Defending champions Martinborough will kick off this season's Wairarapa regional one tennis campaign with a match against Gladstone at Gladstone tomorrow. Martinborough had the bye when the competition commenced a fortnight back while Gladstone were on the end of a 6-3 beating by Masterton. The fact they are likely to be fieldinga side similar to that which won them the title has to be in Martinborough's favour. Then they had Steve Chapman, Marco de Groot, Andy Darling and Dan Nicholson in their men's section and Carla Didsbury and Jan Lankow as their two women players. Gladstone are a better side than the size of their Masterton defeat would indicate and if the likes of Baden Stevenson, Chris Schofield and Charlotte Meo are in their best form tomorrow they could pose more than a few problems for Martinborough. The other regional one match tomorrow sees Masterton up against Carterton at Carterton with Masterton looking to build on their victory over Gladstone in the opening round of games. A highlight of that performance was the contribution made to the Masterton effort by their three acquisitions, Luke Atkinson, Geoff Janse and Sade Atkinson. They were undefeated in both singles and doubles play. And Sade Atkinson continued to make a big impression in age group competition when she won the girls 12yrs singles and doubles title at the 2008 Strike Tennis tourney played at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington over Labour weekend. Is she our most promising youngster since Marcus Daniell? Time will answer that one. If Carterton had Matt Spooner in tomorrow's line-up they would be a chance of upsetting Masterton.However, that is very unlikely and even though Kelby Courtney, Ross Collings and Cathy Rolls were all in good form in their 6-3 loss to Opaki a fortnight back a comfortable Masterton victory seems the most probable result.
