Wairarapa climbs tennis ladder

Wairarapa moved off the bottom rung at the Tennis Central Region junior tennis tournament played at the Renouf Tennis Centre in Wellington.
Last year they finished last of the eight participants but they improved to sixth this time.
Wellington took the major spoils for the second successive year in an event attracting teams from Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Hutt Valley, Kapi Mana and a combined side and involving the top male and female players from each province in the 10 years, 12 years, 14 years and 16 years age groups.
In pool play, Wairarapa lost to Hutt Valley and the combined team but a good victory over Wanganui was enough to guarantee they would end up fifth or sixth, depending on the result of their playoff fixture with Taranaki. The latter prevailed there but not before several close games had been played, a number of them going to the maximum three sets.
Skipper Sade Atkinson led Wairarapa brilliantly, winning all her singles matches in the 16 years age group and producing the type of form which should make her a serious contender at the forthcoming 14 years and 16 years nationals. She also partnered Mitchell Blackwood to two wins in the mixed doubles.
Georgia Atkinson, younger sister of Sade, was also unbeaten in singles play in the 12 years section and combined with Brodie Palmer for a win over Wanganui in the doubles and a narrow three-set loss to the combined side. Palmer was also to the fore in the singles, winning one of his games there.
In the 10 years division Patrick Wall went down in a close three-setter to Taranaki but picked up valuable points by taking out his singles and doubles against Wanganui. Briggette Mossman and Scotty Day repped for Wairarapa in the 14 years age group.
Meanwhile, Masterton Intermediate Red have won the term-one championship grade in the Wairarapa junior inter-club competition with Hadlow Aces the runners-up.