End of season for tennis club
Club titleholders Amy Hurst (left) and Frances Clark in action. Photo: Supplied
Club titleholders Amy Hurst (left) and Frances Clark were in action on Saturday at Golden Bay Tennis Club’s Closing Day. The club, which has 120 members, has had a busy season this year with coaching every weekend, teen tennis on Friday nights, development squads on Wednesdays and adult tennis every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Professional coaches have also visited regularly throughout the season, and last weekend nine junior players put in a strong mid-draw performance at the Nelson Junior Open.
With a bit of delay due to rain, the Club Championships were played over the past couple of weeks, with most of the finals held on Closing Day. Hamish Clark beat Connor Shirley for the Senior Boys Singles title, while Amy Hurst and Frances Clark played some of the best tennis of the tournament, battling until near dark for the Intermediate and Senior Girls Singles titles, with both matches going to tie breaks and Frances taking the Intermediate title and Amy the Senior Girls. Both girls are in the Nelson Bays representative squads, along with Sophie Hurst and Lauren Berkett.
Other results: Josh Ryan had a fantastic first season of tennis, defeating Wil Robertson-King in the 10U Boys Singles, Yerren van Sint Annaland in the Intermediate Boys Singles, and Oliver Bailey in the Senior Boys Plate. Caitlin Lund took the 10U Girls Singles from Sophie Hurst, while Bridie Lund beat Olivia Langford in the Beginner Girls, and Guy Robertson-King took the Beginner Boys from Danny Ryan. The Senior Doubles went to Connor Shirley and Fynn Campbell-Bowden, who defeated Hamish Clark and Oliver Bailey, and Amy Hurst and Frances Clark took the Intermediate Doubles title, with Wil Robertson-King and Josh Ryan runner-up. The Most Improved Junior awards went to Emilee Frater and Nina Mitchison, and the overall Most Improved Player to Kane Winter. Pippa Bowker-Napp received the Fair Play Award, and Hamish Clark and Oliver Bailey shared the Teen Coach Award. The Team Cup for most Singles points overall, fought between Tarakohe, Motupipi and Takaka players, was won by the Motupipi team of Amy Hurst, Josh Ryan, Fynn Campbell-Bowden, and Kane and Dylan Winter.
Tennis will continue on some Sunday mornings in the winter, with adults playing on Sunday afternoons. The club’s next project is to raise money for a shade sail for the clubhouse area.
Submitted by Golden Bay Tennis Club
