Final Results from Teams Event

Wellington and Auckland have won the National teams event titles in New Plymouth.

Wellington has won the M.C. Day Cup for the Men's Inter District National Title for the third consecutive year after beating Central 7-6 in a dramatic final.  The tie was always going to be close, and the two teams knew from the very start that games and points differentials were going to be crucial.  Taking the court first were Zac Millar for Wellington and Tom Nash for Central.  Millar was able to win the match 3/0, but not without being pushed hard in the first two sets.  Shane Johnston then swept Dylan Tasker aside 3/0 to put Wellington in the driver's seat.  However it was not smooth sailing for long, as Kashif Shuja hit back by beating Sam Atkins convincingly to set up a pressure cooker final match between Jonny Barnett and Joseph Watts.  Barnett would need just one set, or at least 17 points, to confirm the title for Wellington.  Things were looking good for Central as Watts wrapped up the first two sets 11-4, 11-8.  However Barnett hit back to take the third set and wrap up the title for Wellington.

The women's title decider between Auckland and BOP was scarcely less close.  On first were Abbie Palmer and Vicki Beker.  After losing the first two sets Beker came back from the dead to force a decider.  Although Palmer was eventually able to win in five sets, Beker's efforts were likely to be invaluable down the track.  Georgina Shelton-Agar of Auckland then put Auckland comfortably ahead by beating Courtney Bragg.  Amanda Landers-Murphy got one back for BOP with a decisive victory over Auckland number one Rachel McLeod, setting up another potentially tense finale between Eden Epsom clubmates Ellie Epke (Auckland) and Jo Shanks (BOP).  A see-saw encounter followed, with the two players trading sets like Warriors cards from Wendy's.  The atmosphere became even more tense in the fifth set, as it became apparent that neither player was going to fold easily.  Epke's eventual victory (12-10 in the fifth set) sealed the tie, and a first K.A. Mackwell Cup since 2007, for Auckland.

In the other final matches: Canterbury won the playoff for third in both competitions, the plates were won by Waikato (women) and Bay of Plenty (men), with Northland (women) and Waikato (men) taking out the consolation plates.  The final placings, plus full results from the final round of matches, are available below.

Final Placings

Women:

1. Auckland
2. Bay of Plenty
3. Canterbury
4. Wellington
5. Waikato
6. Central
7. Northland
8. Southern

Men:

1. Wellington
2. Central
3. Canterbury
4. Auckland
5. Bay of Plenty
6. Eastern
7. Waikato
8. Southland

Final Round Results

Women

Auckland beat BOP 9-7
Rachel McLeod lost to Amanda Landers-Murphy 6-11, 3-11, 2-11
Ellie Epke beat Jo Shanks 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10
Abbie Palmer beat Vicki Beker 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5
Gina Shelton-Agar beat Courtney Bragg 11-6, 11-3, 11-9

Canterbury beat Wellington 8-6
Megan Craig beat Rebecca Barnett 11-3, 11-2, 11-3
Jutta Tuunanen beat Mickayla Kerr 11-7, 11-3, 11-3
Shayle Higginson lost to Fanny Smith 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-13
Erin Dippie lost to Hannah Grimmett 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11

Waikato beat Central 10-6
Alana Sincock lost to Danielle Fourie 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 3-11
Holly Donnelly beat Liz Cook 12-10, 11-3, 11-6
Jorja Tarrant beat Chloe McKay 10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8
Niki Blake beat Kaitlyn Watts 11-6, 11-9, 5-11, 13-11

Northland beat Southern 12-1
Trina Moore beat Steph Chambers 11-4, 11-5, 11-9
Sacha Pou-Tito beat Sophia Askin 11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4
Sophie McClymont beat Tanya Colyer 11-7, 11-7, 14-12
Jacinta Matson beat Sam Cross 11-5, 11-5, 11-9

Men

Wellington beat Central 7-6
Sam Atkins lost to Kashif Shuja 6-11, 7-11, 3-11
Jon Barnett lost to Joseph Watts 4-11, 8-11, 11-6, 3-11
Zac Millar beat Tom Nash 12-10, 11-8, 11-2
Shane Johnston beat Dylan Tasker 11-5, 11-5, 11-2

Canterbury beat Auckland 9-2
Paul Coll beat Lance Beddoes 11-6, 11-3, 11-8
Grant Craig vs. Mike Weston - Not played
Chris Van Der Salm beat Michael Blanchard 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 11-7
Andrew Ellis beat Sion Wiggin 11-4, 11-0, 11-2

Bay of Plenty beat Eastern 11-6
Matiu Te Kani-McQueen beat Bryce Redman 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 13-15, 11-6
Ben Grindrod lost to Todd Redman 12-14, 9-11, 15-13, 11-9, 9-11
Eugene Black beat Simon O'Shaugnessy 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5
James Skiffington beat Jason Baty 11-5, 11-2, 11-4

Waikato beat Southland 9-3
Phil Buscke lost to Martin Knight 12-14, 7-11, 8-11
Steve Martin beat Adrian Mennell 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
David Dela Rue beat Nick Askin 11-3, 11-9, 11-8
Ben Calvert beat Marty McKelvie 11-9, 12-10, 11-6