Tauranga student Campbell Higgins showed he will be a valuable addition to the Otago team when he led Eastern Harbour to a 5-1 win over Mornington-Roslyn Black in Dunedin club tennis on Saturday.
Higgins(19) has chosen to stay and play for Otago in the Southern quadrangular in Queenstown in two weeks and did not drop a game in beating promising junior Oliver Reid.
He was backed up by veteran Philip Mirfin, who overcame early resistance to beat Henry Caird 6-3, 6-1 and then took the top double 6-1, 6-4.
Ryan Eggers(15) made a worthwhile trip from Balclutha to beat Oliver Scott, who is out of junior ranks, 6-3, 6-4.
Mornington-Roslyn Blue won all six against Taieri but was pushed close at times. Shaun Paringitai held on to beat Andrew Mitchell 6-1, 7-5 and had to find plenty late after making his customary strong beginning.
Shen Ou needed two tiebreaks to beat Byron Salisbury, another student from Tauranga, and Scott Campbell was pushed to 7-5, 6-4 by Phil Williams.
Taieri was ahead 6-5 in a doubles match which had to be abandoned because of injury to a family member.
Balmacewen women beat St Clair 2-1 in a tie that featured the return to competitive play by Brittany Wong, who tasted success, albeit in the No 2 position this time, when she beat Debbie Cartwright 7-6, 6-1. She also partnered Jessie Stevenson in the doubles and the pair won 6-4, 6-4.
Earlier, Georgia Hume had beaten Stevenson 6-3, 6-2 in the top single.
Young juniors Hanna English and Queenstown's Hannah Speight helped the Eastern Harbour/Southern Country combination to win all three rubbers against St Clair.
