Rapaura crowned premier champs

Rapaura Wairau River Blanc are the 2020 Marlborough premier tennis champions, after dethroning Renwick CPR at Pollard Park yesterday.

The Rapaura combination - Ant Walkenhorst, Hugh Robinson, Glen Cameron and Donna Clark - took out an enthralling Winebrokers NZ division one decider four matches to two in perfect conditions.

The final began with two doubles clashes, Walkenhorst and Robinson taking on Renwick siblings Oscar and Joseph Sandford-Jury.

The Rapaura duo held a slight edge throughout the first set, taking it out 6-4, but the youngsters fought back immediately, winning the second 6-2. They carried that momentum into the tiebreaker, claiming a 10-2 win to give the defending champs an early edge.

Donna Clark picked up two wins to guide her Rapaura side towards victory.

On the adjoining court, Cameron and Clark proved too strong allround for Daniel Riordan and Mieko Kimura, prevailing 6-1, 6-4 to level the tie entering the singles clashes.

Clark and Cameron continued their dominance in the one-on-one matches, the former beating Kimura 6-3, 6-1, then Cameron winning 6-4, 6-2 over Riordan.

The Sandford-Jury siblings, Oscar and Joseph, right, claimed a come-from-behind victory in the men's doubles match.

The battle of the top men was enthralling, high-quality tennis, Oscar Sandford-Jury downing Walkenhorst 6-3, 6-3, meaning Rapaura still required one more win to wrap up the tie.

Robinson and Joseph Sandford-Jury provided a fitting finale, the Rapaura man taking out the first set 6-1, dropping the second 4-6, then winning the tie-breaker 10-6 against his young rival.

Glen Cameron waits at the net during his doubles match yesterday.

The second division final was also played yesterday, Marlborough Nga Hau Wha beating Marlborough Next Gen 4-2.

Nga Hau Wha set up their win with victory in both their doubles – Jaco van Hensbergen and Ivan Fedo beating Joe and Sid Yank, then Josh Joseph and Stu Campbell downing Theo Sandford-Jury and Anthony Bowron.

Van Hensbergen’s singles win over Joe Yank, coupled with Campbell’s victory over Sandford-Jury were enough to get the job done, although Sid Yank and Bowron kept Next Gen in the tie with hard-fought three-set singles wins.

After the Christmas break the Marlborough Tennis Association will again run a Super Series competition.

It will be contested by teams of two, with singles and doubles played in a fast format. Team make-up can be two women, two men or mixed.

Entries close on January 8. The competition will start on January 20 and will run until March 3.