Hawke's Bay tennis champs keep regional crowns for another year

Hawkes Bay Today

28 Mar, 2021 11:53 PM2 mins to read

Rynold Timothy, 2020/21 Tennis Eastern Residentials men's premier grade champion. Photo / Supplied

Rynold Timothy won his third Tennis Eastern Residentials tennis title in a row over a weekend that saw two other reigning champions also retain their crowns.

Timothy, from the Hastings Tennis & Squash Club, can call himself the best male player in the region once again after winning the senior men's competition.

He defeated Jonathan Fall from the Greendale Tennis Club in the semifinal, a player Timothy coaches.

Timothy would have been pleased to see his student play well to win the first set, 6-3, before he kicked on to win 6-2 and 6-1 in the remaining sets to tee up a final against club team-mate Craig Giddy.

After winning the first set 6-4, Giddy imploded in the second set after feeling that calls from the chair umpire were starting to count against him.

That distraction gave Timothy the chance to take control of the match and win the remaining sets 6-0, 6-2.

Olivia Addis of the Havelock North Tennis Club once again defeated Alex Cave in what was a repeat of the 2019/20 women's grade final.

Olivia Addis, 2020/21 Tennis Eastern Residentials women's grade champion. Photo / Supplied

Last year Addis dominated the 15-year-old Cave for a 6-0, 6-1 victory but this final proved a far closer contest.

Addis took the first set, 6-3, before conceding the second 4-6 having struggled with a right shoulder injury that severely limited her serve.

She rebounded with her ground game to win the third set 6-1 and claim the title once again.

Wayne Hudson of Hawkes Bay Lawn Tennis & Squash Club defended his men's reserve grade crown on Saturday, having squeezed past Greendale's Stu Dawson with a 10-7 super tie-break win.