Big outside contingent for tournament

MEN'S WINNERS: Alan Russell (left) and Hank Volmuller won the A division men's doubles in the FMG Open Seniors Tennis Tournament. Picture supplied

TENNIS

OVER 100 players took part in the FMG Open Seniors Tennis Tournament at the Childers Road courts in Gisborne at the weekend.

Players came from North Auckland, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay to compete, with several being national age-group champions.

That made it difficult for local players to make the finals, although Sam Marsh and Steve Denton in the men’s doubles, Cathy Walker and Serene Albert in the women’s doubles, and Masa Takahashi and Sally Spence in the mixed doubles all reached semifinals.

In the B division, Gisborne husband-and-wife duo Derek and Cathy Walker won the mixed doubles.

The tournament is held in Gisborne over the second weekend of November every year.

Results —

A doubles, men: Alan Russell (Rotorua) and Hank Volmuller (Whakatane).

Women: Carole Rowsell (Napier) and Maretta Randell (Wellington).

Mixed: Alan Russell (Rot) and Maretta Randell (Wgtn).

B doubles, men: Trevor King (Northland) and Dave Brake (Rot).

Women: Michelle (daughter) and Marilyn (mother) Wood (Te Puke).

Mixed: Derek and Cathy Walker (Gisborne).