The pundits were proved wrong when Masterton scored a 7-2 win over Gladstone in the final of the Wairarapa Tennis Association's Gawith Shield regional one competition at the Masterton Tennis Centre on Saturday.
All the talk beforehand suggested a close contest with the end result going right to the wire but, as it happened, Masterton were comfortable victors, winning four of the six singles matches and all three of the doubles.
The men's singles saw Luke Atkinson, Chad Parsons and Duncan Oakley all register straight set victories for Masterton with Gladstone's sole success there coming from Angus Preston, also in straight sets.
In the women's singles it was one win apiece, with Georgia Atkinson doing the business for Masterton and Sandra McNab likewise for Gladstone. The talented Atkinson did not, however, have things all her own way against Zoe Schofield with the latter taking the first set 7-6 before Atkinson struck back to win the next two 7-5, 6-2.
The men's doubles produced a couple of close-fought three setters with Masterton winning them both. In each case the third set was a thriller, Atkinson and Bunny taking theirs 7-5 and Parsons and Oakley theirs at 7-6. In the women's doubles Masterton's Atkinson and Warren were more dominant, winning in straight sets.
Scores, Regional One finalMasterton names first:-
Men's singles: Luke Atkinson beat Chris Schofield 6-1, 6-2; Chad Parsons beat Alistair McWilliam 6-2, 6-2; Matt Bunny lost to Angus Preston 0-6, 3-6; Duncan Oakley beat Peter Morris 6-2, 7-6.
Women's singles: Georgia Atkinson beat Zoe Schofield 6-7, 7-5, 6-2; Dushka Warren lost to Sandra McNab 3-6, 0-6.
Men's doubles: Atkinson and Bunny beat Schofield and Preston 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; Parsons and Oakley beat McWilliam and Morris 6-3, 2-6, 7-6.
Women's doubles: Atkinson and Warren beat Schofield and McNab 6-4, 6-3.
The regional two men's final between Masterton and Martinborough was an absolute humdinger with Masterton taking the honours by just the one set.
The singles ended at 2-2 with Ally O'Neill and Bruce Cameron picking up wins for Masterton and Tim Pickering and Campbell Venning for Martinborough.
It was also even stevens in the doubles, each side scoring two wins apiece there.
Scores, Regional Two finalMasterton names first:-
Singles: Peter Hampson lost to Tim Pickering 7-6, 0-6, 6-7; Colin Gillot lost to Campbell Venning 6-7, 2-6; Ally O'Neill beat Arthur Warren 6-1, 6-0; Bruce Cameron beat James Blundell 6-2, 7-5.
Doubles: Hampson and Gillot lost to Pickering and Venning 6-9, O'Neill and Cameron beat Warren and Blundell 9-4; Hampson and O'Neill beat Pickering and Warren 9-3, Gillot and Cameron lost to Venning and Blundell 6-9.