Sharks advance to top of ladder

There is a new leader in the Craigs Investment Partners Marlborough Premier Tennis competition, following round 11 on Wednesday.

With four rounds rained out earlier in the competition, it was actually the seventh group of matches, and Marlborough Sharks went to the top of the ladder for the first time, thanks to their 6-0 clean sweep of Marlborough Mustangs.

Geo Jin Cho, Nigel Sowman and Mel Trolove led the way with convincing wins in the singles. Peter Rogge had to fight for victory, and came from behind to beat Blair Harvey 3-6 6-0 6-3.

Marlborough Sting breezed past Marlborough Jets 5-1 to move up into outright second, Brendon Sutherland and Neil Sonne both winning in men's singles third set super tiebreaks. Lee Harborne and Kate Parsons were easy winners in the other singles matches, while Sutherland and Parsons took out the mixed doubles.

After tight losses in their singles, Graham Jarvis and Brooke Adams bounced back to secure Jets' only point with a 6-3 6-1 win in the men's doubles.

Previous competition frontrunners Marlborough Pumas went up against Rapaura Drylands One for the first time this season and the Rapaura side prevailed 4-2. Two of the men's singles matches were tight encounters, Rapaura's Anthony Walkenhorst winning 4-6 7-5 11-9 over Darren Herd, and promising Pumas junior Mitchell Smith prevailing 7-6 7-6 over veteran Tony Fenemor. Rapaura's female player Sandy Stubbs was hammered 0-6 0-6 by Lily O'Fagan in the women's singles, but got her revenge when she and Walkenhorst beat O'Fagan and Herd 6-3 6-3 in the mixed doubles.

Marlborough Tigers moved up to fifth with a commanding win over cellar dwellers Rapaura Drylands Two, Tigers' Robert Cowlishaw and Elaine Fluit picking up good wins in both matches they played.

- Premier round 11 games played on Wednesday, January 25, resulted:

Rapaura Drylands One (4) beat Marlborough Pumas (2): Anthony Walkenhorst beat Darren Herd 4/6 7/5 (11-9), Tony Fenemor lost to Mitchell Smith 7/6 7/6, Mark Evans beat David Croad 6/3 7/5, Sandy Stubbs lost to Lily O'Fagan 6/0 6/0, Evans and Fenemor beat Smith and Croad 6/1 6/3, Walkenhorst and S Stubbs beat Herd and O'Fagan 6/3 6/3.

Rapaura Drylands Two (1/2) lost to Marlborough Tigers (5 1/2): Adam Dawe lost to Robert Cowlishaw 6/0 6/2, Hiro Kishida won by default, Hamish Sheild vs John Flatt 7/6 – incomplete due to light, Virginia Watson lost to Elaine Fluit 7/6 6/3, Hauswirth and Shield lost to Flatt and Kishida 6/7 6/1 (10/8), Dawe and Watson lost to Cowlishaw and Fluit 6/3 6/3.

Marlborough Jets (1) lost to Marlborough Sting (5): Brooke Adams lost to Neil Sonne 7/6 3/6 (13/11), Graham Jarvis lost to Brendan Sutherland 4/6 6/4 (10/8), Josh Watson lost to Lee Harborne 6/0 6/1, Sarah Maxwell lost to Kate Parsons 6/1 6/3, Jarvis and Adams beat Sonne and Harborne 6/3 6/1, Watson and Maxwell lost to Sutherland and Parsons 6/2 6/2.

Marlborough Sharks (6) beat Marlborough Mustangs (0): Geo Jin Cho beat Logan Croad 6/1 6/0, Peter Rogge beat Blair Harvey 3/6 6/0 6/3, Nigel Sowman beat Donna Clark 6/0 6/1, Mel Trolove beat Catherine Johnson 6/0 6/1, Rogge and Sowman beat Harvey and Clark 6/4 6/2, Cho and Trolove beat Croad and Johnson 6/1 6/0.

Points after round 11 (seven rounds completed): Marlborough Sharks 41, Marlborough Sting 40, Rapaura Drylands One 38, Marlborough Pumas 38, Marlborough Tigers 23 1/2, Marlborough Jets 22, Marlborough Mustangs 16, Rapaura Drylands Two 5 1/2.

- Presidents grade games played on Tuesday, January 24, resulted:

Division one: Marlborough Magic 1 Marlborough Hawks 3, Renwick Rangers 2(18) Marlborough Rebrand 2 (33), Marlborough McRobies 0 Grovetown Top Shelf 4, Rapaura Drylands 4 Rapaura Shiraz 0.

Division two: Marlborough Swallows 0 Marlborough Swifts 4, Marlborough Bart's Banditos 2 (29) Renwick Rovers 2 (22), Rapaura Newhawkes def loss to Renwick Robins, Rapaura Gewurtztraminer 3 Rapaura Matadors 1.

Division three: Grovetown Turf & Tackle 2 (28) Grovetown Shooters 2 (30), Rapaura Rose 3 Picton 1, Rapaura Pinot v Rapaura Sauvignon no result provided, Renwick Rebels 4 Renwick Rascals 0.

Division four: Rapaura Mighty Four v Rapaura Chardonnay no result provided, Renwick Rockers 2 (28) Rapaura Riesling 2 (27), Rapaura Merlot v Rapaura Syrah no result provided.

- © Fairfax NZ News