TENNIS: Waddel, Harley savour victory

ANENDRA SINGH
It was an epic battle for the Hawke's Bay under-16 boys pair of James Waddel and George Harley at the Onekawa tennis courts, in Napier, yesterday.
But when the dust settled in the doubles final almost two hours later the fatigued Bay teenagers were standing tall in their 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 against Matt Brady. of Auckland, and Josh Hinton, of Wellington.
"It was a huge match and went for a long time," organiser Robyn Stallard told SportToday.
There was little respite for Waddel and Harley in the semifinals when they faced off against fellow Bay doubles pair of Tem Asafu-Adjye and Tipene Cotterell for a hard-earned 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 victory.
Brady and Hinton, on the other hand, had a comfortable path to the final after overwhelming Matawha Durie, of Manawatu, and Jordan Katipa, of the Bay of Plenty, 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
In the boys' under-16 singles final, Brady was too good for Durie claiming the silverware with a clinical 6-4, 6-2 win. He beat Asafu-Adjye 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinal while Cotterell kept Durie honest in the other semifinal with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 outcome.
In girls under-16 singles final, Rheanna Wiggin, of Kapi Mana, prevailed 6-1, 6-2 over Briar Malpas, of Manawatu after Bay no.1 seed and defending champion Kate Parker couldn't play due to injury.
However, the mathematics favoured Wiggin and Malpas when they pair off to clinch the honours in the doubles final with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Wanganui's Charlotte Gollan and Emmalee Powdrell.
Wiggin and Malpas were pushed against Hawke's Bay's Mihiana Cotterell and Hana Tapiata 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
In the under-12 boys singles final, Aucklander Cameron Norrie beat Tai Durie, of Manawatu, 6-0, 6-0 while another Aucklander, Claudia Williams had the measure of Anna McIlraith, of Wangnaui, in their under-12 girls' singles final with a 6-2, 6-4 result.