Eddie does the Bissness at tennis nationals

Devonport tennis player Eddie Biss has won a national Secondary Schools Championship with his Westlake Boys High School team.

Eddie, Nehal Naidoo, Jacob Warren, Andre Duggan and Matthew Lang beat Christ’s College 4-2 in the boys final in Christchurch last week.

Year 12 student Eddie, who has played for Ngataringa Tennis Club since he was eight years old, said the nationals were definitely a step up from the Auckland competition Westlake won on 15 March.

“There was a lot more quality in the depth,” he said. “There weren’t just one or two star players you had to look out for – the teams were good everywhere.”

Eddie and Nehal’s partnership proved to be vital – the pair won a tie-breaker 10-6 to take out the the deciding match.

The pair also play doubles for Milford Tennis Club and have an upcoming semi-final in the Chelsea Cup senior competition.

The nerves started to kick in for Eddie when the final match went to the deciding tie-breaker, but the 16-year-old said his on-court chemistry with Nehal helped them push through.

“We went down a set but managed to come back, which was huge.”

Eddie told the Flagstaff it’s “definitely the plan” to win back-to-back national titles. “We’ve only got one player leaving, so we’ll be just as strong, if not stronger.”

The S3-grade interclub player is now shifting his focus to the national Junior Teams event in Hamilton later this month, when he and Nehal will represent North Harbour.