Last month Rowe, 16, was one of 20 Kiwis Zanella took to the Rod Laver Queensland Junior Championships in Australia.
"I had to qualify to make the main draw. My goal was the top 32 and I finished up in the top 20 with four wins from seven matches which was pretty good considering I was one of 108 starters in the under-16 age group," Rowe recalled.
When Rowe returned to New Zealand he played in a top national age group tournament in Auckland and reached the quarterfinals where he was beaten by the eventual winner. This saw his national ranking climb to the top 20 in his age group and he is also ranked sixth on the Hawke's Bay senior men's rankings.
"I'm hoping to make the Tennis Eastern senior men's team this summer," Rowe said.
Because of his regular weekend trips to Auckland Rowe will be a reserve for his club's team in the Hawke's Bay premier interclub Thumps 2 competition which begins on Friday night. Five men's and five women's teams will be in action.
"With plenty of representative tennis planned for this summer it's important to have men and women playing both singles and doubles at a top level," Tennis Eastern's development officer Sean Davies said.
Hawke's Bay's senior residential champions Donovan and Jane Wyllie will turn out for their respective Greendale teams. While New Zealand junior rep Finn Reynolds and his nationally ranked brother Rob Reynolds haven't been included on the Hawke's Bay Lawn team's list they are expected to make the odd appearance when they are available.
Former Zimbabwe cricket player Davies pointed out the Tennis Eastern senior team which will cater for players from Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay will challenge Manawatu for the Christie Cup, the symbol of Central Districts tennis supremacy, this season. Hawke's Bay hasn't been involved in these fixtures for almost a decade.
This season Hawke's Bay will host the Rosebowl fixture which will see Tennis Eastern take on Waikato-Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty and Western Bay of Plenty.
Tennis Eastern has had one full season of running the code in the Bay after taking control back from the Hamilton-based Tennis Waikato Bays organisation.
"Overall playing numbers at clubs are up close to 5 per cent which is fantastic compared with many regions nationally which are in decline. We are lucky to have Sean [Davies] helping to drive many new initiatives," Tennis Eastern chairman John Penny said.
Part of the resurgence in tennis is down to Bay clubs adapting to change and offering new products such as hotshots, cardio tennis and tennis express which are supported by Tennis New Zealand through Bay coaches. Most Hawke's Bay clubs will have their season-opening days on Saturday.
HB Teams:
Men:
Hastings: Craig Giddy, Alan Boult, Steve Pollard, Luke Merwood.
Greendale: Luke Donovan, Andrew Shand, Hamish Lee, Roman Walewski, Jonathan Fall, Albert Rocard.
Hawke's Bay Lawn: Andrew Clifford, Jonty Sabiston, Allen Hokai, Warren McFarland, Luke Winter, Dan Rowe.
Central Hawke's Bay: Mike Hunia, Grant Angus, Mark Donald, Phil Murphy, Kim Cooper.
Havelock North: Ron Garrick, Jeremy Pearson, Andrew Baker, Gary Patton.
Women:
Hawke's Bay Lawn: Barbara Baker, Sophia Nash, Lily Verhoeven, Ruby Roberts, Rileigh Knapp.
Greendale: Jane Wyllie, Natasha Purcell, Stacey Skilton, Sue Kay, Kara Duxfield.
Central Hawke's Bay: Fi Tyler, Liana Hall, Sue Williams, Nicki Reisima, Debbie Williams, Amanda Withers, Nash Jane.
Havelock North One: Cathy Clarkson, Beata Troup, Karen Wakelin.
Havelock North Two: Judith Merwood, Bella Greig, Tori Morrison.
