Search Results

Pulse defender Kelly Jackson tries to prevent a shot from the Taxtix in the ANZ Premiership PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY/NETBALL NZ The Pulse have hit form in fron of a raucous home crowd to defeat the table-topping Tactix 59-50 at TSB Arena in Wellington. The last eight matches between these two teams has seen the result alternated and it proved no different this time with the Pulse getting one back over their red-and-black rivals, a crucial three points banked and a return to the top three on the ladder. LATEST HEADLINES: Lash title, Thomas beaten in final Lawson qualifies high Austrian GP Thomas v Damming squash final Warriors back-to-back NRL losses Steel climbing Premiership ladder When they last met in Round 6, the Tactix came away with an 11-point win with goal attack Te Paea Selby-Rickit having a big impact on the outcome, but the work of captain Kelly Jackson and Parris Mason nullified the Tactix’ key weapon. In contrast, the Tactix had to throw everything at Amelia Walmsley who dominated in the circle against Jane Watson, Karin Burger and Charli Fidler – netting 54 of her team’s points. The Pulse were without regular midcourters Fa’amu Ioane and Whitney Souness, both players ruled out with illness, giving Ainsleyana Puleiata her first start of the season. Gabi Simpson started at centre while Maddy Gordon moved to wing attack in a re-jigged midcourt. For the Tactix, it was again a settled line with Martina Salmon getting the start ahead of Ellie Bird at goal shoot. Both teams took time to settle, the hosts realising the importance of the result and the points on offer, but it was the Tactix to make the first break on the scoreboard. Finding the league’s highest scorer was paramount for the Pulse with Walmsley a safe bet under the hoop, and her feeders were made to work hard over the ranging arms of Jane Watson and Karin Burger. But it wasn’t easy at the other end of the court either with Salmon pushed high in the circle by Jackson and Mason keeping tabs on Selby-Rickit. Every goal was hard fought for entering the super shot period and a turnover created by Gordon lifted the Pulse’s intensity as they levelled the scores – a goal on the buzzer giving the hosts a 13-12 advantage at the first break. Shutting down the shooter-to-shooter play, the Pulse defensive duo troubled the Tactix’ attacking flow and a couple of turnovers gave the hosts a four-goal lead early in the stanza. It prompted Tactix coach Donna Wilkins to make a change in the shooting circle with Ellie Bird replacing Salmon, but there was no stopping the Pulse who jumped out to a 21-14 buffer before a timeout was called. The connections between Tiana Metuarau and Walmsley were solid in the spell as the latter kept the scoreboard ticking over – the Tactix having no answer to the high ball into the circle. Confidence continued to grow, and the full house cheered loudly as Amorangi Malesala was injected into the super shot period, landing her first two point shot as the Pulse went into halftime with a commanding 30-20 lead. The Tactix made changes in the midcourt with captain Erikana Pedersen moving to centre and Parris Petera coming on to wing attack with Holly Mather moving into defence, while Salmon returned to the shooting circle. But it was again the long reach of Jackson foiling the visitors attempts on attack as the Pulse held onto their lead. The quick release into Walmsley was the undoing of the Tactix’ defence and with Mason and Jackson picking up plenty of ball at the other end of the court, the visitors were in danger of falling out of the contest, trailing 33-45 heading into the last turn.

