Seniors to take to courts

Experienced tennis players from around New Zealand, plus a couple of international entrants, will hit the courts at the Forrest Winery Marlborough tennis centre for the Marlborough Senior Tournament this weekend.

More than 100 entries have been received for the two-day tournament which starts tomorrow.

Entries are down on the nearly 200 who took part last year when many people stayed on after Blenheim hosted the New Zealand Seniors tournament. However, Marlborough Seniors Tennis Club president Judy Shanahan said the smaller fields made the tournament much easier to manage. Marlborough players were expected to challenge for a number of titles in various age groups.

Craig Morris and Graham Thomas will again team up to defend the 35-39 years men's doubles crown they won last year and Kent Register and Jim Sampson are the 50-59 years men's title holders.

Canterbury combinations of Richard Wilding and Tony Rolfe and Royce Payne and Richard Gammon are expected to excel in the 60-69 years.

Five Marlborough players line up in the 70-plus men, including Bill Ritchie who will team with regular Norwegian visitor Tor Torsvick.

Eveline Apthorp narrowly missed out on the 50-59 years women's doubles crown, finishing runner-up last year with Lorna Lindquist. This year, she'll team with Ros Suter.

Shanahan and Pat Torsvick will be tough to beat in the 60-69 years group.

A number of top combinations appear in the mixed doubles, with pairings ranging in combined age from 86 to 162, for the Marlborough duo of Nigel Perry and Dot Fenemor.

Play will start at 8.30am each day and run to about 5pm.

- The Marlborough Express