The Hawke's Bay tennis team after their big win over Manawatū to retain the Christie Cup. Photo / Supplied
The Hawke's Bay tennis team after their big win over Manawatū to retain the Christie Cup. Photo / Supplied
Hawke's Bay successfully defended the Christie Cup over the weekend in the first challenge of the tennis season, winning 19 of their 24 matches against Manawatū.
The 94-year-old trophy is contested between those two tennis associations as well as Taranaki and Whanganui, and Hawke's Bay have held it since the2018-19 season.
Tennis Eastern development officer Sean Davies was most proud of the much improved performance of the women's team.
"When we played Manawatu in 2018 in a non-challenge match, our women did not win a single match," he said.
"So for the women to win four out of six singles matches and all of the doubles was very satisfying, especially Jane Wyllie, who took part in that match in 2018".
Davies said key to that improvement has been the number of mixed gender interclub matches being played recently.
Hawke's Bay's Olivia Addis (ranked 127th nationally) pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the day, winning in three sets over Tharubphet Homkrun (ranked 40th).
The men's team, featuring former Tennis NZ number one and Davis Cup player Daniel Willman, Finn Reynolds, Dan Rowe and Luke Donovan, won all of their six matches as expected.
The next defence of the Christie Cup will take place in New Plymouth against Taranaki, who no doubt will look to persuade NZ number 3 Ajeet Rai to play in the match.
Results
Men's Singles: Finn Reynolds (HB) bt Terry Lee 6-1/6-1 Rynold Timothy (HB) bt Cam Wenham 6-2/6-4 Dan Rowe (HB) bt Gareth Toland 6-2/6-2 Dan Willman (HB) bt Michael Harris 6-2/6-1 Hamish Lee (HB) bt Jonty Giesen 6-3/6-1 Andy Shand (HB) bt Damien Silk 6-0/6-0
Women's Singles: Olivia Addis (HB) bt Tharubphet Homkrun 6-4/4-6/6-4 Hannah Sutherland-Smith bt Jane Wyllie (HB) 6-4/6-3 Alex Cave (HB) bt Ella Marshall 6-2/6-1 Sophie Ward (HB) bt Emily Dine 3-6/6-1/6-2 Caroline Liwon bt India Apatu (HB) 6-0/6-2 Roisin Dinan (HB) bt Jenna Bowie 6-3/7-5
Men's doubles: Finn Reynolds/Dan Willman (HB) bt Victor Romero/Cam Wenham 6-4/6-3 Luke Donovan/Dan Rowe (HB) bt Jonty Giesen/Damien Silk 6-3/6-0 Jonathan Fall/Craig Giddy (HB) bt Terry Lee/Michael Harris 6-3/6-4
