Laura Unterberger admits she didn’t quite know what to expect when she entered the Bay of Plenty women’s singles tennis tournament in Whakatāne.

Returning to the sport after more than eight years away, the Whakatāne-based player instead delivered a statement performance, claiming the overall title without dropping a set.

Unterberger capped off her impressive run with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Nicole Niehues in the final. In the playoff for third place, Whakatāne’s Tara Purcell defeated Emma Stokes of Taupō 8-4.

“It felt very good to win the tournament, especially as it was my first tournament after a complete break from tennis for over eight years,” Unterberger said.

“I’ve also been coming back from a lot of injuries over the past year, so just being able to move and play was awesome.”

Despite her dominant results, Unterberger said the tournament was far from easy.

“I was quite pleased with my game – it was really good fun. There were definitely nerves; not only in the final,” she said.

“I didn’t drop any sets, but it was still a good challenge.”

Having moved to Whakatāne in January 2025, Unterberger is still relatively new to the Eastern Bay tennis scene. She joined the Whakatāne Tennis Club in March, a decision she says, that has already paid off.

“I hadn’t played any of the other competitors before, but I really enjoyed the tennis. There were great matches and, even more importantly, very fair and fun games.”

Looking ahead, Unterberger is keeping her options open as she continues her return to the sport.

“I’m not sure what the next steps are yet, as I’m very new to tennis in New Zealand. I’ll just see what comes around and stay open to competing in different events.”

Unterberger first picked up a racquet as a child, inspired by her aunt, but other priorities pulled her away from the game for a time. Now, after years away and a battle with injuries, she is simply happy to be back on court – and, as her latest result shows, making up for lost time in style.