Wairarapa turn on best ever performance

Wairarapa are guaranteed their best-ever finish at the quinrangular inter-provincial tennis tournament played at Massey University in Palmerston North over the weekend.
They were still in with a slim chance of winning the title after completing the last of their four matches early yesterday afternoon, but it was much more likely they would place second behind Kapi Mana, which only had to beat cellar dwellers Hutt Valley in the final series of games to clinch the major prize.
Wairarapa had the bye then so could not enhance their impressive record of three wins and a loss, their only defeat coming at the hands of Kapi Mana by just 7-5.
All three of their other games were enthralling affairs with Wairarapa being locked with both Wellington and Manawatu at 6-6 before taking the honours on a countback and beating Hutt Valley 7-5.
Not surprisingly, selector Steve Hurley was "absolutely rapt" with the Wairarapa effort, especially since they had never placed better than third at this particular tourney.
"To still be in with a show of winning the title after our last game is something special, we have to be delighted with the way things went," he said.
As was expected it was the strength of their men's section which proved to be Wairarapa's greatest attribute.
The availability of Marcus Daniell, ranked among the top 30 male players in the country, was a huge boost and he did not disappoint, winning all of his matches at the top of the singles order.
Daniell annihilated his Wellington opponent 6-0, 6-1 in his opening game but had a more difficult assignment against his Hutt Valley rival where he won 7-5, 7-6.
He then beat his Kapi Mana counterpart 6-3,6-4 and the Manawatu No.1 6-3, 6-4.
Daniell's inclusion in the Wairarapa team meant usual No.1 Jono Hurley dropped to No.2 and he too had a superb tournament, winning all of his singles and combining with Geoff McKay to win all of their doubles bar that against Manawatu.
Former Central Districts representative Leanne Sweeney picked up two singles wins-the only victories for Wairarapa in the women's singles all tournament- and unbeaten in the combined doubles were Daniell and Katie Wyeth and Sweeney and Luke Atkinson.
Selector Hurley said Wairarapa's results vindicated the decision to take an extended squad so as to allow players to be rested on a regular basis.
He said the doubles results were vital to Wairarapa"s cause, the results there allowing them to come back from 5-3 down to Wellington after the singles and also playing a big part in the win over Manawatu..
"We had the advantage of resting experienced players from the singles and keeping them fresh for the doubles and that worked very well," he said.