Shuja & Leevey Lift New Zealand Titles

Kashif Shuja and Tamsyn Leevey are the new New Zealand Nationals champions - Leevey collecting the women's title after a stunning upset in the final in Hamilton.

Leevey, the world No 28 from Wellington, is the women's champion for the first time after a surprise 9-7 0-9 10-9 10-8 victory over 14th ranked Shelley Kitchen from Northland. Top-seeded Kitchen had been the red hot favourite to win the title left vacant by the retirement of Carol Owens, but Leevey produced one of the best perfomances of her career to upstage the Kiwi number one.

Not surprisingly, both players have been named in the New Zealand team for the Women's World Team Championships in Amsterdam at the end of the month.

Auckland's Louise Crome and Otago's Jaclyn Hawkes are also in the four-strong line up announced at the end of the tournament.

In the men's draw, second seed Kashif Shuja pipped Remuera clubmate Callum O'Brien for the title.

Shuja beat the top seed 0-9 9-0 9-4 9-4 in the final.