Temuka PSA Squash finalists from left - Elijah Thomas, Rowan Damming, Ella Lash, Jena Gregory PHOTO: KELSI CARRICK PHOTOGRAPHY A first for New Zealand squash player Ella Lash as she scored her maiden PSA Challenger title to assist her young professional career.  The title came in almost the most unlikely of locations, on the international glass court at the Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA tournament in Temuka, South Canterbury. Top-seeded Lash, ranked 117th in the world and aged 19, accounted for 21-year-old third seed Jena Gregory, from Hawke’s Bay, who is ranked 211th. LATEST HEADLINES: Lawson qualifies high Austrian GP Thomas v Damming squash final Warriors back-to-back NRL losses Steel climbing Premiership ladder Top seeds progress at Temuka PSA Lash cruised through the first two games, dropping just three points in the process as Gregory struggled to find her shots. However Lash started the third with a number of unforced errors and Gregory took the initiative taking the score through to a game point, however the fight of Lash showed through as then starved off numerous game balls to win 13-11 and take the match and the title.  In the men's final it was a repeat of three other occasions in New Zealand with top seed and world No 89 as well as former world junior champion Rowan Damming of the Netherlands defeating kiwi No 2 and tournament second seed Elijah Thomas. Thomas ranked 100 tried everything he could on the glass court in Temuka in front of the large supportive crowd as the first game went the way of the top seed 13-11.  The second game was more straight forward in favour of Damming who had an answer to just about every shot from Thomas. However, the New Zealander showed he wasn't finished yet as he took the third game 12-10 by regaining his length on shots and remaining patient.  In the fourth Damming applied the pressure and forced errors out of a now frustrated Thomas in his seven PSA Challenger final, for two previous titles. Thomas who has already played in seven nations this year will be looking for his first National Championships title with the tournament in Auckland this week and Paul Coll under an injury cloud.  In the women's draw Lash will be second seed with Kaitlyn Watts moving into top spot after Joelle King's injury withdrawal.  Results: Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA  (1) Ella Lash bt (3)Jena Gregory 11-2, 11-1, 13-11 (27 minutes) (1) Rowan Damming (Netherlands bt (2) Elijah Thomas 13-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-5 (58 minutes)   In photo from left to right -  Elijah Thomas, Rowan Damming, Ella Lash, Jena Gregory - photo from Kelsi Carrick Photography

A proud Liam Lawson after his sixth place finish in Austria PHOTO: F1 GRAPHIC Liam Lawson converted his qualifying into points as he avoided an opening lap pile up in the Austrian Grand Prix to record his best ever result in Formula 1. Lawson came home sixth with the race won by McLaren's Lando Norris. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse storm back to beat Tactix Lash title, Thomas beaten in final Lawson qualifies high Austrian GP Thomas v Damming squash final Warriors back-to-back NRL losses After his best qualifying performance of the season of sixth, he avoided a crash between Mercedes Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen on the first corner which forced both drivers out of the race. The 23-year-old kiwi did slip to ninth at one stage, but a one stop strategy by the Racing Bulls team helped him climb back up the field. Lawson claimed eight points adding to the four he collected in Monaco which means he is now 15th in the standings, Racing Bulls have improved to sixth in the constructors' championship. Norris won the race from pole position in a McLaren one-two after fending off championship-leading team mate Oscar Piastri in an early wheel-to-wheel duel and then withstanding intense pressure to the end. The Briton's third victory of the season cut Australian Piastri's Formula One lead from 22 to 15 points after 11 of 24 rounds, with the two McLaren drivers locked in an increasingly private title battle.

A promising qualifying position for Liam Lawson at the Austrian Grand Prix PHOTO: F1 GRAPHIC New Zealand driver Liam Lawson, has scored his best qualifying perfomance of the Formula 1 season. He will start sixth on the grid at the Austrian Grand Prix, one place behind his career-best performance, which was fifth in Singapore last year. LATEST HEADLINES: Thomas v Damming squash final Warriors back-to-back NRL losses Steel climbing Premiership ladder Top seeds progress at Temuka PSA Auckland SailGP on the 2026 calendar Lawson finished one spot ahead of his former Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen, and his relief to finally show he is a capable driver was evident after the session concluded. "Everything's felt really good, I've felt really good and we've done a lot of work on the car and on my side as well, just to make it more comfortable for me. "It's nice to show it today, but obviously tomorrow is obviously the important day." The day did not start so well for Lawson, as he finished 11th-fastest in the third practice session. But with his team continuing to fine tune his car, things clicked just when everyone was looking for him to deliver. Lawson was third-fastest in the first qualiyfing phase, then ninth in the second, to ensure he would be lining up his Racing Bulls car in the final qualification, where he sealed his top six finish. "The last couple of weekends the pace has been there through practice, just in quali it wasn't ... so it's cool to get it across the line," Lawson said. McLaren's Lando Norris was fastest to claim pole position, ahead of Ferrari's Charles LeClerc and Australian and championship leader Oscar Piastri.

