Tennis: Susnjak, Baker win titles

Aucklander Teo Susnjak won his second Residential singles title with a tough 6-7 (6-5) 6-0 6-3 win over seventh seed Andrew Turner in Auckland yesterday.

The finals were played indoors after rain prevented outdoor play at the North Harbour Tennis Centre.

The win was Susnjak's fourth singles Residential title and provided the semi-professional with another taste of winning, but it was still not enough to tempt him into going back on the international circuit.

"This win won't change things," Susnjak said. "I wasn't counting on this going into the tournament.

"If I got picked for the Davis Cup squad I would do my duty, but that isn't my decision, it's up to the selectors. My aim was to play well and I have been enjoying my tennis since I stopped playing on the pro tour."

The first set was as close as the score suggests as both players held their serve before Susnjak raced out to an early lead in the tiebreak, but was pegged back by Turner's tenacity.

In the second set Turner, from North Harbour, crumbled under an onslaught of Susnjak winners and his own mistakes as he seemed to save himself for the third set.

That had both players hitting some of their best shots as Turner, who had out-thought all his opponents until the final, produced some superb passing shots, while Susnjak hit winners from the baseline.

The match hinged on the eighth game of the third set, with the 22-year-old Susnjak leading 4-3 and Turner serving. The game lasted for 10 minutes and had both players in a winning position. Susnjak finally broke Turner's serve and went ahead 5-3 and duly served out for the match.

"That game was such a major game - it was the deciding game and turned things," Susnjak said. "After that I served well and was positive. I had been a little negative for most of the match."

It was the first three-set match for the third-seeded Susnjak, who had made the final without being pushed.

By contrast, Turner had played two tough three-setters.

Waikato's Leanne Baker won her third Residential singles title in a row by beating her old rival Rewa Hudson in straight sets.

Baker, the top seed, had cruised through all her matches on the way to the final without losing more than three games. But in the final she was made to work before winning 6-3, 6-4.

Hudson, from the Bay of Plenty, had no real answer for Baker's attacking style and aggressive serving and was unable to counter her younger opponent. Baker will be 19 in January.

Although the tournament gives Baker no WTA ranking points, it does give her $2500 and valuable preparation for the Auckland Classic in the first week of the New Year.

"It's good to come back and use these tournaments as practice. Even though I may seem to have some easy games, it's still important to get in the match practice," she said.

"I had a dodgy forehand during the later part of this year and was able to work it out and get more confidence with it during this week."

Baker can now look forward to a few days off before preparing herself for the Classic, where she will be keen to equal her performance of this year, when she made the second round. She is ranked 296th in the world.

Baker's win leaves New Zealand Tennis with the interesting question of where the depth is in women's tennis. Baker first won the national title at the age of 15 and looks as though she could win several more without too much effort in the future.