Defending champ vs form team

FAVOURED: Nicola Wall is at short odds to win her singles for Opaki. PHOTOS/FILE

The pinnacle of Wairarapa club tennis, the Gawith Shield, will be on the line when Opaki take on Gladstone/Carterton in the final of the regional one championship at the Masterton Tennis Centre on Saturday.

And what a match it should be. In the one corner, you have the defending champions and Shirley Corlett Trophy holders Opaki, while in the other corner are the Gladstone/Carterton juggernauts that have steamrolled their way through the second half of the competition.

At first glance, it's certainly hard to look past Gladstone/Carterton who have only lost one match in their last nine fixtures.

With Baden Stevenson and Matt Spooner at the top of the order, Gladstone/Carterton will be expected to dominate from the outset while Kelby Courtney and Alistair McWilliam have both been in hot form lower down the order, giving a very ominous look to the men's line-up.

In Wairarapa champion Karen Herrick and the hard-hitting Zoe Schofield, Gladstone/Carterton also have a solid women's duo and, importantly, appear to be hitting their straps at the right part of the season.

Certainly on paper, Gladstone/Carterton match up very well against the pre-Christmas champions, but sport isn't won on paper and, on closer inspection, there will be cause for a quiet confidence within the Opaki camp.

In four encounters between these two sides this season, the honours have been shared and the two losses Opaki did suffer to Gladstone/Carterton were both by the narrowest of margins, including their last meeting where Gladstone/Carterton were virtually at full strength.

Realistically, the leading men of Brett Dymond and Chris Davidson will have their work cut out for them, although the lower order of Stuart Wyeth and either Duncan Oakley or Jon McNab should be well in the fight for Opaki.

And if the men do struggle for Opaki, their women's pair of Katie Alsop and Nicola Wall be at short odds to pick up two valuable points in their singles matches. Alsop's encounter with Herrick promises to be a beauty as they have had a couple of battles already this season but, crucially, on all occasions Alsop has taken the spoils.

If the fixture is even heading into the doubles then it's all on. Gladstone/Carterton will be heavily favoured to win the top men's doubles, however, the bottom men's doubles and women's doubles matches could go either way.

Admittedly, Opaki have been in rather ordinary form of late, so they will collectively need to be at their absolute best to triumph on the day. Otherwise, it could be Gladstone/Carterton's title and, based on their regular season results, you certainly couldn't argue that they would not be worthy champions.

Hoping to make it an Opaki double on Saturday are their regional two team, who will face off against Masterton 1 in the final. In the two meetings to date, each side has registered a victory so the scene is set for a nail-biter.

Masterton 1 has plenty of experienced campaigners at their disposal with George Passi and Peter Hampson leading the way, while in Mike King, Opaki have regional two's main man and will be hoping he can spur them on to victory.

Also being played at Masterton is the final of the Saturday doubles competition where the leading teams are Carterton and Masterton 1. Tinui played Carterton in the final of the midweek doubles last night.