The Junior Tall Blacks have topped their group at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup with a game to spare. New Zealand opened the tournament in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a 77-72 win over Argentina on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time), following it with a 73-50 victory against Mali on Sunday (Monday NZT). LATEST HEADLINES: Career-best F1 result for Lawson Pulse storm back to defeat Tactix Lash wins PSA title; Thomas beaten Warriors lose back-to-back in NRL Auckland on 2026 SailGP calendar With four points and a final group game against winless Serbia on Tuesday (Wednesday NZT), the Kiwis are guaranteed to finish atop Group A, even with a loss to Serbia, due to head-to-head tiebreakers. New Zealand conceded the game's first 13 points and trailed by as many as 16 points in the opening quarter, before coming back in the second quarter and holding off Argentina late for the upset. Hawke's Bay Hawks guard Jackson Ball led the way with 17 points (5/16 FG, 3/11 3pt, 4/5 FT), five rebounds and three assists, while Canterbury Rams guard Tama Isaac had 14 points (5/10 FG, 2/4 3pt), seven boards and seven assists. Jackson Ball top-scored with 17 points for New Zealand against Argentina at the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup. PHOTO: FIBA Nelson Giants guard Hayden Jones, son of Tall Blacks legend Phill Jones, finished with nine points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, while Oscar Goodman matched him with nine points, and Tauranga Whai forward Carter Hopoi contributed seven points and seven boards. A 22-11 second quarter got the Matt Lacey-coached team back into the contest, but they still trailed by four with six minutes remaining. Jones free-throws and a Xanda Marsters three gave them the lead for good. Ball and Jones combined for New Zealand's last 10 points of the game, with Ball sinking the clinching free-throws and Jones providing a crucial block and steal in the final minute after Argentina closed within two. Against Mali, Jones was the leading scorer, finishing with 19 points (7/12 FG, 4/6 3pt) and eight rebounds, supported by Hopoi's 11 points (2/6 FG, 6/8 FT) and four boards. After exploding out to a 22-9 lead after the opening period, the JTBs conceded 29 points in the second to only lead by three at the main break. However, they clamped down at the defensive end, allowing just 12 points the rest of the way and holding Mali to 26 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent on three-point attempts for the game. Isaac grabbed three steals, to go with nine points and eight rebounds, while Oscar Goodman and Julius Halaifonua pulled down nine and eight boards, respectively. Nelson Giants guard Hayden Jones has been one of the leading players for the Junior Tall Blacks. PHOTO: FIBA With all 16 teams reaching the knockout stage, the JTBs will face the fourth-placed team from Group B (Slovenia or China) in the Round of 16 on Wednesday (Thursday NZT). The core of the JTBs roster was part of the Emerging JTBs team that stunningly reached the semifinals at last year's FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey. JUNIOR TALL BLACKS RESULTS Junior Tall Blacks 77 (Jackson Ball 17, Tama Isaac 14, Oscar Goodman 9, Hayden Jones 9) Argentina 72 . 1Q: 18-31, HT: 40-42, 3Q: 56-57 Junior Tall Blacks 73 (Hayden Jones 19, Carter Hopoi 11, Tama Isaac 9) Mali 50 . 1Q: 22-9, HT: 41-38, 3Q: 58-43

Elijah Thomas in action at the Temuka PSA squash tournament PHOTO: KELSI CARRICK PHOTOGRAPHY An enticing couple of finals in the Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA Challenger finals in Temuka with the top seeds playing off in both men's and women's deciders. However, it's in the men's final where there will be plenty of attention as second seed and world No 100 Elijah Thomas faces Dutchman Rowan Damming ranked 89th for the title. LATEST HEADLINES: Warriors back-to-back NRL losses Steel climbing Premiership ladder Top seeds progress at Temuka PSA Auckland SailGP on the 2026 calendar Former All Blacks in Barbarians squad The pair played in a somewhat contentious final in the Christchurch PSA tournament last week with Damming , the former junior world champion, taking the match in five games. Last year it was Damming who won the two PSA Challengers finals in the South Island over Thomas as well with the kiwi not keen on making it four losses. They had differing ways of making the final Damming took 82 minutes to defeat the unseeded Egyptian Islam Kouritam in five games, whereas Thomas took straight games, but still 45 minutes to beat fourth seed Hafiz Zhafri of Malaysia, both matches on the glass court in front of raucous crowd. The women's draw saw top seed Ella Lash initial absorb a powerful display from Georgia Robcke to win her quaterfinal and then defeat fellow 19-year-old Emma Merson in four games to reach the final where she'll face third seed Jena Gregory. Gregory took five games to subdue second see Jasmine Thirst who showed plenty of fight in the 38 minute match. Thirst was down by two games but found her rhythm to claim the next two games forcing the match to a decider, however Gregory then took the match 11-5 to set up the final against Lash who has a PSA ranking of 117. Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA Women's Quarterfinal Results Jasmine Thirst bt Maiden Lee Coe 11/3 11/9 11/6 Jena Gregory bt Lily Rae 11/9 11/6 11/7 Emma Merson bt Lowri Waugh 11/9 11/5 11/7 Ella Lash bt Georgia Robcke 7/11 11/4 11/4 11/9 Men's Semifinals (1)Rowan Damming bt Islam Kouritam 8-11,11-4, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 (82 minutes) (2) Elijah Thomas (NZ) bt (4) Hafiz Zhafri (Malaysia) 11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (45 minutes) Women's semifinals (3) Jena Gregory bt (2) Jasmine Thirst 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, j5-11. 11-5 (38 minutes) (1) Ella Lash bt (4) Emma Merson 11-6, 9-11, 11-2 11-8 (32 mins)

The Steel are on the rise in ANZ Premiership netball PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY/NETBALL NZ The Southern Steel stretched their winning streak to three when compiling an impressive win over to open Round 8 in Invercargill on Saturday. With both teams still well in contention for the Finals Series, the Steel continued their momentum to grab third place outright for the time being while denying the Magic the opportunity to grab valuable points. LATEST HEADLINES: Top seeds progress at Temuka PSA Auckland SailGP on the 2026 calendar Former All Blacks in Barbarians squad Black Caps T20 Tri-Series Zimbabwe Thomas makes Challenger quarters Coming into the match after securing back-to-back wins as opposed to the Magic’s back-to-back losses, the Steel picked up from where they left off, exerting their extra overall polish across the opening three quarters to hold the Magic at arms-length for much of the outing. The Magic finished strongly with a last quarter flurry to win the final 15 minutes 18-11 but being outplayed across the first three-quarters, it was a case of too little too late. The Steel enjoyed 10 more attempts at goal with mainstay shooter Aliyah Dunn rock-solid under the hoop when providing a handy day’s work and converting 43 from 45. The Steel made the sharpest of starts to build an early lead through their flow and accuracy on attack. That was well supported by shooters Dunn and Georgia Heffernan who converted every opportunity that came their way. The Magic halted a four-goal run from the home side to come back into the game well. Stiffer defensive efforts paid off while the movement and athleticism of shooters Saviour Tui and Ameliaranne Ekenasio kept the contest close. It was shooting accuracy which proved the difference at the first break, the Steel leading 15-13 after nailing all their opportunities and the Magic missing two after both had equal attempts. Each side delivered exciting passages of flowing play at times on the resumption but as the respective defences tightened up, there was more strategy required and playing the ball around before the openings occurred. This opened the door for defensive opportunities to break the goal-for-goal impasse and it was the Steel who pounced with telling effect. The intense pressure employed by Carys Stythe and Abby Lawson under the Magic hoop resulted in turnovers while at the other end Dunn and Georgia Heffernan continued their recent strong form. The pair shared the load expertly and intuitively in feeding off each other with Dunn producing a standout first half through her positioning, pin-point shooting and rebounding ability. The Magic had their moments but were unable to stem a storming finishing from the home side, whose ability to disrupt and grab extra opportunities paid dividends when they completed a strong second spell when heading into the main break with a 33-25 lead. In a similar pattern to the previous quarter, the Steel made impressive impact in the latter stages of the third. With Ali Wilshier and Claire O’Brien delivering perfect ball into Tui, the Magic initially stayed in touch with their southern opponents but their ability to sustain and execute was eventually found wanting. The relentless focus from the Steel’s defensive patterns and easier through-court transition meant there was no let-up for the Magic with misguided passes and inaccuracies taking a toll. Lacking the same efficiency and accuracy the visitors were left playing catch-up. Dunn and Georgia Heffernan continued to stamp their mark at the Steel shooting end with Kimiora Poi marshalling the attack end in an impressive overall team effort. Relishing their dominance, the Steel rattled in the goals to keep building on an advancing scoreline when they led 53-38 at the last turn.

