A highly motivated Southern Lakes showed its strength in depth as it handed out an unprecedented whitewash to both Otago and North Otago in Queenstown at the weekend.
After leading North Otago 7-0 before rain washed out play on Saturday, the Lakes team, holder of the Rennie Trophy for the past 13 years, was far too strong in the women, and was able to lift at key times in the men, to take several close matches against Otago on Sunday.
The Otago-North Otago tie, set down for Saturday, was abandoned and will be played at a later date.
Led by national junior representative Emilia Price and backed up by Li Ying Moroney, Suma Ito-Sheehan and Felicity Oxnevad, who are all veterans with international experience either as former juniors or veterans, the Lakes women were dominant against an understrength Otago group.
Price beat Rileigh Fields 6-1, 6-1.
Fields was able to match her classy opponent in most rallies, but lacked the variations which might have been able to disrupt the slightly more consistent Price.
Abby Edwards was the only Otago woman to show resistance, going down 5-7, 5-7 to Moroney, whose greater experience showed at the business end of each set, but Eliza Booth was not disgraced even though losing to Ito-Sheehan 0-6, 2-6.
Ito Sheehan is a former Otago Open titleholder, played at a high level as a youngster in Japan and had the luxury of playing at No 4.
Apart from Aaron Hicks' 3-6, 1-6 loss to Riki McLachlan, all the men's scores were very close.
McLachlan showed more consistency and imposed pressure on a player with a similar style.
McLachlan has returned after several years at Berkeley, a top American college.
Former Australian touring pro Perry Crockett, now coaching in Wanaka, was able to disrupt the more powerful ground strokes of Mitchell Sizemore by judicious net rushes and took the first set 6-1.
Sizemore looked to regain control when he won the second set 6-3 and had several break points at 2-2 in the third but Crockett (36) finished the stronger with a 6-2 finale.
Chris Bradley, a leading national junior more than 20 years ago, showed the benefit of recent training in closing out two tight sets against Ryan Eggers, while Thai junior Pichan Silagul, another training in Queenstown, used a huge serve to gradually suck the life out of Carlos Reid 7-6, 4-6, 6-2.
Reid contributed his share of big serves and powerful winners, but was unable to sustain it in the decider.
Both men's doubles were highly entertaining and Eggers and Paddy Ou actually won more games than Crockett and Mark Milburn, but lost in a match tiebreak.
Again it was the greater experience of the Lakes team that showed on big points and Milburn, a former Otago Open titleholder and national top-ranked player, showed he retains many skills despite now being in his 40s.
