Tennis: Former Bay national rep's keen for career swansong

Hawke's Bay Lawn's Marie Karl plays a forehand smash during the weekend's play at her club. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay's multiple national tennis champion and former New Zealand veterans' representative, Kay Glenny, has had the word from her surgeon.

"It's time for me to stop playing because my arthritic shoulder needs to be dealt to. So this is my swansong and I want to go out in the best possible way," Greendale's Glenny said after her first match at the New Zealand Veterans Championships which began in Napier on Saturday and continues until Wednesday.

Playing in the 70-plus singles Glenny proved she still has the necessary fighting qualities which were a feature of her play when she was in her prime three decades ago. She was 5-2 down in the first set of her match against Tauranga's Dyanne Piddock when she fought back to record a 7-6, 6-2 win.

Playing with her long-time partner, lower Northland's Kaye Jackson, Glenny has reached today's final in her age group. They will take on Gisborne's Bev Evans and lower Northland's Gloria Wilmott.

"I could have played with Dave in the mixed doubles too but I thought that might be too much for the shoulder so I passed Kaye [Jackson] on to him," Glenny said referring to Western Bay of Plenty's 70-plus starter Dave Hawkes who hopes to travel home with his 40th national title.

Hawke's Bay's former New Zealand Davis Cup representative Steve Harley is playing with the world-ranked Peter Hampton of Canterbury in the 55-plus doubles and they will start today's play unbeaten.

Havelock North's Cathy Clarkson has reached the semifinals of the 60-plus singles courtesy of an upset 6-2, 6-4 win over the fourth seed, Wendy Wrigley, yesterday.

Greendale's Simon Cowan has reached the semifinals in both of his 65-plus doubles and singles events. His doubles partner is Greendale clubmate Ian Morley.

Hawke's Bay's oldest entrants, Greendale 85-year-old Buster Sharplin and Hawke's Bay Lawn 84-year-old Lloy Lawrence and Graham Ramsden, had yet to record a win in singles or double play in their 80-plus age group.

Japanese visitor Shigeo Mizokani has been coming to the event for five years and remained winless in the 65-plus age group at the weekend.

"I'm just amazed you can drink water out of a tap and that you don't have to walk around with an oxygen mask," he told organisers.

Players from England and Australia are also among the 166 starters.