Martinborough roared into contention for the playoffs while Carterton cruised to the top of the ladder in the latest round of Wairarapa Tennis regional one interclub played at Martinborough on Saturday.
On a scorching Martinborough afternoon the home side made the biggest statement, vaulting themselves from the foot of the table with an emphatic 5-1 victory over third-placed Gladstone.
The catalyst for the victory came in the singles discipline with the Martinborough line-up of Marco De Groot, Duncan Didsbury, Dan Nicholson and Carla Didsbury all claiming straight-sets victories and when you consider they were without topliners Chris Wilkie and Matt Nicholson, things are looking decidedly rosy for the southerners as the championship hots up.
The Didsburys went on to register on a clean sweep for the day by winning their mixed doubles as well but De Groot and Nicholson were narrowly upstaged there by the young Gladstone duo of Scott Day and Lochie McNab in what turned out to be the match of the day.
Also being played at the same venue was the fixture between last season’s finalists Carterton and Opaki.
Despite the welcome return of Brett Dymond bolstering the Opaki team, Carterton called the shots easing to a 5-1 triumph.
Matt Spooner, Cory Spooner and newcomer Kelly Juno all chalked up straight-set victories in the singles for Carterton while Dymond did likewise for Opaki with relative ease.
With the injection of Jono Hurley, Carterton were on a different level in the doubles and mixed doubles rubbers and they have now cleared out on the points table, looking odds on to claim the top spot and a home semi-final.
Next weekend is the final round of pool play where the two unbeaten teams, Carterton and Masterton, will square off.
Martinborough will be looking for a heavy defeat of Opaki to give themselves a chance to host a semi-final, while a victory to Opaki could see them sneak past Gladstone to claim the fourth playoff spot.
