Tennis Seniors attracts higher entry numbers

Tennis Seniors WBOP is staging their popular three-day annual event for players over 35 on the January 4 (singles), January 5 (doubles), and January 6 (mixed doubles) at Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club.

The entries this year have increased to 130 and includes many players from around the country who use the event to practice for the nationals later in the month.

The men's singles attracted 24 entries and the title will be hotly contested with top Auckland players entered including top seed Feleti Sofele (Mission Bay), Grant Williams (Mission Bay), Jason Cargo (Hamilton) and Steve Billing (Wellington).

Local players Quentin Maisey, Mike Callard and Peter O'Dea will be hard pushed this year but will provide good competition for the visitors.

The women's entries were small this year but have attracted two highly ranked players in Victoria Kerrison (Hawkes Bay) and Sandy Tritt (Waikato), who will dominate this event.

The men's doubles received a big entry of 32 teams and includes the highly rated combination of Steve Buckmaster (Remuera) and Sofele.

They will be sure to push local players Ken McIntyre and Jason Young, Steven Bowen and O'Dea, and Maisey and Hugh Robinson (Waikato) for the title.

The ladies doubles is just as competitive attracting 24 entries with Kerrison and Tritt, Stephanie Fleming and Helen Litt (Waikato), Leona Davis-Kaye and Weiwei Verran (Rotorua), challenging last year's local winners Cassandra Kidd and Janis Smith.

The mixed doubles has attracted 32 teams with many top combinations playing for the title.