Action-packed opening round at WTT Wellington

The first round is complete at the ITF World Tennis Tour: Wellington and it has been a strong start for more than a dozen New Zealand players.

Young Kiwi talent Kai Milburn made it through to the main singles draw after winning his two qualifying matches on the opening day, but the 16-year-old couldn’t get past compatriot and top men’s seed Ajeet Rai.

Rai cruised through in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 to book a place in the second round.

James Watt is also through after beating fellow New Zealander Reece Falck 6-1, 7-5.

There were three other NZ vs NZ first round matches in the men’s singles: Corban Crowther eased past Diego Quispe-Kim 6-2, 6-3, Jack Loutit had a big win over Kiranpal Pannu 6-1, 6-1, and George Stoupe beat Duncan McCall, who came through qualifying, 6-0, 6-1.

Isaac Becroft is also through to the second round after beating his American opponent Preston Brown 7-6, 6-3.

The ITF World Tennis Tour: Wellington is a professional tournament for men and women being held at the Renouf Tennis Centre in the capital, with official WTA and ATP world ranking points up for grabs and a combined prize pool of US$30,000.

In the women’s singles, rising star Renee Zhang, who had a brilliant week last week, won her first round match 6-2, 6-1 against Leilany Ipunesso from New Caledonia.

Elyse Tse also had a good win in her opening match, beating Australian Ashley Katz 6-1, 6-0.

And Monique Barry is the other New Zealand player to make it through to the second round of the women’s singles, after she came back from a set down to beat Laquisa Khan from Australia 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Meanwhile, in the doubles, Marcus Daniell and Finn Reynolds had a solid straight sets first round win 6-1, 6-2 against Arjun Mehrotra from Australia and Patrik Oplustil from Czechia.

They will now come up against fellow Kiwis Nick Beamish and Anton Shepp, who beat their American opponents 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.

There will be another all-NZ doubles battle between Isaac Becroft and James Watt, and George Stoupe and Reece Falck, after both pairings won their opening round matches.

In the women’s doubles, three New Zealanders have made it through to the next round – Monique Barry, Jade Otway, and Elyse Tse.

Barry and her Australian partner Alicia Smith beat Yanni Liu and Ying Zhang from China in the first round 6-3, 6-2.

Otway and her Australian partner Catherine Aulia beat Kiwi team Maria Galatescu and Renee Zhang 7-6, 6-2.

And Tse and her Thai partner Lunda Kumhom beat Japanese pairing Haine Ogata and Himari Sato in a tight three-set match, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6.