Boon Huxtable .. yet to be beaten in interclub this season. He and teammate Rhys Hooper have yet to drop a match in the Shirley Corlett Trophy. PHOTOS/FILE
TENNIS
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
Masterton remain on course to have three teams in the finals of the Wairarapa pre-Christmas interclub championships.
Defending Shirley Corlett champions, the Masterton Blue team of Boon Huxtable and Rhys Hooper have a perfect record and with only two rounds to play, have a five-point lead over Masterton White comprising Kelby Courtney, Liam Kerr, and Chad Parsons.
In the women’s championship, Masterton are almost certain of making the final, needing only two points from the last two rounds to book their place.
On Thursday night, Masterton Blue completed their fourth clean sweep, this time against Martinborough Two.
Huxtable was untroubled in beating Ed Wilkie 6-0 6-2, and Hooper fought hard to beat Quentin Larkin 7-6 6-3 in the singles.
Huxtable and Hooper dropped the first set in the doubles before bouncing back to win in a super tiebreaker 4-6 6-4 10-6.
Masterton White had a mixed doubleheader, beating Opaki Red, before being clean swept by Martinborough Two.
On Thursday, Courtney needed a super tiebreaker to beat Opaki’s Mike Jackson 6-3 2-6 10-5. Kerr easily dispatched Ben Riwai-Couch 6-1 6-0 before Courtney and Kerr won the doubles 6-0 7-6.
It was a different story on Saturday though, with Martinborough Two cruising to an easy victory.
Ed Wilkie beat Courtney in straight sets 6-1 6-4, Red White defeated Chad Parsons 6-2 4-6 6-4, and Ed and Rick Wilkie took the doubles 6-3 6-1.
Opaki Black kept Martinborough One winless with a 2-1 victory.
Marco de Groot claimed Martinborough’s only win 6-1 6-2 over Lochie McNab. Richie Day ensured the tie would be decided in the doubles with a 6-1 6-1 defeat of Rob Marshall.
Lochie McNab and Day claimed the three points with a 6-3 6-4 win over the Martinborough pair.
Opaki Red grabbed club bragging rights with a 2-1 win over Opaki Thistle Building.
Jackson won a tight clash with Chris Davidson 7-6 7-6 before Brett Dymond evened the tie with a 5-7 6-4 6-1 defeat of Riwai-Couch.
A tight doubles match was won by Jackson and Riwai-Couch, who came from a set down to beat Davidson and Jon McNab 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Masterton maintained their lead in the women’s championship with a 3-0 romp over Martinborough One.
Hilda Holman won the battle of the number ones with Katherine Jacobs in a super tiebreaker 6-2 0-6 10-6, and Sue McRae had a dominant 6-1 6-1 win over Martha Wojcikowski.
Holman and McRae were untroubled, winning the doubles 6-0 6-3.
POINTS
Men: Masterton Blue 16; Masterton White 11; Martinborough Two 9; Opaki Red 6; Opaki Black 4, Opaki Thistle Building 4; Martinborough One 2.
Women: Masterton 12; Martinborough Two 10; Martinborough One 5; Martinborough Three 1.