Fourth seeded Malaysian Hafiz Zhafr took over an hour to win his quarterfinal in Temuka PHOTO: KELSI CARRICK PHOTOGRAPHY The top seeded players won their respective matches to progress at the Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA Challenger Squash tournaments in Temuka, the men through to the semifinals and the women's tournament into the last eight. Top seed, 19-year-old Ella Lash at 117 in the world rankings eased past Waikato's Amber Helm in straight games and was joined in the quarters by second seed and fellow teen Jasmine Thirst who is British born, but now under a New Zealand flag. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland SailGP on the 2026 calendar Former All Blacks in Barbarians squad Black Caps T20 Tri-Series Zimbabwe Thomas makes Challenger quarters Wallace Sititi out of All Blacks injured Others to make the women's the last eight include third and fourth seeds Jena Gregory from Hawkes Bay and Emma Merson another 19-year-old from the Bay of Plenty. Maiden Lee Coe, Georgia Robcke, Lily Rae and Lowri Waugh also won their opening matches. In the men's draw there were lengthy clashes with every match over 40 minutes and a couple hitting the hour mark including the first five-game encounter where fourth seed Hafiz Zhafri from Malaysia triumphed over Ahmed Sherif of Egypt in what was a fiery and entertaining match. In the all-Dutch battle, top seed and world No 89 Rowan Damming defeated eighth seeded Sam Gerrits in straight games but had to fight in the first set winning 11-9 before racing through with the scoreline. The longest match of the day went in favour of Egyptian Islam Kouritan who accounted for Hong Kong player Lap Man Au in 67 minutes in four sets. New Zealand second seed Elijah Thomas had a fight on his hands to overcome Korea's Seojin Oh. Thomas had to come from 0-5 down in the first game and 0-4 in the second to secure his 12-10, 11-8, 11-9 result and will face left-handed Zhafri in the semifinals. All matches are on the international glass court at the 'Shed' in Temuka with the finals to be held on Sunday afternoon. Results: Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA And District Squash Open - New Zealand unless noted, women's first round. Georgia Robcke bt Kelsi Carrick 11-5 11-4 11-4 (15 mins) Maiden Lee Coe bt Erin Ellery 11-1 11-1 11-6 (16 mins) (2)Jasmine Thirst bt Brooke Pryor 11-4 11-1 11-2 (13 mins) (1)Ella Lash bt Amber Helm 11-1 11-3 11-1 (13 mins) Lily Rae bt Moriya Karati 11-6 12-10 8-11 11-5 (26 mins) Lowri Waugh bt Neiro Suzuki (Japan) 8-11 11-6 11-9 11-5 (25 mins) (3)Jena Gregory bt Emma Millar 11-9 11-8 8-11 11-9 (24 mins) (4)Emma Merson bt Katrina Palmer (Australia) 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (15 mins) Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA And District Squash Open Men's quarterfinal matches (1) ‎Rowan Damming (Netherlands) bt (8) Sam Gerrits (Netherlands) 11-9., 11-5, 11-3 (43 mins) Islam Kouritam (Egypt) bt Lap Man Au (HK) 11-9, 14-12, 4-11, 11-4 9 (67 minutes) (4) Hafiz Zhafri (Malaysia) bt Ahmed Sherif (Egypt) 11-9, 11-3, 6-11, 7-11, 11-5 (63 min) (2) Elijah Thomas (NZ) bt Seojin Oh (Korea)12-10, 11-8, 11-9, (43 mins)

Back on the filed again, Sam Cane is named in the Barbarians PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY Barbarians coach Robbie Deans has picked six former All Blacks and another five New Zealanders for this weekend's game against South Africa in Cape Town. Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane starts on the openside with Shannon Frizell at number eight as part of the eight kiwis in the starting XV and three in the reserves. