The feature was a replay of last year's final and that result was reversed when Eastern Harbour beat Cosy Dell 5-1.
Harbour has recruited well and has gained Sam Poulter, a finalist in the Otago Open two years ago, as well as William Muller, a first-year student.
Poulter has been out of tennis for a year, battling back problems, and seemed in strife when he overextended his knee against new recruit Hamish Low, but used his forehand weapon and wide, swinging serves to win by the short route, avoiding rallies.
The score was 7-6, 6-3. The absence of Cosy Dell No 1 Alex Low, who is coaching the McGlashan team at the South Island school finals, was a telling factor. Campbell Higgins showed the benefit of a hard weekend of matchplay for Otago last week and beat promoted James Leggett 6-1, 6-4, while Ryan Eggers gradually broke down the big-serving Lance Green 7-6, 6-1.
Muller completed the singles whitewash, beating Chris McKegg 6-4, 6-4. Low and Leggett surprisingly beat substitute Phil Mirfin and Higgins for the loss of only two games and Eggers and Muller won in a third-set tiebreak.
Balmacewen beat McGlashan Blue 4-2, taking both doubles after singles were shared two-all. The Blue team, consisting of former students, was not affected by the South Island event.
St Clair women beat Mornington-Roslyn Les Belles 2-1. The return of Scarlett Cuthill was the key. She beat North Otago No 1 Nicky Wallace 6-2, 6-1, despite no matchplay since last year, and Wallace having played strongly for her province last weekend. Cuthill partnered Jessika Brass to a straight-sets doubles win, but Brass went down 2-6, 2-6, to Heike Cebulla-Elder.
Eastern Harbour, through Debbie Cartwright and Georgia Rooney, won all three in short order against a depleted Balmacewen team. The other men's tie between Mornington-Roslyn and McGlashan Red was deferred because of the school team's commitments in Timaru.
