Tennis: Rotorua aces to the interclub fore

Rotorua's Zanna Douglas returns a shot during her team's win over Hamilton on Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's two premier tennis sides are doing more than just turning some heads this season.

They are absolutely blitzing the Waikato Bays interclub competition.

The Rotorua women's team are the only undefeated side left after six rounds, while the men's team sit top of the table in the premier men's division.

The Rotorua men's team moved up into top spot on Saturday after convincingly defeating Lugton Park Tennis Club from Hamilton.

The team of Shaun Tamai, Sean Martin, Jesse Galvin-Dawson, James Wilce and Lionel Rogers was simply too strong for Lugton Park, winning both doubles matches and three out of four singles matches.

Meanwhile, on the adjacent courts at Rotorua Tennis Club, the Rotorua women's team defeated Hamilton five matches to one.

Leona Davis-Kaye, Zanna Douglas, Aliya Edwards, Lara Wild and Pang Suwanaposee had some very close matches against their Hamilton opposition but came out on top.

They won both doubles matches before taking three out of four singles matches.

Rotorua will have to get use to wearing the favourites tag from now on, as they continue to notch up wins this season.

Men's No1 seed Tamai said everyone was really enjoying their tennis at the moment and the season was shaping up nicely.

"With the depth of our team it is looking quite promising," he said.

"But we are just taking it week by week and won't get too far ahead of ourselves."

The playoffs for the men's competition will begin in February.

Tamai said he was really pleased with his team's performance at the weekend to move into top spot.

"Yea very happy with the team, an excellent performance," he said.

"It was unbelievably hot.

" I had to pause and sneak a break a couple of times -- but it was the same for everyone."

Tamai was in brilliant form on Saturday, defeating the young Lugton Park No1 seed Andy van der Vyver in straight sets (6-2, 6-4).

A reasonable crowd gathered to watch the singles match, which showcased Tamai's lightning-fast serve.

In the other singles matches, Martin went down to Andrew Irving (6-1, 1-6, 6-7), Galvin-Dawson defeated Daniel Andonov (7-6, 6-4) and Wilce was too strong for Adam Whauwhau, winning 6-1, 6-0.

In the women's doubles play, Rotorua's Davis-Kaye and Douglas defeated Hamilton's Lucy Bird and Nicola Blake.

Meanwhile team-mates Edwards and Wild defeated Hamilton's Charmaine McGuire and Amber Barry.

In singles play, Rotorua's number one seed Pang Suwanaposee, fresh off winning the dux award at Rotorua Girls' High School, played Bird.

Bird won that match in straight sets 7-6, 6-4.

In the other singles matches, Douglas defeated Blake (4-6, 7-5, 7-6), Edwards defeated McGuire (4-6, 6-4, 6-3), and Wild won her match against Barry 7-6, 6-4.