Kiwi tennis No2 Dan King-Turner continued his run of good domestic form by completing his third win in a row at the New Zealand money series tournaments with a straight set victory in the Auckland Champs in Glen Innes in blustery conditions.

 

 

 

King-Turner ranked at 462 in the world beat Wairarapa teenager Marcus Daniell (ranked 833) in the final 6-2 7-6(3) but it was Daniell who missed numerous opportunities to take the match into three sets.

 

 

 

Daniell had his opponent at 3-5 down and serving at love 40 for three set points down before the more experienced King-Turner fought back to hold serve. In the next game Daniell had another set point while serving at 40-30 but a double fault and a miss on an easy winner put paid to that and eventually King-Turner proved to be more efficient in the wind taking away the tiebreak with relative ease.  

 

 

 

For King-Turner it was his first Auckland Champs win but follows on from success at the Waikato money tournament and the Auckland money tournament within the past week.

 

 

 

He is not going to play the West End money event this weekend but is aiming to capture the New Zealand Residentials title next week which may assist him in pushing for a wildcard into the upcoming Heineken Open.

 

 

 

Earlier Daniell had gone three sets in the semifinals over Wellington teen Finn Tearney while King-Turner accounted for Adam Thompson in straight sets in his semi.

 

 

 

In the women’s final Di Hollands was too consistent for Kairangi Vano winning 6-3 6-4.  Vano had been up 3-1 in the second set but Hollands again proved to be arguably the best player on the domestic scene with more accuracy on her shots.  

 

 

 

It was the second Auckland champs title for Hollands who won the event in 2006 and she still has eyes on a full professional career and will be aiming to put her name in the hat for any main draw or qualifying at the ASB Classic.

 

 

 

In the semis Hollands beat Australian Julia Moriarty in straight sets and Vano overcame Shona Lee in three sets.

 

 

 

Fuji Xerox Auckland Tennis Champs

Men’s singles semifinals

Dan King-Turner bt Adam Thompson 6-1 6-3, Marcus Daniell bt Finn Tearney 2-6 6-1 6-3

Final

King-Turner bt Daniell 6-2 7-6(3)

Women’s singles semifinals

Di Hollands bt Julia Moriarty 7-5 6-3, Kairangi Vano bt Shona Lee 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4

Final:

Hollands bt Vano

6-3 6-4