Tuesday, 09 March 2010
VETERAN tennis players ruled the courts at the Whakatane Tennis Club’s biggest annual event at the weekend.
The Liquor King tournament attracted more than 100 players from throughout New Zealand and tournament organisers said it was the strongest field in the event’s 25-year history.
Whakatane pairing Anne Volmuller and Debs Willumsen came up against Rotorua’s Joanne Douglas and Leona Kaye-Davis in the division one women’s final.
The hometown favourites lost 11-9 in an epic battle that had both pairs exchanging winners.
Whakatane’s Vicky Murray and Rotorua partner Val McLaughlin won the women’s plate in the same division, while in division two, Sue Laurent and Karina Craig from Whakatane took out the plate section.
The division one men’s final was an all-Hamilton showdown - last year’s runners-up Jason Cargo and Kevin Elliot won a tiebreaker 7-3 in a close match over Steve Pett and Warren Lovegrove.
The scores stayed with serve right through until 10-all.
Whakatane’s Mark Ratana and Dave Hawkes won the flight section. Japanese visitor Masy Kanda and partner Stew Wylds from Whakatane won the plate section.
Whakatane club stalwart Ron Mahy made a good showing in the men’s third division.
Sunday had the mixed competition take place and Guy Henderson and Cassandra Kidd of Tauranga won the division one title over top seeds Alan Russell and Volmuller. Dave Goile and Willumsen finished third and took out the flight section.
Winners of division two were Whakatane’s Alan Mitchell and Evlyn Harris, while Rose Robins and Grant Louie took out division three.