Tennis: NZ pair continue return to form

Sacha Jones. Photo / Dean Purcell

New Zealand's two top women tennis players continued their return from injury with encouraging wins overseas at the weekend.

Sacha Jones won the singles at the $25,000 ITF Pro Circuit Tournament in Alice Springs while Marina Erakovic reached both the singles and doubles semi-finals at a $50,000 ITF event in Canada.

As top seed in Alice Springs, Jones had a tough road to the singles title, enduring three-set matches in the semi-final and final.

In the semi, she defeated Melanie South of Great Britain 5-7 6-4 6-3 before facing No 8 seed Ana Clara Duarte of Brazil in the final.

Duarte had beaten Jones just two weeks ago but this time the New Zealander prevailed, taking the match 5-7 6-3 6-3.

At Saquenay in Canada, Erakovic reached the singles semi-final, losing to tournament top seed Rebecca Marino (Canada) 1-6 5-7.

Erakovic and partner Severine Beltrame of France also reached the doubles semi-final, but lost in straight sets 4-6 2-6 to local players Heidi El Tabakh and Rebecca Marino.

On the men's ITF circuit, New Zealander Rubin Statham lost 3-6 5-7 to Yan Bai (China) in the singles quarter-final of a $15,000 tournament in Hangzhou, China.

- NZPA