It is the first time in a number of years that a club has had the depth to have two premier women’s teams in the competition which starts this weekend at Wilding Park.
The luck of the draw means that Cashmere Black, with experienced campaigner Tessa McCann at one, will play Cashmere Red whose top player, Ruby Young, is this year’s joint junior female player of the year.
Her co-winner Lucia Gale, who enjoyed considerable success in Australian junior tournaments over winter, will play alongside her, with another promising junior Nishitha Maarka at three.
McCann, Young and Gale are all listed to play in the Caro Bowl competition in Auckland.
Cashmere women’s captain Kathy Forrest says many of the young players in the premier ranks for the first time this season were in the club’s winning division one team last year.
“All are very enthusiastic about their tennis and they wanted to step up to the premier grade this year, “ she said.
Forrest says the premier teams are fortunate to be able to call on a number of senior players as well as their new division one team as replacements if the top players are away for tournament commitments.
Last year’s competition winners Burnside Park/Bishopdale has lost its No 1 player Jade Feneon this season.
Jade began a tennis scholarship at West Virginia State University in August.
In her absence her mother, Joelene, with 100 singles wins to her credit in Canterbury interclub, will play at one.
“I am busy coaching this year and if I am not there Mandi Portegys will fill the top slot,” Joelene Feneon said.
Kerri Ling is back for another season looking to notch up several wins to join the elite “100 Club”.
Burnside Park/Bishopdale play Waimairi, while Elmwood with Abby Mason at one will take on the strong Te Kura Hagley team that includes Beth Williamson and Alkmini Giannakogiorgou.
In the men’s competition, last year’s winners Elmwood will be looking to flex their muscle for their first game of the season against their neighbouring clubs, Edgeware/Waimairi, on their home courts.
As with Cashmere in the women’s competition, Elmwood has huge depth in its premier men’s team.
It will test Edgeware/Waimairi, which lost 4-2 last week to Bishopdale. Josh Cameron was the only singles winner for the combined team.
Bishopdale will take on Cashmere at Cashmere, where the home team will be looking for a win after losing four matches to two last week to Burnside Park.
Cashmere’s Lucas Evans could be well satisfied with his day on court last Saturday with three-set wins in both singles and doubles.
Burnside Park has home-court advantage in a match-up against Te Kura Hagley, which lost 1-5 against the new South Brighton team in the first round.
Burnside’s top player Remi Feneon is confident his team with a mix of experience and youth, will turn on another dominant performance.
South Brighton has the bye this week.
-By Diane Keenan
