Tennis: Rotorua start season in style

TITLE DEFENCE: Last year's champs Rotorua are off to a good start this season. They are Shaun Tamai (left), James Wilce, Lionel Rogers, Jesse Galvin-Dawson and Ryan Beamish. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The Rotorua men's tennis team are off to a great start this season, having notched up back-to-back wins.

Rotorua travelled to Tauranga on Saturday afternoon to take on Otumoetai Tennis Club in the Waikato Bays premier men's interclub competition.

Defending champions Rotorua won 4-2, taking out one of the two doubles matches and three of the four singles matches.

There was plenty of quality tennis on display during the fixture which was a re-match of last season's grand final.

Whakatane have also notched two wins from two games this season and appear to be another real threat in the premier competition.

Rotorua captain Shaun Tamai was beaten in the No1 singles match on Saturday, against Otumoetai No1 Jason Young, but said he was proud of his teammates .

The victorious Rotorua team included Tamai, Ryan Beamish, Lionel Rogers, James Wilce and Jesse Galvin-Dawson.

"I'm very proud of the boys," Tamai said. "For them to pull it out of the bag, they did really well."

He said it was good to have Beamish, one of their young players from last season, return to the side.

-Results from round two:

Men's grade: Otumoetai 2-4 Rotorua, Whakatane* 3-3 Hamilton.

Lugton Park 4-2 Cambridge.

Tauranga Lawn v St Peter's - score not submitted; Women's grade: Scores not submitted.

*Whakatane won on a countback.