Tennis: Teams courting finals places

The Waikato Bays interclub tennis competition is entering the business end of the season. Pictured are Rotorua men's team players Ryan Beamish, left, and James Wilce. Photo / Ben Fraser

While the world's best tennis players are chasing grand-slam titles in Australia - Rotorua's top teams will get back on the courts to chase titles of their own.

The Rotorua premier men's and women's teams are in great positions heading into the business end of the Waikato Bays interclub season.

The players have been holding out for the next round tomorrow, which marks the first round back since Christmas.

The Rotorua men's team play their final round robin match tomorrow in a top-of-the-table clash against Hamilton in Hamilton.

If Rotorua triumph in that match-up they will finish top and qualify first for the semifinals next month.

Four teams are chasing three semifinal spots in the men's division, including Rotorua, Hamilton, Otumoetai and Whakatane.

Whakatane are in fourth spot, and are the most likely team to miss out, but a lot could change this weekend with all four sides close to one another on the ladder.

The best club from Hawke's Bay will join the three top teams from the Waikato Bays men's competition to make up the four semifinal spots.

Meanwhile in the women's division, Rotorua will play an important match tomorrow against Tauranga Lawn in Tauranga.

Although Rotorua are joint top of the table - and looking good for a spot in the grand final on March 7 - they have two tough matches still to play.

Rotorua women's captain Leona Davis-Kaye said they were expecting a tough match tomorrow against Tauranga.

"They will be a strong team. They have so many players to choose from," she said.

Her team had played well this season and were in a good spot at this stage of the competition, Davis-Kaye said.

"I'm pretty happy, but I won't be completely happy until we have that last game against the Mount and make the final."

The women's competition has been broken off into the top four and bottom three. The top four teams are playing a round robin format to find the two finalists.

The format for each fixture in the Waikato Bays competition sees teams compete in two doubles matches and four singles matches.

Draw tomorrow (1pm start):
Men: Thames v Tauranga Lawn, Tauranga Lawn; Lugton Park v St Peter's, St Peter's; Rotorua v Hamilton, Hamilton; Cambridge v Otumoetai, Otumoetai; Gate Pa v Whakatane, Whakatane.

Women: Mt Maunganui/Otumoetai v Gate Pa, Gate Pa; Tauranga Lawn v Rotorua, Tauranga Lawn; St Peter's v Hamilton, Hamilton; Cambridge bye.

Standings:
Men: Rotorua 48, Hamilton 45, Otumoetai 43, Whakatane 42, St Peter's 31, Lugton Park 30, Tauranga Lawn 28, Gate Pa 21, Thames 17, Cambridge 15.

Women (top four): Rotorua 39, Mount Maunganui/Otumoetai 39, Tauranga Lawn 34, Gate Pa 28.