Tennis trophy stays put

The long-standing Lucas Cup remains in Marlborough hands after the senior rep tennis side repelled a strong Nelson challenge in Blenheim on Sunday.

For the third successive season, Marlborough got the better of their close neighbour, this year’s tie being played at the Forrest Wines Tennis Centre.

Once again the home side’s female contingent, led by New Zealand junior rep Jade Otway, were to the fore, winning two ladies doubles and all four singles encounters.

After the first round of doubles the scores ended tied 2-2.

Nelson won the men’s matches, top junior Harry Pugh and Oscar Symonds defeating the local duo of Oscar Sandford-Jury and Hugh Robinson 6-0, 6-2 while Alex Low and Johnny Cameron overcame Lee Harborne and Hamish Morrow 7-6, 6-2.

The situation was reversed in the ladies doubles, Otway and Susan Heagney romping past Ruth Seeman and Suzanne Spencer 6-1, 6-0, then Ella Sowman and Donna Clark downing Mandy Beynon and Susan Rooney 6-3, 6-4.

Nelson dominated the men’s singles 3-1, Hamish McRae’s 7-6, 6-1 win over Cameron the sole Marlborough success.

Otway, Clark, Amber Lyon and Sowman won their singles matches, the latter’s gutsy 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Beynon a pivotal result.

Holding a 7-5 lead Marlborough need two wins for the overall win and quickly put the matter beyond doubt. Morrow and Otway beat Pugh and Beynon 6-4, 7-5 then McRae and Heagney downed Low and Rooney 6-1, 6-4 to seal the deal. Robinson and Clark added a three-set win in the final mixed match to make the final score 10-6 to the home side.

Otway and Clark ended the day with three wins from their three matches, while Heagney proved a doubles specialist with two victories from two.