The naming of teams for the second round of the Southern Tennis League in Dunedin this weekend has virtually assured Southern Lakes of success for the 16th consecutive year.
In the first round in Queenstown, Lakes and Otago beat Southland and North Otago, but Lakes holds a 9-3 advantage over Otago to take into this final round.
After the first round it was said that Lakes had one hand on the trophy but with defections on the women's side for Otago and extra talent and experience added to the Lakes' roster this time, there looks to be only one team that can win the Margaret Borland Trophy yet again.
Davis Cup captain Alistair Hunt, a player who held a world ranking in singles higher than any current Kiwi male, has moved to Wanaka. He is still very fit and has a big power game.
He is backed by former touring pro Perry Crockett and recent national high performance coach Lan Bale, who was ranked in the 20s in world doubles. Junior international squad member Thomas Hartono, Chris Bradley, formerly highly ranked as a junior, and Bjorn Pollock complete a very formidable group.
Lakes has the luxury of using two previous Otago Open winners in Mark Milburn and Justin Russell in its B team, such is its depth.
The surprise selection in the women's squad is international targeted athlete Valentina Ivanov (16). She is training in Queenstown with Bale and won the national 16-and-under title at age 13. Ivanov has won three national titles in Australia, where she moved to train and play.
She has toured the world playing for New Zealand in age-group teams as well as compiling an impressive record in Europe and America in junior events.
Another junior international, Emilia Price, who is the current Otago Open titleholder, is also available, along with experienced regulars Li Ying Moroney, Suma Ito and Tammy Smith.
Otago has lost its top three women from last round. Former junior titleholder Libby Scott, back from a college career in the States, Otago indoor champ Megan Rogers and Georgia Hume are all unavailable, either being out of town or for personal reasons.
The men will also be without Otago Open titleholder Charlie Tomlinson, who is injured, but incumbents Mitchell Sizemore, Paddy Ou, Ryan Eggers and Carlos Reid return, and Nelson student Henry Neas replaces Tomlinson.
The women do regain Jessie Stevenson and retain Rileigh Fields and Zoe Berryman, while Ilana Goossens and Eliza Booth have been promoted.
Otago may still have enough to hold out Southland and North Otago today but tomorrow should see the old foe victorious again.
The division two competition has Otago B playing Southland B, Northern Southland and Lakes B. South Canterbury A and North Otago B, which were both beaten by Otago B in the first round in Oamaru, will also complete a round robin against the same teams.
Lakes B holds an advantage, having beaten Northern Southland and Southland B in Te Anau in November, and looks too strong for Otago B, which has had to engage a number of juniors as newcomers at this level.
The Southern League is scheduled for Logan Park, running through all of today and likely to finish early tomorrow afternoon.
