Rapaura win tough battle

Rapaura Drylands survived a close shave with Renwick on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten five weeks into the SBS Bank premier grade interclub tennis competition.

Playing at Renwick, Rapaura won 48-40 on games countback in a tie where three of the six matches went to a tie break.

Rapaura surged to an early advantage winning both doubles. Susan O'Neill and Amy Heath beat Lynne Murray and Annabelle Fluit 9-4 in the women's match.

Anthony Walkenhorst and Ellis Diamanti survived a series of match points to eventually beat Heiner Wirtz-Fielding and Robert Cowlishaw 9-8, winning an extended tiebreak 12-10.

O'Neill continued her untouchable singles form winning 9-1 over Murray, but Renwick fought back to win the other three singles clashes.

At No1, Wirtz-Fielding gained revenge on Walkenhorst for a round one loss, winning 9-8, 7-2 in the tie break.

Cowlishaw beat Diamanti, filling in for Craig Morris, 9-5 while Fluit continued her unbeaten run at No4, winning another thriller 9-8 over Heath.

Marlborough SBS beat Marlborough Forrest 4-2.

Last time the sides met a Bec Boon tiebreak win over Eveline Apthorp proved the difference and again it was Boon who wrapped up the win for SBS on Wednesday.

Boon and Apthorp were locked 7-7 in their singles match with Apthorp holding a 40-0 advantage in the 15th game.

However, Boon rallied, eventually breaking her more experienced opponent before serving out the match 9-7.

Earlier, Boon and older sister Pip were beaten 9-5 by Apthorp and Sandy Stubbs in the women's doubles.

Neil McPhee and Jeremy Crouch beat Neil Sonne and Kent Register, who replaced Peter Rogge, 9-5 in the men's doubles as the teams entered the singles 1-1.

Sonne added a second win for Forrest, beating Caleb Mooney in the No1 singles, but other than that it was the younger players who prospered.

Crouch was too strong for Register 9-1, while Pip Boon showed the form that made her one of Marlborough's best women's players in a 9-5 win over Sandy Stubbs.

In division two, Rapaura Drylands II and Marlborough Silver battled out a draw – the clash finishing locked 3-3 on matches and 50-50 on games.

No result was available from the Marlborough Slazenger v Marlborough Gold tie.