Tennis: Reynolds through to quarters in champs

Finn Reynolds

NZ Championship Tennis

Promising Hawke's Bay Lawn tennis junior Finn Reynolds has beaten fifth seed James Meredith at the Pascoes NZ Championship 6-3, 7-6 to make the quarter-finals.

Reynolds started the game strongly to win the first set 6-3 and edged out Meredith in a very close second set in a tie-break 8-6.

The 16-year-old will now play No4 Artem Sitak who is a regular player in the New Zealand Davis Cup team.

"I've got huge respect for Artem who has been a regular hitting partner for me in Auckland the past month. Playing in this high level men's event is a great opportunity for me to test my game against the best in New Zealand," he said.

Older brother Rob Reynolds yesterday went down 6-4, 6-2 to Kiwi No1 Finn Tearney.

Rob and Canterbury junior Connor Heap are in the doubles quarter- finals where they face No2 seeds Tearney and Wesley Whitehouse.

Hawke's Bay is bracing itself for the Kennedy Park HB International junior Open with a record 160 entries, including 40 from Australia and three from the Netherlands. The Open starts on Monday at the Hawke's Bay Lawn, Greendale and Nelson Park club courts.

The men's Thump Sports premier competition also will be staged this Saturday with Hastings facing Havelock North at Hastings club.