 5-7, 7-6, 10-6 to give Noir an early advantage, before Stu Campbell and Heidi Stenhouse-Allen picked up Blanc's first point with a 5-7, 7-6, 10-6 victory over Owen Dodson and Eveline Apthorp van der Linden.

The singles were also shared, Walkenhorst beating Clarke, Cameron downing Bell in a three-setter, Dodson getting the better of Campbell and Stenhouse-Allen toppling Apthorp van der Linden. Making the difference when the tie was decided on countback was Bell’s effort in taking Cameron to three sets.

There is no division two interclub this season.

President’s grade

Meanwhile the ever-popular president’s grade competition began on Tuesday, involving 32 teams this year.

Thirteen of the teams come from the Rapaura club, 12 from Renwick, five from Marlborough and two from Grovetown.

Results:

Division one: Rapaura Wairau River 2 (26) Renwick Racketeers 2 (27); Renwick Netsetters 1 Marlborough Power 3; Marlborough Chilli 2 (22) Rapaura Triple Fault 2 (26); Rapaura Masters 3 Rapaura Just Move 1; Rapaura Four Strung a bye.

Division two: Marlborough Swallows 4 Rapaura Matador 0; Marlborough Tennis the Menace 2 (24) Renwick Rookies 2 (32); Renwick Miss Hits 1 Rapaura Newhawkes 3; Rapaura Pinot 1 Marlborough Volleyeurs 3; Rapaura Mavericks a bye.

Division three: Renwick Rebels 4 Renwick Racquets 0; Renwick BTL 4 Renwick Chardonnay 0; Renwick Re-Strung 2 (27) Rapaura Floorpride 2 (29); Grovetown Turf and Tackle 4 Renwick Raptors 0.

Division four: Rapaura Shiraz 0 Rapaura Hakinakina 4; Rapaura Spring Creek 4 Square 0 Rapaura Mainfreight 4; Grovetown Platters 3 Renwick Rascals 1.