Otago had a successful first two days in the capital, beating a Wellington selection 8-4 on Saturday and Hutt Valley 9-3 on Sunday.
However, three men from the American college system who returned during their summer vacation enabled Kapimana (Kapiti Coast and north) to beat Otago 10-2 yesterday.
Pratt Keerasuntonpong and Zach Whaanga, in particular, were too strong for Aaron Hicks and Paddy Ou, and they were backed up some talented youngsters and experienced women.
Winners for Otago were Mitchell Sizemore and Carlos Reid but Ryan Eggers and Abby Edwards went down in close three-setters.
Eggers was within two points of losing at one set and 5-6 (30-love) down only to fight back to claim a tiebreak. However, he lost the decider 3-6.
The home team took the three doubles and mixed doubles in straight sets, although Georgia Hume and Rileigh Fields pushed hard, losing 4-6, 6-7.
The Wellington tie was based on Wellington matching the ranking bands of the previously named Otago squad but the Otago women easily belied their rankings and won their rubbers in straight sets.
Georgia Hume and Jessie Stevenson, returning to match play, were rarely troubled and were backed up by Rileigh Fields. Abby Edwards partnered Ryan Eggers to a third-set 10-8 tiebreak win in the mixed doubles.
The Otago men had a stern workout with Paddy Ou, Mitchell Sizemore and Carlos Reid all going down to younger opponents, while Aaron Hicks and Ryan Eggers recorded wins.
The most impressive of the Wellingtonians was Ryo Minikata, whose flashing groundstrokes frequently ended a rally as he beat Sizemore 6-3, 6-2. Reid lost 6-3 in the third to Milo Benn.
Hicks was all efficiency at No1, dispatching Finley Hall 6-3, 6-1 while Eggers wore down Sebastian On 6-2, 7-5.
The men's doubles were shared. Hicks and Ou won in two tight sets but Sizemore and Reid lost in a similar score.
Sunday's tie again featured young opposition and involved several three-setters. Hicks lost to a former national junior champion in George Stoup, who held on to take a battling three-setter at 6-4 in the decider. The other four Otago men all won but all were pushed close except for Eggers who dropped only one game against Rory Murchland.
The women's rubbers were much more competitive. Hume needed a tiebreak second set, after coming from 2-5 down, to overcome Rachel Baxter and Fields losing 6-7, 4-6 to Helena Purcell. Stevenson won on an injury retirement at 2-2 in the first set.
Hicks and Ou were excellent in winning the top doubles 6-4, 6-1 while Sizemore and Reid were hot and cold taking their double 2-6, 6-1, 10-5.
Fields and Edwards had a similar experience when they won 6-1, 1-6, 13-11. Eggers and Stevenson went down in the third-set match tiebreak in the mixed doubles.
