Taranaki pose major challenge

Connor Munro was victorious twice as the Wanganui Intermediate Werewolves drew with the Turakina Taniwha. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Wanganui side close to full strength in cup clash

Wanganui's star-studded senior representative team aim to defend the Christie Cup tomorrow against a rock-solid Taranaki team.

Wanganui will be well aware of the threat posed by Taranaki, who appear strong right though the men's and women's line-ups.

Taranaki's strong interclub competition the Soffe Cup develops the depth that makes them perennial powerhouses.

However, Wanganui will be slight favourites, with an almost full-strength team who will be worth watching, led by former ATP professional Victor Romero and NZ Champs runner-up Paige Hourigan.

Starting at 10am at the Wanganui Tennis Club, the fixture should be decided by 4pm.

Team tennis is where the future of tennis in New Zealand needs to head.

Tennis is widely viewed as an individual sport, with many parents opting for more team-orientated sports for their children.

Team sports are great ways to help kids learn the concept of "we can" rather than "I am".

However, contrary to popular belief the concept of team is relevant to tennis.

In the Christie Cup defence between Wanganui and Taranaki this Sunday, the concept of team will be illustrated. The result does not lie on one person's shoulders, it is a collective effort of six men and six women.

The 12 doubles and mixed doubles matches will also be decided by the best teamwork and communication.

Wanganui's juniors are starting to identify with their teams in our Saturday morning Junior League. It is great to see players talking to their partner on court and supporting their teammates who are left on the court playing.

Going hand-in-hand with the team focus will be the speeding up and shortening of match formats.

A great way to create some energy for players and spectators is to change the scoring format for team tennis.

Instead of having best out of three sets with each set being first to six, you could have sets being the first to four games with sudden-death deuces.

Or you could have the best out of five 10-point tiebreakers.

With these modified formats, every point will become crucial and you will see more upsets.

Individual tennis still needs to maintain its traditional scoring format, especially at the professional level, but there is definitely scope to spice up the team tennis format.

Bring in the team players, bring in the spectators, bring in the energy.

The Primary and Intermediate School League caught fire this week with some big upsets and some tight draws.

The top-of-the-table St Georges Kings were stunned by WIS Wizards, who opened the door for the Turakina Taniwha to close the gap.

But the WIS Werewolves held Turakina to a 3-3 draw to cap a successful day for Wanganui Intermediate.

The tie between the St Anthonys Ant Eater and Team Edmonds always promised to be humdinger and it proved the case as both sides cancelled one another out to finish three matches all.

The Westmere Warriors propelled themselves back up the leader board with a convincing 5-1 decision over the St Georges Dragons.

And the St Johns Hill Hot Shots continue their resurgence with a solid 4-2 win over the combined team.

Results

Wanganui Intermediate Wizards beat St Georges Kings 4-2.

Jude Hiri, Bethany Farmer lost to Hamish Beilby, Kevin Kim 7-1; Ella Towers, Jack Pringle bt Marshall Cliffe, Darren Mallinder 7-3; Hiri bt Beilby 7-6; Farmer lost to Kim 7-2; Towers beat Cliffe 7-2; Pringle bt Mallinder 7-4.

Westmere Warriors beat St Georges Dragons 5-1.

Tessa Strang, Henry Strang bt Emily Kim, Tony Gilbertson 7-6; Jack Burrows, Stafford Lithgow bt Finlay Spooner, Jurek Sosnowski 7-1; T Strang bt Emily Kim 7-3; H Strang lost to Gilbertson 7-3; Burrows bt Spooner 7-4.

Stafford Lithgow beat Jurek Sosnowski 7-3.

Turakina Taniwha drew with Wanganui Intermediate Werewolves 3-3.

Aleesha Duxfield, Tiana Glover lost to Mason Park, Connor Munro 7-3; Tiaha Duxfield, Storm Hamahona bt Kenny Flintoff, Chase Holdaway 7-1; A Duxfield lost to Park 7-3; Glover lost to Munro 7-2; Duxfield bt Flintoff 7-6; Hamahona bt Holdaway 7-5.

St Anthonys Ant Eaters drew with Team Edmonds 3-3.

Bartje Ferguson, Justin Ferguson bt Laura Edmonds, Jayden Edmonds 7-1; Brandon Burberry, Sophia Magnoli lost to David Byan, Marcus McKay 7-2; B Ferguson bt L Edmonds 7-4; J Ferguson bt J Edmonds 7-2; Burberry lost to Byan 7-3; Magnoli lost to McKay 7-0.

St Johns Hill Hotshots beat Combined Team 4-2.

Thomas Illiffe, Basia Sosnowska bt Cynthia Kawana, Cheyanne McDouall 7-0; Will Southee, Brooke Pearce lost to Hayden Pryce, Tyler Hawira 7-4; Illiffe bt Kawana 7-0; Sosnowska bt McDouall 7-1; Southee lost to Pryce 7-5; Pearce bt Hawira 7-4.

Points Table: St Georges Kings 19, Turakina Taniwha 18, Team Edmonds 12, St Anthony's Ant Eaters 12, Westmere Warriors 11, St Johns Hill Hot Shots 11, St Georges Dragons 10, W.I.S Wizards 10, W.I.S Werewolves 9, Combined Team 5.