Juniors train for NZ

Nine and ten-year-old tennis players will return to the National Tennis Centre in Nikao today for week two of the new ANZ Stars competition.

The majority of the kids in todays tournament are preparing for the New Zealand Christmas tour to Hamilton and Gisborne.

Tennis coach Malcolm Kajer says that the 17 junior tennis players in the tour group have been having weekly training sessions and the ANZ Stars competition offers the perfect opportunity for kids to get into tournament mode ahead of their trip.

Last week Luke Rous and Robert Healy went head to head in the under 9 age group finals.

Rous eventually edged out Healy 9-8 although Healy had the early lead 8-7.

Rous will head into todays competition and the favourite with Healy hot on his heels.

In the under 10 competition Luke Rous stepped out to face Elijah Amataiti.

Amataiti beat Rous in the finals 9-7 against a tenacious Rous who had just won the under 9 competition before facing Amataiti.

ANZ Bank is sponsoring another 10 ANZ Stars competitions for end of the year which is a total of 20 for the year.