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps T20 Tri-Series Zimbabwe Thomas makes Challenger quarters Wallace Sititi out of All Blacks injured Davis Cup returns to Palmerston North Jackson-Cartwright stays at Breakers World Cup-winning halfback from 2015 Tawera Kerr-Barlow plays inside Chiefs first five Josh Jacomb, while outside are Peter Umaga-Jensen, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Mark Tele'a and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins. Former Blues players Ricky Riccitelli, Hoskins Sotutu and Chiefs Lachlan Boshier are in the reserves. Irish backrow great Peter O'Mahony has been named to captain the side. It will be the last time O'Mahony and fellow Irish great Cian Healy will take to the field as professional players. "This side is packed with experience and exciting players and we are looking forward to going out there and expressing ourselves," said Deans. "This is the first time a South African crowd have got to see the Barbarians face the Springboks on home soil and it's going to be a great fixture. "The boys have come in and bonded really well. Those connections will be important against the World Champions." Barbarians: 15 Melvyn Jaminet, 14 Mark Tele'a, 13 Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 11 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Peter O'Mahony (c), 5 David Ribbans, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Cian Healy Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Hassane Kolingar, 18 Will Collier, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Joe Marchant, 23 Lachlan Boshier

Wallace Sititi is out of the July All Blacks series with France PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY An injury change for the All Blacks with Chiefs loose forward Wallace Sititi out for the upcoming French series and possibly beyond as well. Sititi was seen by a surgeon regarding a high ankle injury and it has been determined that he will require surgery, ruling him out of the July series. LATEST HEADLINES: Davis Cup returns to Palmerston North Jackson-Cartwright stays at Breakers Sun loses in Eastbourne second round Coll out of World Tour Finals with injury Hobbs sets Oceania records in Czechia A further medical assessment will be made in three weeks to determine his likely return to play. Crusader Christian Lio-Willie has come into the squad to replace Sititi, and Dalton Papali’I has replaced Lio-Willie as injury cover for Luke Jacobson. There are three tests against the French side which has been named with limited fanfare as the squad is missing a large number of top names who are committed to club sides. The first test is Saturday 05 July at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin with a 7.05pm kickoff. The second test is in Wellington at Sky Stadium Saturday 12 July followed by FMG Stadium in Hmilton the next Saturday. All Blacks

Elijah Thomas plays a shot in his second round win over William Donnelly at the squash challenger in Temuka PHOTO: SUPPLIED One New Zealander, a couple of Dutchman, two Egyptians, a Malaysian, Korean and one player from Hong Kong make up the quarterfinals of the Midlands PSA Challenger tournament in Temuka after the completion of the first two rounds of play. Second seeded New Zealander Elijah Thomas won through with a tricky contest over countryman William Donnelly in straight games, LATEST HEADLINES: Wallace Sititi out of All Blacks injured Davis Cup returns to Palmerston North Jackson-Cartwright stays at Breakers Sun loses in Eastbourne second round Coll out of World Tour Finals with injury There was always the chance that the unseeded player would pull off a sensational shot every now and then...and he did at times. But it was the steadiness of Thomas ranked 100 in the world which showed through in the end for the win. Thomas, 22, faces Seojin Oh in the quarters after the Korean accounted for sixth seed Bradley Fullick in a 60-minute