Tennis: Men profit from Gate Pa's lack of players

Rotorua's James Wilce (right) was in good touch on Saturday for the Rotorua men's tennis team. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Rotorua men's premier tennis team have continued their winning run, notching up their third straight victory this season.

The Rotorua team went up against Gate Pa (Tauranga) on Saturday at the Rotorua Tennis Club, to complete their match-up which was rained out last weekend. Rotorua won the tie 4-2 after Gate Pa defaulted three matches on Saturday.

Gate Pa's number one seed and number two seed were unable to make the trip over to Rotorua, due to work commitments and injury. This forced Gate Pa to default the top two singles matches as well as one doubles match.

However, veteran players Peter O'Dea and Mike Callard were able to front up for Gate Pa and play the other doubles match and two singles matches.

O'Dea and Callard recommenced their doubles match against Rotorua's James Wilce and Ryan Beamish, with the scores locked at 5-5 in the first set.

Gate Pa started off well, winning the first two games to take the first set 7-5.

In the second set, the Rotorua pair seemed to always be on the back foot with Gate Pa taking it 6-3.

The singles matches saw Wilce against O'Dea and Rotorua's Lionel Rogers playing his first singles match in this competition against Callard.

Wilce proved too good for O'Dea, with a number of points for Wilce coming off his backhand volley. Wilce won the match 6-1, 6-0.

Rogers competed well against Callard, with both players often trading baseline forehands and moving each other around the court with deft touches. Callard eventually won that match 6-3, 6-4.

Rotorua won the tie with an overall score of 4-2 which has moved them to the top of the table in the new Waikato Bay of Plenty interclub competition.

The Rotorua women's premier team did not have a game at the weekend. Both teams will be in action again this Saturday at the Rotorua Tennis Club, with the Rotorua men's and women's teams up against Otumoetai/Mount Maunganui.