West End won through to the men's grand final of the Auckland Caro Bowl tennis championship after an emphatic 5-1 victory over Remuera in the minor final on Saturday, but were under pressure after starting the tie with two three-set matches.
Former Davis Cup player Teo Susnjak and former New Zealand
coach Justin McKenzie secured the first point for West End, winning the top doubles over Kane Goulter and Marty O'Donnell, who started his Caro Bowl career in 1978.
The second doubles was full of close and entertaining rallies as two of New Zealand's top junior players went head-to-head. Damien Mulhane, a member of the World Youth Cup squad, and partner Nigel Allen beat one of the nation's top-ranked 18s players, Nick Lane, and Andrew Birse, a World Youth Cup player in the early 1990s, 3-6 6-2 6-2.
Susnjak then provided West End with the buffer by winning the top singles match over Goulter in straight sets, leaving Remuera rueing their No 1 Carl Limberger's broken right thumb.
The No 3 singles proved vital, as a win to either side would seal the victory for West End or keep Remuera in the match. Mulhane came to the party for West End, scoring a three-set win after dropping the first set against Birse.
West End will now play Parnell in the grand final. On the two previous occasions when the sides have met this season, Parnell have won 4-2 and 5-1.
Defending women's champions Parnell beat Remuera 5-1 to progress to the grand final against Royal Oak next Saturday.
Campbells Bay were the big winners in the North Harbour Chelsea Cup championship as the men's side moved straight through to the grand final in two weeks, fending off the challenge of second-placed Birkenhead eight sets to six on countback.
Birkenhead will now play Mairangi Bay, who beat Belmont seven sets to six in the third and fourth clash to see if they can work their way back into the final.
The women's competition saw Northcote beat Milford 4-2 to claim a finals place. Milford will now have to play Campbells Bay in the minor final after the Bay side triumphed over Mairangi Bay, seven sets to six.
