Unseeded doubles pair shock winners

LONGSHOTS: Home town players Terry Wright (left) and Ahmed Wali were upset winners of the men's division three doubles at the Wanganui Seniors Tennis tournament at the weekend. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Home teams won five of the 12 divisions at the annual Wanganui Seniors Tennis tournament at the weekend, including an upset victory in the men's division three doubles.

Terry Wright and Ahmed Wali had a surprise win at the tournament hosted by the Wanganui Tennis Club.

One hundred and twenty-two players from all over the North Island, 43 of them from Wanganui, enjoyed strong competition and a great social atmosphere during the weekend tournament. The men's and ladies doubles were played on Saturday and the mixed doubles events were played on Sunday.

Wright and Wali were the upset title winners in the men's Div 3 doubles as an unseeded pair. They were joined by local tennis legend Patrice Mathey who, with partner Lyn Biel from Manawatu, won the A grade division 1 mixed doubles title on Sunday.

Doug Ireton, partnered by Chris Davies from Oakura Tennis Club defeated local team and tournament organisers Michael Smyth and Margot Walden 11-7 to take the A mixed Div 3 title.

Lyn Dent and Anne Rowe won three from three to take the ladies Div 3 title. Margaret Costello and Helen Couper, also both from Wanganui, finished second.

Wanganui team Ormond Torr and Judy Stringer combined extremely well for Wanganui's fifth and final title of the weekend in the mixed B Div 2 event.

Honourable mentions go to Wanganui teams Sara Price and Amla Meijer, runners-up in the ladies Division 4; Sean Edmonds, runner-up in the mixed A Div 1 doubles; Rachel Cronin, runner-up in the ladies A Div one doubles and third in the mixed A Division one doubles with husband Mike Cronin. Ricky Anderson was also runner-up in the mixed B Div 1 doubles and Steve Brown was third in the men's A division one doubles partnered with mixed A Div 1 champion Mathey.

Over the two days, 141 matches were completed and a staggering 2242 individual service games played on the 12 Bassett St courts. This event is planned to be an annual event on the tennis calendar.