Experience proved to be the winner in the semifinals of the Fuji Xerox Auckland Tennis Chamionships as top seed Adam Thompson and third seed Robbie Cheyne cruised in the men’s singles final.

Thompson, 24, literally blasted his way past fourth seed 19 year old Andrew Allan with some powerful forehands and serves to win 6-3 6-1.  Allan who has been one of the stand out performers in local competition with a never say die attitude couldn’t find his rhythm against Thompson who has been a member of the Davis Cup team the past few years.

Cheyne, the 2003 champion and a former Davis Cup player also had an easy semi final with a 6-2 6-1 win over 17 year old Waikato junior Sam Gould.  Cheyne, 30, forced his opponent into mistakes by running down every shot and showing plenty of athleticism in the process.

The final could be a tight contest as their recent match in interclub came down to a third set tiebreak in Thompson’s favour.  However, the final is set to be played outdoors which could add a little spice to the match with the persistent wind which can buffet the Tennis Park in Glen Innes.

The women’s singles semis were played over the weekend and the final will feature top seeded Auckland teenager Shona Lee who has a ranking of just over 600 in the world against third seed Dianne Hollands.

Lee and Hollands haven’t played in recent times and are both aiming to impress ASB Classic Tournament Director Richard Palmer for a wildcard into the international tournament which begins in three weeks time.

The finals start at 4.45pm Tuesday at Vodafone Tennis Park, 69 Merton Road, Glen Innes.

RESULTS:

Men’s semifinals – Auckland unless noted
(1) Adam Thompson bt (4) Andrew Allan 6-3 6-1
(3) Robbie Cheyne bt (7) Sam Gould (Waikato) 6-2 6-1