This afternoon's Year 16 boys final could well be heading for a rematch of the Open men's playoff as the 2016 Dunlop Slazenger Wanganui Open rolled on at the Basset St courts yesterday.
The Year 16 and 12 grades started their tournaments, with boy grades very strongly represented with 28 entries in the Year 16's and 26 in the 12's.
Having won the men's open on Sunday, Wellington's Sam Newman was expected to line up against No2 seed Kurt Amey, with both players tied on ratings points coming into the tournament.
Amey had not entered the open over the weekend, and Wanganui Tennis Club development officer Gene Ridgway said his tactical play matched up well against Newman's power shots.
"The two contrasting styles - it will be interesting to watch them play each other."
However, by yesterday afternoon's quarterfinals, Amey had been upset by New Plymouth's Caleb Fleming 6-4 6-0, the 7th seed.
Fleming also pulled upsets as fifth seed in the men's open when he made the final with Newman and gave him a good match.
The Whanganui hope in the Year 16 boys grade was Sam Russell, who was eliminated in the first round.
Best of the locals yesterday was Henry Strang in the Year 12 boys - having won his first round match with Wellington's Sam Watson 6-0 6-2.
However, Strang was then beaten by 5th seed Zino Varouhas-Poole of Wellington 6-2 6-1.
Semifinals for the Year 12 boys are Varouhas-Poole meeting Hutt Valley's Sam Baird, while Taranaki's No1 seed Sasha Milentijevic-Vague takes on Wellington's Henri Lyons.
The Year 16 girls grade had eight players, who were split into two pools of four,
Manawatu's No1 seed Charlotte Williams is a clear favourite, while No2 seed Kate Bolton was also performing to plan yesterday.
The Year 12 girls semifinalists were found from their 11 player tournament.
It is an all-Wellington affair as top seed Alice Bolton (Wellington) will meet Ruby Pierre, while Olivia Cook takes on Brooke Morgan.
The doubles titles for the Open, Year 14 and Year 12 grades were also decided after the singles late on Sunday afternoon.
Wellington's Jason Pierre and Tim Lyons beat Oakura brothers Brady and Jamie Simpson in the Open men's final 6-4 6-4.
As reported yesterday, Whanganui's Paris Butters followed up her Open women's singles crown with the doubles alongside Kate Davey.
The Year 14 boys title was won by Wellington's Daniel Fleming and Trent Young, but only because singles finalists Jayden Harrison (Taranaki) and Jake Naylor (Lower Hutt) could not play the doubles final when Naylor was injured in their tough semifinal, which went to 15-13 in the tie-breaker third set.
The Year 14 Girls crown went to Manawatu's Hannah Sutherland-Smith and Madeleine Williams, who beat Wellington's Amy Kieboom and Cook 6-4 6-1 in the final.
Year 10 boys was won by Hutt Valley's George Baird and Marcus Ruane, who upset No1 seeds Jonty Giesen and Daniel Lewis (Taranaki) 4-1 5-4.
It was a small round robin of three team's in the Year 10 Girls, with Wellington's Francesca Lyon and Morgan winning both their matches.