Tennis: Families pair up at doubles tourney

Judy Hill competing in A Grade Ladies with Ella McKinley.

Almost 100 tennis players took part in last weekend's successful Janet Agnew Carnival Doubles held at Thomas Neale Family Memorial Park.

Held on Friday and Saturday the six courts at the park - recently resurfaced with astro turf - proved a popular draw card especially with the older tennis players. Auckland tennis clubs, Mission Bay, Parnell and Koru, also turned up to the tournament, with a high standard of tennis on both days.

The tournament is well known for its family participation giving many parents a chance to play with their children, husbands with wives, siblings with each other, cousins, and all combinations.

The Auckland pairing of John Lawrence and Peter Stokes took out the Mens A Grade Doubles with a nail-biting win over top Northland combination Keith Cocking and Mike Clapshaw. It took a third set super tie breaker to decide the outcome 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.

In the Mens B Grade Doubles Dick Garratt and Rogers Collins from the Koru Tennis Club just prevailed over Te Hira Baker and Wiremu Flavell from the Te Atatu Tennis Club in another match that was decided by a super tie breaker.

Dick Garratt, 68, who was the main organiser of the Maori Sports Awards took out the prize for the oldest participant.

Shelley Yeates, a Northlander from the Springfield Tennis Club, together with Gayleen Carson from Koru Club won the Ladies A Grade Doubles with an emphatic win over the Mission Bay pairing of Paula Stubbing and Julie Heaton 6-3, 6-3.

Maunu's Margaret Harper and Teresa Warren prevailed over Mairtown pair Laurette Anderson and Maria Clarke in the Ladies B Grade final by the smallest of margins, final score 5-7, 6-3 11-9.

The mixed doubles on Saturday was another fine win for Shelley Yeates and Kerikeri's Mike Clapshaw in a very strong A Mixed Grade competition. They won the final 6-3, 6-3 over Auckland's Peter Stokes and Paula Stubbing.

The B Grade mixed doubles was a topsy turvy match with the Mairtown pairing of Lance Hick and Laurette Anderson just coming out on top against Damian Wojcik from Maunu and Maryanne Rogers-Benton from Northland Seniors 0-6, 6-0, 10-7.

Juniors Ben Morley and Shuntel Rika just sneaked the win in another third set tie breaker, against Josh McKegg and Mel Meyer 1-6, 7-5, 12-10.