Cousins grab valuable points | Manawatu-Wanganui Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Manawatu-Wanganui

Wanganui cousins Kyle Butters and Paige Hourigan continue to climb the international tennis ladder after posting top results in the past week.

Hourigan, who turns 15 tomorrow, gained her first International Tennis Federation (ITF) points after winning in Ashburton last weekend. The points gained puts her near the top 300 under-18 players in the world.

And Butters is now in line for plenty of ITF points with three excellent wins in the New Zealand 18 and under summer championships in Auckland, a tournament sanctioned by ITF.

In the first round Butters beat Mark Polmans, the top Australian who beat him in the Aussie championship final recently.

In round two Butters beat a higher-ranking Japanese player and he is also into the semifinals of the doubles with partner William Matheson. The calibre of the opponents Butters and Matheson have beaten en route to the quarter-finals is impressive. Butters plays his quarter-final today.

Meanwhile, Hourigan was pushed out of contention at the same tournament in the second round after losing in a close match to the 8th seed. Earlier, Hourigan beat a talented French player in the first round.

Unfortunately, Hourigan will not receive any ITF ranking points from this competition. The rules require players to win at least two rounds before points are awarded.