The ANZ Stars Tennis Doubles Competition for junior players got off to a great start last Saturday with 10 teams of doubles competing in a green-dot ranking tournament from 9am to 1pm.

The tournament was a mixture of boys and girls doubles pairs played with green-dot tennis balls, which are 25 per cent lower compression then normal tennis balls. The format was one set and the first team to nine games would win the match.

The doubles pairing were Benson Herman and Marcus Teapa, Mareko Webb and CT Woonton, Jaden Kelly and Tane Wichman, Antonia Wearing and Pepai Katoa, Luca Rossouw and Harold Browne, Nathan Moore and Daniel Teinakirahi, Tui Gibson and Evan Moore, Armani Roi and Angad Naidu and Tera Rongo and Moeana Matheson.

In the first semi-finals, Marcus Teapa and Benson Herman defeated Armani Roi and Angad Naidu 9-3.  In the second semi-finals, Mareko Webb and CT Woonton managed to overcome Luca Rossouw and Harold Browne 9-5. 

Teapa and Herman claimed the title after beating Webb and Woonton 9-6 in the final.

National head coach Malcolm Kajer, who was overseeing the tournament on the day, said: “It was a fairly even and exciting match all the way, but the experience of Marcus and Benson towards the later stages of the match came through for them and they went on to win the tournament.’

“Great performances also came from the girls pairing of Pepai Katoa and Antonia Wearing, where they advanced to the quarter finals. We also saw an exciting game between the young pairing of Tera Rongo and Moena Matheson who just lost to Jaden Kelly and Tane Wichman 9-7.”

Jaden Kelly and Tane Wichman went on to win the consolation bracket 9-3 against Nathan Moore and Daniel Teinakirahi.

“Overall, it was a wonderful day of doubles tennis, and we all can look forward to more ANZ Stars Doubles Competitions in the next couple of weeks. A big thank you to ANZ for the continuous support for junior tennis development for the past 26 years,” said Kajer.

Meanwhile, Tennis Cook Islands junior development squad members Maka Maui and Raetea Rongo recently returned from participating in two ITF JF World Ranking Tournaments in Lautoka, Fiji.  As an 18U tournament, it was challenging for the pair.  The highlight for our athletes came during the second tournament where Maka and his partner Noah Molbaleh (Vanuatu) upset fourth seeds in a thrilling match to reach the doubles finals. They finished runner-ups in the tournament behind Natham Lim (Australia) and Fanming Meng (China). This placing helps Maka earn ITF points and a world ranking as a junior player. 

Tennis Cook Islands remains very grateful to OTF and our local supporting partners for their investment into our tennis children.

• Tennis Cook Islands