Blue sky after rain for Open contest

A PAIR OF WINNERS: Mike Clapshaw (Kerikeri) and Keith Cocking (Whangarei) won the A-grade final in the tennis section of the Summer Open in Kaitaia on Saturday night.

Despite a less-than-promising start to the day, conditions gradually improved, allowing the Far North to turn on her summer finest for the Summer Open in Kaitaia on Saturday.

Organisers of the annual one-day tennis and squash tournament would have been fearing the worst at waking up to gloomy conditions on the morning of the event.

Being indoors, squash wasn't so much of a worry, but the majority of the estimated 150 names on the draw, a large percentage who had come from afar, were entered in the tennis section.

The tennis eventually got under way on time as leftover showers from the previous day's heavy rain fell, but the skies quickly cleared as forecast, before the sun came out with a vengeance leaving ruddy sweating faces all round as the day kicked in.

There were an estimated 50 pairs involved in the tennis section and a further 30 entries in the squash, many coming from clubs north of Auckland which made for a very long and hot day. But a very successful one too, mostly credit to having squash back on the Summer Open programme following an absence of several years.

The eventual winners of the A-grade tennis title were Mike Clapshaw (from the Kerikeri Tennis Club) and Keith Cocking (Whangarei) beating Gaylene and Darren Cossack (representing the Koru Tennis Club from Auckland) in a final which wrapped up around 8pm while long shadows from the setting sun stretched across the courts.

In the squash, the event's poster girl, Shelley Kitchen, was again regarded as a top seed only to be knocked out in the semi-final by top seed Luke Jones, a former national under 19 champion and one of New Zealand's hottest young prospects.

It was still a popular homecoming for the former pro-tour player to the club where she learned her skills.

Jones - from Palmerston North but with a Northland girlfriend which went some way towards explaining his presence at the event - went on to win the men's A-grade final comfortably, beating Brent Lewis (Maungakahia SC), while Whangarei's Sacha Pou (Whangarei club) took out the women's title, beating Abby Palmer (North Shore, ex Northland).

Also notable on the Kaitaia squash and tennis courts on Saturday were several young rising stars in either code, who, more often than not, ended up making sure any senior opponents they came across had their work cut out for them.

The major drawcard for many was the massive spread put on by the hosting Kaitaia Tennis and Squash Club on Saturday evening after the prizegiving

A full list of results from both tournaments will feature in Thursday's edition.