New Zealand’s first Blind Low Vision Community Tennis Tournament was held in Northland, hosted by Tennis Northland with Parafed Northland. The event introduced structured competition for players with different visual classifications and was driven by Northland player Lissie, who has competed internationally in Blind Low Vision Tennis. Helen, the current International Blind Tennis Association representative, is continuing to help build momentum for the sport in New Zealand.
Blind Low Vision Tennis follows the same rules as traditional tennis but with adaptations: the ball is larger and contains a rattle so players can track it by sound, while court size and bounce allowances vary depending on each player’s vision classification.
Results:
In the B1 Open Singles, Ming Ming Edgar of Northland won the men’s title, with Bradley Karaitiana of Auckland second and Josiah Fue of Auckland third. The women’s singles were won by Rhonda Comins of Auckland, with Jacqui Gardner of Northland runner‑up.
The B1 Open Mixed Doubles were claimed by Ming Ming Edgar and Jacqui Gardner of Northland, while Rhonda Comins and Bradley Karaitiana of Auckland finished second.
In the B2–4 Women’s Singles, Samira Cox from New South Wales, Australia, won the B4 category. The B3 competition was taken out by Sakae Tsukamoto of Shizuoka, Japan, followed by Ellisia Cleave (Northland), Donna McCaskill (Canterbury), and Shannon Cleave (Waikato). The B2 women’s title went to Kim Dyball of Waikato. Across Pool A and B, Samira Cox emerged overall winner, with Sakae Tsukamoto second.
The B2 Men’s Singles saw Robert Fletcher of Australia take first place, James Dunn of Auckland second, and Martin Oswald of Berlin, Germany, third. In the B3 Men’s Singles, Donovan van Noordwyk of Waikato secured the win, while the B4 Men’s Singles was won by Marquele McCaskill of Auckland, with Leslie Marsh, also from Auckland, runner‑up.
The B2–4 Men’s Doubles champions were Robert Fletcher (Australia) and Donovan van Noordwyk (Waikato). Second place went to Adam (Australia) and Leslie Marsh (Auckland), while James Dunn and Marquele McCaskill, both from Auckland, finished third.
In the B2–4 Women’s Doubles, Ellisia Cleave (Northland) and Samira Cox (NSW, Australia) claimed first place. Donna McCaskill (Canterbury) and Sakae Tsukamoto (Shizuoka, Japan) finished second, while Shannon Cleave and Kim Dyball, both from Waikato, secured third.
This tournament was a brilliant event celebrating international and local talent while encouraging new players to take part in sport.
