Waiwaka lost in Soffe Cup return

Will Johnston

Waiwaka tennis captain Nick Creery believes his team deserves to be in Taranaki’s top-flight tennis competition despite losing in the opening round of the competition.   

After being promoted into the Soffe Cup for the first time since the 2010/11 season, Waiwaka lost to defending champions Rotokare 12-4 on Saturday at home.

The two clubs played 16 games across the day including men’s and women’s singles and doubles along with combines. The end score combines the number of wins across the various matches.

“Although we lost fairly convincingly and a number of the scores are one sided, we felt we were competitive and played some good tennis against a very strong Rotokare side,” Creery said.

In the men’s singles, Waiwaka’s Will Gordon beat Shane Devlin 7-5, 6-2 in the only win in that division. Creery lost to Rotokare number one Will Roberts 6-2, 6-0, Blair Crowley won 6-0, 6-0 against Conrad Heron and Rhys Sutton lost to Ollie Kerr 7-5, 6-0.

In the women’s draw, Viv Benton beat Rotokare’s Becca Smith 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the solitary female win.

Creery said teenager Benton did well in her Soffe Cup debut.

Waiwaka’s top women’s player Trudy Vince lost to Karen Cranston 6-1, 6-1, Renee Webster lost to Tania Atkinson 6-2, 7-5 and Juliet Farquhar beat Karen Uhlenberg 6-0, 6-0.

The other Waiwaka wins came in the combines and women’s doubles.

Overall, Creery said the team is pleased with the first venture back in the Soffe Cup.

“An opening round against the defending champions could have gone much works. I think, if nothing else, we proved we deserved to be up there,” he said.  

Waiwaka sits one point ahead of Huatoki on the competition ladder after the first round.

In other matches, Okaiawa beat Huatoki in New Plymouth 13-3 and Stratford won 4-0 against Pukekura at home in a rain affected day.

Next weekend sees Okaiawa host Stratford, Rotokare home to Huatoki and Pukekura play Waiwaka.