Brown lifts Mount to opening victory

Nick Brown began the Bay of Plenty interclub tennis season in style at the weekend, helping his Mount Maunganui club to a 6-0 win over Rotorua/Lynmore.
Brown was in commanding form as he beat Jordan Katipa 6-3 6-1, then paired with Steve McCashin for a hard-fought 7-5 6-3 doubles win over Andy Russell and Sean Martin.
Hamish Fox also played a blinder at No4 for the Mount, comfortably beating Kevin McLoughlin 6-1 6-1.
Gate Pa struggled in their match with Welcome Bay, losing 6-0, with observers dryly noting the best aspect from a Gate Pa point of view being the meal Welcome Bay provided afterwards.
Whakatane's Sam Barr beat Otumoetai's Jason Young 6-3 6-2 in the clash of the No 1s as Whakatane had a valuable 4-2 victory at home, although Otumoetai No2 Josh White was strong in beating Paul Haslam 6-4 6-3.
Whakatane's return to the women's grade was a tough one, losing 5-1 to Rotorua Panthers, with Rotorua No 1 Zana Douglas suffering her side's only loss when she retired hurt against Alex Howe.
Good doubles form helped Tauranga Lawn beat Mount Maunganui 4-2, after their singles matches were left even.
Beth Hughes and Maureen South beat Katerina Rockova and Judy Randell 6-4 7-5 and Suzanne Lugton and Anna Mahon took care of Michelle Handley and Dale Mallett 6-3 6-2.
Natalie Rodovanovich's hard-fought three-set win over Jody Kendall at No2 was Papamoa's only bright spot in their 5-1 loss to Otumoetai.
Bay of Plenty interclub results:
Mt Maunganui b Rotorua-Lynmore 6-0 (Nick Brown b Jordan Katipa 6-3 6-1, Steve McCashin b Andy Russell 6-3 6-4, Rosstan Mazey b Manaia Hiha 7-5 6-1, Hamish Fox b Kevin McLoughlin 6-1 6-1, Brown/McCashin b Russell/Sean Martin 7-5 6-3, Mazey/Fox b Katipa-Hiha 6-3 7-5).
Homewood Katikati lost to Tauranga Lawn 5-1 (Phil Salmon lost to Jamie Yates Jamie Yates 6-0 6-0, Peter O'Dea lost to Jacob Carey 6-1 1-6 6-4, Anton Mitchell lost to Jason Helms 6-1 6-2, Steve Bowen lost to Aaron Milne 3-6 6-4 6-4, Salmon/Craig Workman lost to Yates/Allan Clark 5-7 6-4 6-1, O'Dea-Bowen b Helms-Milne 6-2 6-2).
Gate Pa lost to Welcome Bay 6-0 (Mike Owen lost to Brett Hampton 6-3 6-2, Tony McMurtrie lost to Steve Lasslett 6-1 6-3, Gary Zimmerman lost to Wayne Jefferson 6-2 6-1, Grant Louie lost to Raul Reyes 6-2 6-1, Owen/Zimmerman lost to Lasslett/Richard Kidd 6-3 6-2, Tony McMurtrie/Andrew McMurtrie lost to Jefferson/Guy Henderson 7-6 2-6 6-2).
Whakatane b Otumoetai 4-2 (Sam Barr b Jason Young 6-3 6-2, Paul Haslam lost to Josh White 6-4 6-3, Mark Ratana b Sam Daly 6-4 6-2, Ben Howe b Ian McGregor 6-4 7-6, Howe/Barr lost to Young/White 6-7 7-5 6-3, Haslam/Ratana b Daly/McGregor 6-2 6-2).
Women:
Rotorua Panthers b Whakatane 5-1 (Zana Douglas lost to Alex Howe 6-1 retired injured, Leona Kaye-Davis b Vicky Murray 6-2 6-0, JoAnne Douglas b Nicola Bettelheim 6-0 6-1, Lara Wild b Zoe Howe 6-0 6-0, Douglas-Douglas b Howe-Howe 6-2 5-7 6-2, Kaye-Davis/Wild b Murray/Bettelheim 6-0 6-0).
Tauranga Lawn b Mt Maunganui 4-2 (Beth Hughes lost to Katerina Rockova 6-1 6-3, Maureen South b Judy Randell 6-3 6-0, Suzanne Lugton b Michelle Handley 6-0 6-0, Anna Mahon lost to Dale Mallett 6-3 6-2, Hughes/South b Rockova/Randell 6-4 7-5, Lugton/Mahon b Handley/Mallett 6-3 6-2).
Otumoetai b Papamoa 5-1 (Casey Tarau b Dorothea Collier 6-2 6-3, Jody Kendall lost to Natalie Rodovanovich 4-6 6-4 7-6, Ashleigh Harvey b Charlotte James 6-2 6-0, Sita Clark won by default, Tarau/Kendall b Collier/Rodovanovich 6-3 6-2, Clark/Rosa Taringa vs James/Win Spencer 7-5 6-4).