Gisborne emerge as top team overall

TOP TEAM: Gisborne finished top team in the annual competition among the four areas of the Eastland tennis region. The Gisborne team, made up of Wainui and Gisborne tennis club members, were, back (from left): Mark Robertson, Andrew Powell, Te Aorangi Harrington, Masatomo Takahashi and Sam Marsh. Front: Trish Mackey, Robyn Tomlinson, Gill Owen, Jan Morley, Heather Mihaere and Carolyn Baty. Picture supplied

Teams representing four areas of the Eastland tennis region came together in Gisborne over the weekend for their annual battle to settle the question of intercity tennis supremacy.

Final points tallies had Gisborne as top team, followed by Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke's Bay, in that order.

The Gisborne team comprised players from the Wainui and Gisborne tennis clubs. They were up against selections from the clubs within the Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke's Bay areas.

Conditions were hot on Saturday and slightly cooler on Sunday for a round robin of doubles and mixed doubles.

In the women's doubles, each team had two pairings and this section produced some huge battles.

Gisborne did well in their six matches, but the top pair from Hastings — Havelock North's Cathy Clarkson and Olivia Addis — were the standout combination and brought their team home to win the Garland Shield for the top women's team.

It was a different story in the men's competition for the Wilson Shield.Gisborne were firing from the get-go.

The top pairing of newcomer Andrew Powell and former Poverty Bay rep Mark Robertson spearheaded the assault, and the Gisborne men went through the three Hawke's Bay teams without losing a match.

Te Aorangi Harrington impressed with his big serving as Gisborne won the Wilson Shield for the first time in many years.

The mixed doubles reflected Gisborne's experience in that format, as the home team lost only three matches out of the 12 they played. Heather Mihaere and Carolyn Baty played some wily shots to good effect.

Gisborne club president Brent Lowry, who filled in as a player for a visiting team, commended the spirit in which the matches were played and thanked other local players — Carol Thorpe, Brian Baty and Gill Owen — for filling in for out-of-town teams.