Tennis: Grand final spot on line for women

The Rotorua women's team will do battle with the Mt Maunganui/Otumoetai combined team tomorrow, as they look to book a spot in the final. Pictured is Rotorua's Zanna Douglas. Photo / File

The rest of the season will count for little when the Rotorua women's tennis team take to the court against Mt Maunganui/Otumoetai.

Rotorua need to win their match-up at home tomorrow to make the grand final on March 7.

While the Rotorua premier men's team have already secured a home final, the Rotorua women's team are still chasing a grand final spot of their own in the Waikato Bays competition.

Since the premier women's competition split into the top-four in December, the race for the two grand final spots has turned into a three-horse race.

Tauranga Lawn, Mount/Otumoetai and Rotorua have been neck and neck but Rotorua recently slipped into third position on the ladder.

They not only need to win tomorrow but they need to pick up six competition points to leap-frog Tauranga Lawn on the ladder. That means they need to win at least four of the six singles and doubles matches tomorrow at Manuka Cres.

It will be a tough assignment as they take on the current leaders of the competition Mount Maunganui/Otumoetai. That match-up begins at 11am.

If Rotorua win five or six matches (out of six) tomorrow they will qualify for a home final.

Gate Pa and Tauranga Lawn played their final match last weekend, with Tauranga Lawn winning 4-2 to move them into second place on the standings.

-Table: (The top two qualify for the grand final): Mount Maunganui/Otumoetai 46*, Tauranga Lawn 46, Rotorua 41*, Gate Pa 31 (*Rotorua and Mount/Otumoetai still have one to play).