New Zealand doubles specialist Erin Routliffe and her Kiwi partner Paige Hourigan are through to the women's doubles final at the EVES Open in Tauranga today.

The pair are set to captivate the Pāpāmoa crowd this afternoon when they come up against Ashmitha Easwaramurthi from India and Yuka Hosoki from Japan on the main court.

Routliffe is ranked 30th in the world for doubles and this ITF World Tennis Tour event is proving to be the perfect lead up for the 27-year-old before she appears at the ASB Classic in Auckland in early January.

'Just out here for some competition and I'm trying to enjoy the competition and enjoy playing in New Zealand, which is always really nice,” says Routliffe.

She sys competing in Pāpāmoa this week has been 'amazing”.

'There's a lot of fans, a lot of people watching every single match, which is really cool, and I think for a smaller tournament it's amazing to have all the people out here and playing in New Zealand is always a really, really nice time with the Kiwi fans and I've been loving it.”

In the men's doubles final, which will also be played on the main court at Venture Developments WBOP Tennis Centre in Gordon Spratt Reserve this afternoon, there are three Kiwis in action.

Reece Falck and George Stoupe are playing Jack Loutit and his Japanese partner Daisuke Sumizawa.

Falck and Stoupe have only required two sets all week as they have made their way through the draw, beating fellow New Zealanders Caelan Potts and James Watt in the quarter-finals on Thursday 6-3, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Wellington's Kiranpal Pannu is the only Kiwi left in the singles race.

He will play Australian Jeremy Beale in a semi-final on Friday.

'I'm pumped up for the semi, in terms of beating Jeremy I'm going to have to serve well and just play disciplined tennis and not give him too much,” says Pannu.

'He is a very talented guy so it'll be a tough contest but if I can take care of what I need to, I'm definitely in with a shot, so really looking forward it.”
The 25-year-old Kiwi pro is currently ranked 667 in the world and is based in Atlanta in the United States.

He has played tournaments in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Tunisia, as well as all over the US this year.

Pannu says he is enjoying his summer at home.

'I'm feeling good, it's been an awesome week playing at the Pāpāmoa club, they've done an amazing job of getting the community involved and we've been playing in front of couple of hundred people each day, so it's nice to have that Kiwi support.”

The other men's singles semi-final will see young Australian rising talent Derek Pham take on compatriot Blake Ellis.

Pham is 18 years old, came through qualifying, and has been impressive all week.

In a major upset, he came back from a set down to beat Kiwi second seed Rubin Statham in the quarter-final on Thursday – 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

The women's singles semi-finals will see number one seed Katherine Sebov from Canada playing Zuzana Zlochova from Slovakia, and Australian Catherine Aulia playing Michaela Bayerlova from the Czech Republic.

Sebov had a convincing win over Kiwi Erin Routliffe in the quarter-final on Thursday 6-1, 6-2.