Marina Erakovic claimed the New Zealand Residentials women's tennis title in Albany, with a powerful, yet composed display, defeating Canterbury's Ellen Barry in straight sets 7-5 6-2.
Both players were returning from injury, and Barry took the game to Erakovic in the first set, breaking serve twice, until Erakovic won a long duece game at five-all.
However the news wasn't all bad for Barry, she was surprised to learn from she had been given a wildcard entry into the qualifying rounds for the ASB Classic in January, along with Kairangi Vano.
The men's final featured the two new faces at the top of New Zealand tennis.
Twenty year old Austen Childs, back home for Christmas from his university tennis scholarship in the USA, had earlier upset top-seed Dan King-Turner but Marcus Daniell claimed the title in straight sets 6-4 6-1.
Daniell was also allocated a wildcard entry to the qualifying rounds of the Heineken Open in January.
