Patrice Mathey and Leela Beattie will be trying to get Wanganui through one more summer with the Christie Cup to break the record for longest single tenure.
Patrice Mathey and Leela Beattie will be trying to get Wanganui through one more summer with the Christie Cup to break the record for longest single tenure.
It was looking like the end of an amazing era in Central District team tennis, but Whanganui's international stars have answered the call to give the Wanganui representative tennis squad a real chance at the Christie Cup record.
The team will play Taranaki at home at the Basset St courtson Sunday, and prior to the start of summer, it appeared their four-season reign was coming to an end, given Taranaki barely lost 13-11 in New Plymouth last December despite winning all of the men's games.
Christie Cup consists of 12 singles, six doubles and six mixed doubles matches to decide the interprovincial trophy, with Wanganui needing to get to the 12 victory threshold to retain their trophy.
Many of the top players like cousins Kyle Butters and Paige Hourigan now have overseas commitments at this time of year, while several other promising teenaged players have left town, along with professionals like Emma Hayman and former player-coach Victor Romero.
However, Wanganui's delighted new manager Sean Edmonds, a cup regular as a player, was able to announce a team for this weekend which includes Butters, Hourigan and Leela Beattie, despite the latter two playing in the NZ Tennis Champs at Albany Tennis Park.
In addition, coaches David Baker and Kurt McNamara, who are now running a region-wide youth programme, have also declared for Wanganui, with McNamara having previously been a dangerous challenger within the Manawatu squad.
"Kurt has changed his allegiance. It really is [key]," said Edmonds.
"We got a lot of firepower there, especially in the top order."
"Then you have the experience of Karen [Cranston] and Simon [O'Leary], who have been in the team for many a year."
O'Leary was injured for last year's Taranaki defence.
Edmonds said he was humbled that despite their success playing for their colleges in the United States on scholarship, Butters and Hourigan will still front for their home province, Hourigan especially making an effort as the NZ champs finish on Saturday.
Hourgian in fact defeated Beattie in the quarterfinals of the women's singles in a battle of 4th vs 5th in the national rankings.
"Kyle was nominated for Freshman of the Year in America, the first time a New Zealander has ever done that," said Edmonds.
"Paris [Butters, his sister] has an offer to play in the United States."
Despite busy seasons for their American colleges, cousins Kyle Butters, front, and Paige Hourigan will again represent their home province on Sunday.
The team's three newcomers to Christie Cup are Baker, Ngakuira Osborne and Cayla McIlroy, who is in the squad despite a wrist injury.
While Wanganui looks considerably reinforced, Taranaki are expected to front with the strongest squad they can, although Edmonds was still trying to confirm exactly who was attending yesterday afternoon.
"They are coming with some big names. They are gunning for this because we're four years running, looking at a fifth.
"Aiming for the fifth year running will be a record in it's own right, it's never been done.
"We got the weapons."
Wanganui have to get through Sunday against Taranaki and then also retain the cup when they meet Manawatu in January, to break the record.
Play starts at 9.30am with development games, with the cup defence getting underway at 10.30am with singles matches, followed by the doubles and then mixed doubles.
The Wanganui team is: Men: Kyle Butters, Simon O'Leary, Kurt McNamara, Taylor Quirk, Patrice Mathey, Tim McKenzie, David Baker.
