Gladstone like their chances

Gladstone will be fancying their chances of beating defending champions Pirinoa in their Wairarapa regional one tennis match at Gladstone tomorrow.
A 6-3 loss to Martinborough last weekend will have done nothing to dampen Gladstone's confidence as the absence of their top woman player, Emma Stevenson, might well have been the difference between defeat and victory on that occasion.
Stevenson will very probably be back in action tomorrow and her singles clash with Pirinoa's Leanne Sweeney should be a cracker of a game.
It all makes for an intriguing contest with neither side deserving to start favourites.
Sweeney would have to be ranked as the No.1 women's singles player in the region and is the sort of player who lifts her performance to suit the calibre of the opposition. She should have the edge on Stevenson but her younger rival is sure to keep her honest.If Sweeney does beat Stevenson and if Pirinoa win the women's doubles too it will be vital for Gladstone to dominate the men's section and in the likes of Baden Stevenson, Chris Schofield, Alistair McWilliam and Peter Morriss they are well served there.
At the same time, however, if Pirinoa field their strongest possible men's line-up-something they have seldom done to date this season they will give at least as good as they receive through the efforts of Luke Atkinson, Geoff Janse and company.
It all makes for an intriguing contest with neither side deserving to start favourites.
There shouldn't be much separating Masterton and Carterton either in their game to be played at Masterton.
Paper strengths would suggest both the singles and doubles matches could go either way and it will very much be a case of who performs best on the day.
The other scheduled regional one game between Martinborough and Opaki has been deferred to a later date.