Youngsters vie for rep selection

There will be no lack of motivation for the 71 players taking part in a Tennis Central regional tournament at the Masterton Trust House Tennis Centre this weekend.

Points earned there will be part of the selection process for the Tennis Central teams to compete in the various national age group tournaments next April which means the leading youngsters from Wairarapa, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Kapi Mana, Hutt Valley and Wellington will be primed for a bold showing.

Among them are players who have already worn the silver fern overseas.

Singles matches only will be played with players being divided into pools, the placings to decide the make-up of the championship and consolation events scheduled for Sunday.

Six Wairarapa players will be strutting their stuff with Henry Phelps and Patrick Wall in the boys 12 years section - Wall at 10 is one of the youngest competitors - Johnty Tatham and Ben Wilkinson in the boys 14 years division, Georgia Atkinson in the girls 12 years grade and Sade Atkinson in the girls 16 years section.

The Atkinson sisters, in particular, are expected to do well with Georgia - the Wairarapa senior closed singles champion - being one of the top seeds in her grade as is Sade, who is fresh from contesting the Waikato ITF tournament in Waikato.

She lost to the third seed from Australia in the main draw and went on to win the singles consolation event.

Play starts tomorrow at 8.30am at the Masterton Tennis Centre and some matches in the boys 12 years grade will also be held on the astro turf courts at Hadlow School.