It’s a top-four, bottom-four competition in the men’s and women’s sections of the Scarbro Caro Bowl tennis as the best sides tried to create a gap between themselves and the wannabes.

Parnell lead the men’s side on 19 points, but only by one point ahead of West End, with Blockhouse Bay a couple back and then Pompallier on 15. The big match of round three was the clash which had Pompallier take Parnell to a set countback.

In a match which featured all-former international players Parnell can thank their number three and four players, Steve Downs and Jacob Olsen for the countback victory. Downs and Olsen won their singles and doubles while at the top of the order Matt Prentice and Andrew Batie lost their singles and doubles to Robbie Cheyne and James Shortall respectively.

West End cleaned up Campbell Park 6-0 to move into second place using Mark Nielsen in the top spot over Australian Andrew Gregory. The best Campbell Park could do was at No3 where Kevin Doh took Martin Colenbrander to three sets.

Royal Oak scored their first win of the season when they accounted for Remuera 4-2, while Blockhouse Bay beat Kohimarama 4-2 with Jackson Bodle again in top form as he defeated Gerritt Steenkemp in straight sets. The Meredith brothers, James and Tim came through with victories in singles and doubles while Kohimarama gained a point at No4 as Kyle August beat Eru Lyndon.

Kohimarama now host Parnell in a contest which should go the champion sides way, but could have Kohi pick up a stray point if junior Darnell Sgubin continues his good form.

Pompallier are away to Campbell Park who will be hoping that pro player Kaden Hansel is back from international events in Australia where he is doing well. In the other round four matches Royal Oak travel to Blockhouse Bay who are making an impact with Bodle and the Meredith brothers excelling in singles and doubles. West End will be looking for another strong win when they take on Remuera at Remuera.

In the women’s competition Royal Oak lead on 23 points, having dropped only one match in the three rounds to date. This time they beat Kohimarama 6-0 with surprising ease. In the top singles clash Abigail Guthrie defeated Briar Preston in three sets. The rest of the matches were in straight sets to Royal Oak.

Parnell defeated a weakened Glendowie 6-0 while Mission Bay had a tougher time against Remuera but still came away 4-2 winners. For Remuera Ashley Siddall won their singles match while Imogen Golder filled in for Mission Bay in the top singles and scored a win over Brittany Teei.

Mangere Combined were too strong for Pompallier with just one match going to three sets. Mangere now have 20 points which has them third equal with Mission Bay, two points behind Parnell and a further point back from Royal Oak.

Round four of the women’s section looks set to have a number of clashes which will be highlights. At the bottom end of points table Pompallier host Glendowie. Pompallier will be desperate for points while Glendowie will still be without Deane Alter who is at the world masters tennis championships in Turkey.

Kohimarama will be trying to get their season back on track when they are at home against Remuera. Remuera have the athletic Ashley Siddall at number two who may be able to bring her side some points again when she plays Sarah Adams.

The top four sides have drawn each other as Mangere Combined host Mission Bay in what should be a close encounter while leaders Royal Oak are at home against Parnell with a lot of history between these two sides. In the past ten years they have met in the grand final on half a dozen occasions with Royal Oak never been quite good enough to take the title when it counted.

Men’s third round results:
West End 6 Campbell Park 0
Mark Nielsen bt Andrew Gregory 6-4 6-3
Teo Susnjak bt Rodney Cook 6-2 6-1
Martin Colenbrander bt Kevin Doh 6-1 4-6 6-3
James Greenhalgh bt Stefan Williams 6-0 6-0
Nielsen/Colenbrander bt Gregory/Cook 6-4 6-2
Wesley Whitehouse/Greenhalgh bt Doh/Williams 6-0 6-0

Parnell 3 (8 sets) Pompallier 3 (6 sets)
Matt Prentice lt Robbie Cheyne 4-6 6-4 3-6,
Andrew Batie lt James Shortall 1-6 5-7,
Steve Downs bt Adam McNeil 6-3 6-0,
Jacob Olsen bt Brad Patterson 6-4 6-2,
Prentice/Batie lt Cheyne/Shortall 3-6 6-3 2-6,
Downs/Olsen bt McNeil/Paterson 6-4 6-2.

