Rotorua Open set to serve up thrilling doubles action

Shaun Tamai, pictured in action, and doubles partner Jesse Galvin-Dawson are top seeds in the division 1 men's draw at the 2017 Rotorua Open doubles tournament. PHOTO/ FILE

Local tennis players will be serving for the top titles at the Rotorua Open doubles tennis tournament.

The annual round-robin competition, in its fifth year, will pit male and female doubles pairs from across the North Island against one another tomorrow. Hosted at the Rotorua Tennis Club, more than 50 players will compete across five divisions, ranging from juniors through to masters.

The competition is sponsored by the Henry Davis whanau and was set up to encourage more local players into the sport.

Davis' daughter and Rotorua women's captain Leona Davis-Kaye, who won the women's doubles title with Weiwei Verran last year, described it as a "vital grassroots" competition.

"It gives our local players the opportunity to play others from around the country and it just keeps on growing and we are attracting more of the younger players which we are very pleased about," Davis-Kaye said.

"I feel there is a lack of tournaments that local players can enter so it's so important to keep this going. It's special because it allows people of all different ages to play in divisions that suit their tennis abilities and basically bringing people together to play the game we all love."

Rotorua pairing Shaun Tamai and Jesse Galvin-Dawson are top seeds in the division 1 men's competition, with Tamai looking to add to the title he picked up with Sean Martin last year.

Jesse Galvin-Dawson in action. PHOTO/ FILE

Local brothers Ryan and Nick Beamish are also ones to watch.

The top seeds in the women's division 1 are Auckland's Gaye Carson and Annie Hawaikirangi-Pere from Koru Club, winners of the recent Aotearoa Maori Tennis 30-plus doubles title. Carson is also a former New Zealand junior and open champion.

Second seeds are local hard-hitting Aliya Edwards and up-and-coming junior Kaleigh Going from Tauranga.

Davis-Kaye and Julia Newman, 16, from Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club are seeded third.

"We have a really good chance locally and are represented well across the five divisions," said Davis-Kaye. "Shaun has the experience and knows what it takes so that will definitely help with Jesse.

"The women's draw will be very exciting because it's so tough. I couldn't pick out the winner from there. Making the right shot selection on the pressure points and working as a unit is vital to do well."

The tournament starts at 9am tomorrow at the Rotorua Tennis Club with division matches played across five courts. The tournament will finish about 4pm.

2017 Rotorua Open round robin doubles tennis tournament

When: Saturday, 9am - 4pm

Where: Rotorua Tennis Club - across five courts

Rotorua field: 42 local players