Nelson Bays Tennis

(Lucas Cup winning team:  Alex Hunt, John Gardiner, Alex Low, Paul Muncaster, Carissa Jan, Breanne Johnson, Lynnie Nevin, Cara Glintmeyer)
It was a big Sunday of tennis with Nelson hosting Marlborough in both the 14u Malcolm Shield and also the senior Lucas Cup for the fist representative fixture of the season.  Nelson are the current holders of both these titles and both the Marlborough junior and senior team were sent home with their tail between their legs.  Nelson didn't even let Marlborough have a sniff of victory dominating both junior and senior fixtures. 
 
The senior Lucas Cup fixture held at the Nelson Lawn Tennis Club, had Nelson fielding a team boasting youth and experience.  Nelson got off to a great start and after the doubles were 3-1 ahead.  Lynnie Nevin and Carissa Jan playing top doubles beat Evelyn Apthorpe and Lynn Murray 6-1, 7-5, the second doubles combination of Cara Glintmeyer and Breanne Johnson beat Sandy Stubbs and Amy Heath 6-3, 6-4.  The top mens doubles combination of Alex Hunt and John Gardiner dominated the first set winning 6-0 over Marlborough's Neil McPhee and Anthony Walkenhorst.  The match turned around in the second set with the Marlborough combination taking the second set 4-6, going on to win the match 1-6 in the third.  Paul Muncaster and Alex Low trounced Heiner Witz Feilding and Robert Cowlishaw 6-2, 6-1 at second doubles.
 
Nevin playing number one and returning after a year long injury break dominated Apthorpe 6-0, 6-0, while Glintmeyer (captain) and Johnson playing number 3 and 4 respectively also had convincing straight set wins, with Glintmeyer beating Stubbs 6-3, 6-1 and Johnson beating Heath 6-2, 6-4.  Jan playing number two was one set all and down 1-2 before a rain delay.  She then struggled to find rhythm after the break losing the deciding set, final score 6-3, 3-6, 2-6.
 
Top Nelson junior Alex Hunt played number one and came up against Neil McPhee ex Scotland ranked player and lost 2-6, 0-6.  Gardiner at number two had a good battle but lost to Walkenhorst 4-6, 5-7.  Muncaster at number three played Witz Feilding one of four coaches playing in the fixture and dominated the match winning 6-2, 6-2, as did Low at number four beating fellow junior Cowlishaw 6-1, 6-1.
 
Nelson had a lead of 8-4 going into the mixed doubles, so with the tie won and nothing to lose Nelson made sure of finishing the fixture in style winning all four mixed doubles matches.
Nevin and Hunt beat McPhee and Apthorpe 6-3, 6-4. 
Jan and Gardiner beat Murray and Walkenhorst 6-2, 7-6
Glintmeyer and Muncaster beat Stubbs and Witz Feilding  6-3, 6-3
Johnson and Low beat Heath and Cowlishaw 6-0, 7-5.
FINAL result Nelson 12 Marlborough 4.
 
At the same time Nelson were playing the Malcom Shield (14u) at the Tasman Tennis Centre in Richmond, and got off to a great start winning all four doubles matches.  Amanda Coeland and Laura Wehner decively beat Kendall Green and Hannah Craighead 6-0, 6-0 in the top doubles, and second doubles Taylor Cockburn and Laura Roberts beat Arna Roberts and Sarah Maxwell 7-5, 6-2.  In the boys Brayden Calder and Henry Neas playing top doubles beat Peter Crampton and Jack Dowling in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.  Aiden MacKenzie and George Harris were tested in their doubles going three sets before being victorious 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 against Andrew Fergusson and Matthew Croad.
 
The girls continued their winning streak in the singles and didn't even drop a set. Coeland lef the way at number one beating Green 6-2, 6-3.  Wehner was on form thrashing Craighead 6-2, 6-2, and Cockburn and Roberts playing 3 and 4 respectively, dominated with Cockburn beating Roberts 6-2, 6-2 and Nelson's Laura Roberts beating Maxwell 6-0, 6-2.
 
In the boys Calder playing number one lost to Crampton 5-7, 2-6, and Neas took down Dowling in straight sets 6-2, 7-5.  Aiden MacKenzie lost to Fergusson 1-6, 3-6, but Harris playing number four continued his winning run beating Croad convincingly 6-1, 6-3.
With the tie already won at 10-2 before the mixed doubles took to the court Nelson won all but one of the mixed doubles matches.  Calder and Coeland lost to Crampton and Green 1-6, 5-7, but Neas and Wehner playing number two clicked in their match playing together for the first time.  They beat Dowling and Craighead 6-0, 6-2, giving both Neas and Wehner the clean sweep for the day.
 
MacKenzie and Cockburn were tested losting the first set 4-6, however took total control of the second set winning 6-2, and won the super tie-break 10-6.  Harris and Roberts didn't miss a beat making short work of Croad and Maxwell 6-1, 6-1 to finish the fixture.
Nelson 13, Marlborough 3.