Northland tennis players brave the heat in Janet Agnew doubles carnival

Mark Millar winds up for a backhand in the top men's division final with his partner Peri Woods at Whangārei's Thomas Neale tennis centre on Saturday. Photo / John Stone

Northland's tennis talents braved scorching temperatures at Whangārei's Thomas Neale tennis centre over the weekend for the annual Janet Agnew doubles carnival.

Players survived two days of play with the doubles held on Saturday and a mixed competition held yesterday for the 80-odd players who had registered.

Sisters Louie, 10, and Lily Fannin, 8, (right) from the Mairtown tennis club stole the show on Saturday. Photo / John Stone

In the top men's doubles division on Saturday, first seeds Keith Cocking and Rob Robertson blew through second seeds Mark Millar and Peri Woods in two sets, 6-2, 6-0. Pete Bond and Robert Ottosen proved too good for Phil Bowers and John Tanner in the second men's division, winning 6-2, 6-1.

Ruakākā's Peri Woods returns the ball on court one in the men's final. Photo / John Stone

Mother and daughter pairing Raewyn Heywood and Shelley Yeates cruised to their win in the top women's division final with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jill Gordon and Mary-Ann Rogers-Benton.

Jill Gordon muscles through a forehand in the top women's division final. Photo / John Stone

The win for Yeates comes off the back of a successful few days at the national seniors tennis championships in Hamilton last week. Yeates, 35, claimed three medals including a gold in the 35-and-over women's singles after not winning a match in last year's competition.

With a doubles win on Saturday, Shelley Yeates made it four medals from four events after a successful national seniors campaign in Hamilton last week. Photo / John Stone

Yeates also took home a silver in the 35-and-over women's doubles with partner Wendy Jambor and bronze in the 35-and-over mixed doubles with partner Greg Miller.

Tournament namesake Janet Agnew walked away a winner in the second women's division with her partner Margaret Harper as they beat Judy Hill and Dawn Rogers, 6-3, 6-2.

Mary-Ann Rogers-Benton (pictured) couldn't match the power of mother and daughter pairing, Raewyn Heywood and Shelley Yeates in the top women's division doubles final. Photo / John Stone