Tennis: Every bit like his coach

Hunter Every, right, and doubles partner River Apatu reflect on their successes during the Hawke's Bay Junior Tennis Open at the weekend. Photo/Warren Buckland

Let me be the first to give promising Hawke's Bay tennis player Hunter Every a nickname ... Little Luke.

The Greendale 12-year-old - who won two titles during the Kennedy Park-sponsored Hawke's Bay Junior Open which ended yesterday - is a miniature version of his coach and fellow left-hander Luke Donovan.

When quizzed on the keys to his unbeaten run in four under-12 singles matches and two under-12 doubles matches with Hawke's Bay Lawn's River Apatu, Every replied:

"Staying consistent and rallying with my opponents until they make a mistake."

That's an approach current and six-time Hawke's Bay Residentials champion Donovan has used throughout his senior representative career, which began more than two decades ago in premier interclub competitions in Wellington, Auckland and Hawke's Bay.

Donovan admitted he could see plenty of himself in Every, who he has coached since the youngster was 9.

"Quite a bit. Particularly the tenacity and grit when he tries to get every single ball. He runs after every ball and a lot of kids don't have the patience to do that. He certainly has the potential to achieve his goal of a scholarship at a United States college.

"I hope he sticks with tennis because there aren't a lot of talented left-handers around," Donovan added.

A former Hereworth School student who will start Year 9 studies at Lindisfarne College next term, top seed Every won the singles title for a third time when he beat Feilding's Jonty Giesen 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Every and Apatu, the top seeds, swept Giesen and Logan McKay of Feilding 6-0, 6-0 in their doubles final.

A more than handy soccer player and surfer, Every ranked tennis as his No 1 sport. During a normal training week the Hawke's Bay age group rep can spend up to seven hours training.

From January 17-20, Every will represent the Tennis Waikato Bays team at the under-14 teams nationals in Christchurch. It will be his second taste of teams nationals, as this year he was in the Tennis Waikato Bays under-12 team which finished sixth.

Every said if he is unsuccessful in his quest to score a tennis scholarship he will study zoology and marine wildlife at university.

Every and Apatu were two of nine Hawke's Bay title winners during the four-day open. Hawke's Bay Lawn's Rob Reynolds, a beaten quarterfinalist in the senior nationals the previous week, won the under-23 singles title.

Hawke's Bay Lawn's Jacob Verhoeven and Greendale's Andrew Shand captured the under-23 doubles title, while Greendale's Alex Cave combined with Aussie visitor Sarah Birchall to win the under-14 girls doubles title.

Greendale's Jack Prenter matched Every's double in his under-14 age group with the singles title as well as the doubles when he combined with clubmate Daniel Mitlash. Greendale's Alex Cave combined with Feilding partner Ayla Giesen to win the under-12 girls' doubles title.

Another Greendale left-hander, Jonathan Fall, finished second in the under-16 singles.