Royal Oak 4 Remuera 2
Wei Wei bt Henry Gers 6-0 6-3,
Andrew Allan bt James Pilbro 6-0 6-2,
Trent O’Keefe lt Gareth Dowdell 6-0 6-3,
Scott Winnard bt Nigel Espie 6-2 3-6 6-3,
Wei Wei/Allan bt Gers/Espie 1-6 6-1 6-1,
O’Keefe/Winnard lt Dowdell/Espie 6-3 6-4.

Blockhouse Bay 4 Kohimarama 2
Jackson Bodle bt Gerrit Steenkamp 6-4 6-3,
James Meredith bt Dan Davies 6-3 6-2,
Tim Meredith bt Aaron McDougall 6-3 6-2,
Eru Lyndon lt Kyle August 3-6 3-6,
Meredith/Meredith bt Steenkamp/Davies 6-3 6-3
Lyndon/Juan Pablo lt Darnell Sgubin/McDougall 6-3 6-7 4-6.

Points after three rounds: Parnell 19, West End 18, Blockhouse Bay 16, Pompallier 15, Kohimarama 10, Campbell Park 8, Royal Oak 8, Remuera 2.

Women’s results:
Parnell 6 Glendowie 0
Di Hollands bt Sarah McDermott 6-2 6-1,
Pavlina Nola bt Tiffany Baxter-Smith 6-0 6-1,
Niki Tippins bt Hollie Carmmer-Robers 6-0 6-0
Caroline de Wit bt Pam Westhead 7-6 6-0,
Hollands/Tippins bt McDermott/Crammer-Roberts 6-3 6-1,
Nola/de Wit bt Rebecca Lee/Baxter-Smith 6-2 6-1.

Royal Oak 6 Kohimarama 0
Abigail Guthrie bt Briar Preston 6-2 4-6 6-1
Nicola Kaiwai bt Sarah Adams 6-0 6-1
Angela Swinkels bt Monica Chen 6-2 6-1
Gabrielle Grady bt Danielle Feneridis 6-0 6-2
Guthrie/Swinkels bt Preston/Adams 6-0 6-2
Kaiwai/Grady bt Chen/Feneridis 6-2 6-1

Mission Bay 4 Remuera 2
Imogen Golder bt Brittany Teei 6-2 6-1
Diana D’Audney lt Ashley Siddall 4-6 4-6
Mikaela Davies bt Renata Hryckiewicz 6-3 6-2
Kate Shearer bt Ivana Parapunova 6-4 7-6
Golder/D’Audney bt Teei/Wendy Owen 7-6 2-6 6-1
Davies/Shearer lt Siddall/Hryckiewicz 2-6 6-1 1-6

Mangere Combined 6 Pompallier 0
Tracey O’Connor b Rosie Bird 6-3 6-0
Lucy Barlow bt Lucy Bird 6-1 6-1
Selma Taufa bt Maddy White 7-5 6-3
Deane Haami bt Alexia Barritt 6-3 3-6 7-5,
O’Connor/Barlow bt Bird/Bird 6-2 6-2
Taufa/Haami bt White/Barritt 6-2 7-5.

Points after three rounds: Royal Oak 23, Parnell 22, Mangere Combined 20, Mission Bay 20, Kohimarama 3, Glendowie 3, Remuera 3, Pompallier 0.

Women’s fourth round – Friday 17 October, home team listed first, 6pm start.

Pompallier v Glendowie,
Mangere Combined v Mission Bay
Royal Oak v Parnell,
Remuera v Kohimarama

Men’s fourth round:
Campbell Park v Pompallier,
Parnell v Kohimarama,
Blockhouse Bay v Royal Oak,
Remuera v West End