Rotokare win back-to-back Soffe Cup titles

Luis and Matilde Silva

Rotokare has emerged as the champions of the Soffe Cup 2022/2023 season, winning the title and the Soffe Cup for the second year in a row.

The final showdown saw Rotokare and Okaiawa compete against each other, with Rotokare ultimately emerging victorious with a score of 9-3. Despite the intermittent rain that affected the games, quality tennis was on show throughout the day.

Luke De Villiers, one of the most improved tennis players in the region, commented: "It was a good team effort, unbeaten during the season and manage to get the Soffe Cup and A2 titles for the first time at the club, so pretty happy."

The singles matches were particularly intense, with each side giving it their all. Hamish Mead from Okaiawa put up a strong fight against Will Roberts from Rotokare, but ultimately lost 7-5 6-0. Rotokare's Caleb Fleming also showed an outstanding performance, winning his match against Mark Laurence from Okaiawa 6-4 6-1. While Okaiawa's Vince Baylis and Grant Morris lost against tough opponents in Blair Crowley and Luke De Villiers from Rotokare, Jorja Symes from Okaiawa could not manage the consistency and talent of Emma Roberts who won 6-2 6-3. Ruby McIntyre from Okaiawa upset Karen Cranston after saving several match points in the second set. Okaiawa’s Abby Ross, who only lost one match this season beat Tania Atkinson 6-3 6-0. After singles finished the overall score was 6-2 for Rotokare.

The doubles matches were equally exciting, with each team giving it their all. Despite Okaiawa's efforts, Rotokare managed to win 3 out of 4 matches. Hamish Mead and Mark Laurence from Okaiawa played a brave match against Will Roberts and Blair Crowley from Rotokare, but the latter emerged victorious 6-2 6-2. Vince Baylis and Grant Morris from Okaiawa also put up a good fight but couldn't keep up with Caleb Fleming and Luke De Villiers from Rotokare 6-1 6-2. Ruby McIntyre and McKenna Norris from Okaiawa played a fantastic match against Tania Atkinson and Juliet Farquhar from Rotokare, eventually winning in super tie brake 6-1 5-7 10-8. Jorja Symes and Abby Ross from Okaiawa played a close match against Emma Roberts and Karen Cranston from Rotokare with the mission to keep Okaiawa’s hopes alive. Despite their efforts they could not get a win against the talent and the experienced combination of Emma Roberts and Karen Cranston sentencing a final unbridgeable 9-3 for Rotokare.

Congratulations to Rotokare for their exceptional performance and consistency throughout the season. Their dedication and skill on the court has earned them the prestigious Soffe Cup for the second year in a row, as well as the A2 Wilson Trophy. This double victory marks a historic moment for the club and showcases the remarkable talent of the Rotokare team.

We also commend all players and clubs that competed throughout the season for showing enthusiasm, quality tennis, and sportsmanship. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for tennis in our region.