four game contest. Fourth seed Hafiz Zhafri beat Australian Jacob Robinson in a hard-fought match and will now play Egyptian Ahmed Sherif who accounted for Australian 'local' Remi Young. At the top half of the draw Islam Kouritam beat third seed Leo Chung of Hong Kong in straight games to set up a match with Lap Man Au from Hong Kong who defeated New Zealander Mason Smales in four games on the kiwis 21st birthday. The big match at the top of the draw features the Dutch duo of Rowan Damming and Sam Gerrits. Top seed Damming ranked 89 in the world, dropped the first game to Frenchman Antoine Riehl but them stormed back for an easy victory. Gerrits had the same journey to the quarters losing the first game to New Zealand teen Freddie Jameson 10-12 but coming back strong 11-1, 11-3, 11-5 as the Northlander had no answer to the Dutch players domination of the centre of the court. The women's Challenger draw gets underway on Friday with New Zealand junior Ella Lash top seed followed by Hungarian Kincso Szász. Trust Aoraki Midlands PSA And District Squash Open Men's second round matches - day session Lap Man Au (HK) bt Mason Smales (Samoa/NZ) 8-11, 13-11, 3-11, 4-11 (46 minutes) Ahmed Sherif (Egypt) bt Remi Young (Australia)11-8, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9 (44 minutes) Seojin Oh (Korea) bt (6) Bradley Fullick (Australia) 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9 (60 minutes) (2) Elijah Thomas (NZ) v William Donnelly (NZ) 11-6,11-7 , 11-6 (30 minutes) Afternoon results: (4) Hafiz Zhafri (Malaysia) bt Jacob Robinson (Australia) 11-5 8-11 15-13 11-4 (57 minutes) Islam Kouritam (Egypt) ( (3) Leo Chung (Hong Kong) 11-7 11-9, 11-6 (42 minutes) (8) Sam Gerrits (Netherlands) bt Freddie Jameson (New Zealand) 10-12, 11-1, 11-3, 11-5 (33 minutes) (1) ‎Rowan Damming (Netherlands) bt Antoine Riehl (France) 6-11, 11-3, 11-1, 11-2 (30 minutes)

New Zealand players from left to right - Artem Sitak (non-playing captain), Ajeet Rai, Jack Loutit, Rubin Statham, Finn Reynolds and KP Pannu PHOTO: SUPPLIED TENNIS NZ New Zealand’s best mens tennis players will return to Palmerston North this September to take on Georgia in the Davis Cup. The World Group II clash will take place 13-14 September, the second time in a row Fly Palmy Arena will host Davis Cup and the same venue where New Zealand suffered a narrow defeat to Luxembourg.last year. LATEST HEADLINES: Jackson-Cartwright stays at Breakers Sun loses in Eastbourne second round Coll out of World Tour Finals with injury Hobbs sets Oceania records in Czechia Auckland City earn Boca Juniors draw “After the excitement of last year’s event, we’re proud to have the Davis Cup back this September. Palmy sports fans are the best in the country and I know they’ll back the Kiwi team home against Georgia,” said Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith. The New Zealand team is yet to be announced, but Davis Cup captain Artem Sitak is looking forward to the tie. “We’ve got unfinished business in Palmy. Last year the atmosphere was incredible, and we were so close, but this year I know we’ll give even more and get the right result for the Manawatū fans,” said Sitak . The matchup with Georgia marks a fresh chapter in Davis Cup history with the teams never having faced each other previously. Georgia has a strong squad of international players at their disposal. Nikoloz Basilashvili, currently ranked 128 in the world, has been as high as 16 before. However he has not played for the Georgian Davis Cup team since 2021. Other top Georgians include Saba Purtseladze (ranked 253) and Aleksandre Bakshi (ranked 554). The New Zealand squad will be named in August, and will be drawn from players competing across the ATP, the World Tennis Tour professional circuit, and US collegiate tennis.