Tennis: Title triumph sweet revenge

Rotorua player Sean Martin in action. The Rotorua men's tennis team have won the 2014/2015 Waikato Bays premier interclub competition. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Rotorua men's tennis team have capped off a fine season by winning their grand final against Otumoetai.

After a great regular season, Rotorua saved some of their best tennis for the playoffs in the inaugural Waikato Bays premier interclub competition.

They convincingly defeated Otumoetai 5-1 in the grand final on Saturday.

Rotorua were boosted by a strong home crowd at the Rotorua Tennis Club for the final and won both doubles matches and three of four singles matches.

There was a touch of revenge to the grand final victory, as Otumoetai were the only side to beat Rotorua all season.

Rotorua No1 Shaun Tamai said it was very satisfying to win the title. "We are over the moon. It was an excellent win for the boys."

He said they had received a huge boost from home supporters. "Just walking into the club and seeing our crowd, Otumoetai were stunned by the amount of people that were there to support us, and it gave us an extra advantage.

"We played well and with our supporters there we wanted to play our best tennis because they had taken the time out to support us."

He said it was a great way to cap of the season.

"To go from our first match travelling to Thames to lifting the trophy at the end of the season was very humbling."

The winning team on Saturday included Tamai, Sean Martin, James Wilce, Jesse Galvin-Dawson and doubles specialist Lionel Rogers.

After winning both doubles matches on Saturday, Rotorua only had to win two of the four singles matches to lift the trophy.

Wilce and Galvin-Dawson won their singles matches, before Tamai joined them by winning his match. Martin went to three sets against Otumoetai's Jason Young before losing 2-6, 6-3, 4-6.

The rain held off just long enough to allow all the matches to be played on Saturday.

The Rotorua tennis team is a combined side and is made up of players from the Rotorua Tennis Club and Lynmore Tennis Club. Young players Ryan and Nick Beamish were also part of the side this season.

- Grand final: Rotorua 5 Otumoetai 1.

Shaun Tamai and Sean Martin (Rotorua) defeated Oliver Petrie and Steve McCashin (Otumoetai) 7-6, 6-2; James Wilce and Lionel Rogers (Rotorua) defeated Jason Young and Joshua White (Otumoetai) 7-5, 6-4; Tamai defeated Petrie 6-2, 6-4; Martin lost to Young 2-6, 6-3, 4-6; Wilce defeated McCashin 6-1, 6-2; Jesse Galvin-Dawson defeated White 6-3, 6-4.