Tennis final likely to go down to the wire

A nail-biting finish is understandably being predicted by both teams as Opaki and Martinborough prepare to lock horns in the grand final of the Wairarapa Tennis Association's regional one competition, to be held at the Masterton Tennis Centre tomorrow.
Whichever way you look at it a 5-4 result looks the most likely outcome but there is no certainty whatsoever about which of the sides will be in front after the last shot is played.
As the top qualifiers and the most consistent team over the whole of the season Martinborough would normally assume the mantle of favourite but news they will be depleted through the absence of Matt Nicholson and Libby Paterson certainly strengthens the prospect of an Opaki victory.
Martinborough will now field Steve Chapman, Marco de Groot, Andy Darling and Dan Nicholson in the men's section while their women's section will consist of Jan Lankow and Carla Didsbury.
Opaki, for their part, are at full strength with Russell Broughton, Brett Dymond, Stu Wyeth and Matt Stewart doing the business in the men's section and Katie Wyeth and Jan Wyeth in the women's.
Even a cursory glance at those two line-ups would suggest the men's singles will have a huge bearing on the end result, especially for Martinborough which probably have to dominate there if they are to take the spoils.
If the form book counts for anything Steve Chapman will have his work cut out against Russell Broughton at the top of the order with Broughton having lost just the one singles match at club level this season but de Groot, Darling and Nicholson will all be fancying their chances.
It's a different story in the women's singles though.
There Opaki are a formidable unit through the Wyeth daughter-and-mother combination and two wins will be expected to come their way in that department.
On that basis then the singles is likely to end with the scores level pegging at 3-3, thereby leaving the three doubles matches to decide the fate of the Gawith Shield.
A betting man would, of course, have the Wyeths calling the tune in the women's doubles which would leave Opaki needing to win just one of the two men's doubles to finish with a 5-4 advantage.
That won't be as easy as it sounds though as Martinborough have experience on their side there and that can count for plenty in the doubles game.
This then is a match which promises to provide an enthralling struggle for supremacy from go to whoa and a fitting finale to the 2007-08 season.