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SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Wednesday <strong>February</strong> <strong>19</strong> <strong>2020</strong> 17<br />
Top three prevail in Country tennis<br />
• By Jacob Page<br />
JUST ONE spot remains open in<br />
the semi finals with two rounds<br />
to go in the Canterbury Country<br />
tennis competition.<br />
Fernside is the only team<br />
eliminated from top four contention<br />
with Tai Tapu still an<br />
outside chance to take fourth<br />
from Prebbleton-Lincoln if they<br />
win their remaining fixtures and<br />
results go their way.<br />
The top three teams, West<br />
Melton, Kirwee-Springston and<br />
Rolleston-Killinchy are secure<br />
after all recording wins during<br />
round eight on Saturday.<br />
Competition leaders West Melton<br />
beat Tai Tapu nine matches<br />
to seven.<br />
Kirwee-Springston thrashed<br />
Prebbleton-Lincoln 15-1 and<br />
Rolleston-Killinchy beat Fernside<br />
almost as emphatically 14<br />
matches to two.<br />
It was the West Melton men’s<br />
quartet of Luke Tanner, Max<br />
Aldridge, Blake Cullen and<br />
Campbell Nauman who laid the<br />
platform for their win over Tai<br />
Tapu.<br />
All four went undefeated in<br />
their singles matches. The Tai<br />
Tapu women of Pieta Aitken,<br />
Olivia Wrathall, Jo Christie<br />
and Helen Mills replied by winning<br />
three of their four singles<br />
matches to get their team back in<br />
the contest.<br />
In the end it was West Melton’s<br />
Juliette Ma’s 9-8 win over Pieta<br />
Aitken that provided the crucial<br />
victory.<br />
Tai Tapu captain Cam Mills<br />
said he was pleased to get as close<br />
as his team did to the competition<br />
front-runners, but admitted<br />
it would make it hard for them to<br />
sneak into the top four with just<br />
two rounds remaining.<br />
Kirwee-Springston cemented<br />
second with a big win over<br />
Prebbleton-Lincoln at Kirwee.<br />
The visitors’ only win came from<br />
Craig Whitehead beating Dave<br />
Ashton in the men’s singles.<br />
Rolleston-Killinchy won seven<br />
out of eight singles matches<br />
against Fernside to strengthen<br />
SPORT<br />
POISE: Tai Tapu captain Cam Mills eyes up a shot down the line.<br />
PHOTOS: KAREN CASEY<br />
their grip on third.<br />
This Saturday, Tai Tapu will<br />
host Fernside, Rolleston-<br />
Killinchy will play Kirwee-<br />
Springston at Lincoln and West<br />
Melton welcome Prebbleton-<br />
Lincoln.<br />
• The Ellesmere junior tennis<br />
team lost their annual fixture<br />
against Mid Canterbury on<br />
count-back 53 sets to 47 after<br />
each province won 24 matches<br />
across the three age-grades.<br />
Mid Canterbury won the 10s<br />
12 matches to four and the 12s 10<br />
matches to six but Ellesmere won<br />
the 12s 14 to two.<br />
• More sport page 20<br />
STRETCH: Olivia Wrathall from<br />
Tai Tapu tries a smash.<br />
EYE: Claudia Cullen looks for a<br />
backhand.<br />
POWER: West Melton’s<br />
Campbell Nauman hits a<br />
forehand during his team’s<br />
Canterbury Country tennis<br />
encounter with Tai Tapu.<br />
GAME ON: Tai Tapu’s<br />
Chris Mills serves.
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