Tennis: Hawke's Bay taste Christie Cup glory

The Hawke's Bay senior tennis team with the Christie Cup after Saturday's victory against Taranaki. Photo/Supplied

Tennis Eastern development officer Sean Davies didn't know who to praise first as Hawke's Bay's senior tennis team returned home with the Christie Cup last night.

Hawke's Bay won the cup, the symbol of Central Districts tennis supremacy, for the first time since the 2004-05 season with a 13-11 win against Taranaki at New Plymouth's Rotokare club on Saturday.

"It was a tremendous win and there were so many heroes," Davies said.

Hawke's Bay's No 3 man, former New Zealand Davis Cup representative Dan Willman, who is in his first season with the Havelock North club and No 6 man, Greendale's Hamish Lee, were unbeaten in all of their matches. Willman won his singles 6-2, 6-2 against Graeme Mitchell before combining with Lee to win their No 2 doubles clash 6-4, 6-1 against Blair Crowley and Ben Simpson.

Willman and Sophia Nash won their No 2 mixed doubles match 6-0, 6-2 against Hamish Mead and Chontelle Peters. Lee recorded a 6-4, 6-3 win in his singles and a 6-2, 6-4 win in his mixed doubles when he combined with Stacey Margerison.

Davies was impressed with Greendale 13-year-old Alex Cave's singles win. She beat Taranaki No 3 Ella Rogers 7-6, 6-3.

Hawke's Bay had to win four of the six mixed doubles matches to win the cup and managed the feat. The Bay's No 5 combo of Greendale's Albert Hailes and Central Hawke's Bay's Fi Tyler saved a match point on the way to their 3-6, 6-0, 11-9 victory at the business end of the day.

Davies pointed out Hawke's Bay's No 1 man Rob Reynolds of the Hawke's Bay Lawn club competed well in all three of his matches against New Zealand No 2 Ajeet Rai. Reynolds lost his singles 6-4, 6-3, his doubles with clubmate Dan Rowe 5-7, 6-3, 7-10 and his mixed doubles with Greendale's Jane Wyllie was a thriller.

Wyllie and Reynolds were beaten 6-4, 6-7, 10-8. Wyllie did well to record a convincing 6-0, 6-2 singles win against Taranaki No 1 Alice Caskey.

Davies said Hawke's Bay will retain the cup for the remainder of the summer.