ANZ Championships-Weekend Round 10 Preview

Trans-Tasman battles are back in action in Round 10 of the ANZ Championship, and gaining those game points is more important than ever.

In the opening match, third placed Melbourne Vixens take on the seventh placed Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in Invercargill on Saturday.

The Vixens are currently on 12 points and trail the Queensland Firebirds only due to percentage. The Steel will be fighting to climb the points ladder and make up for some below potential past performances.

Both teams are coming off impressive wins and will be looking to forward to continuing the good form.

The contest between Daneka Wipiiti and Bianca Chatfield will be key in this match as will the duel between Julie Prendergast and former Australian shooter Megan Dehn. Dehn will be hoping that her sprained ankle she incurred last week against the Suzuki Central Pulse will not be a burden as she will need to be heavily involved in the shooting duties with Wipiiti. The match up in the middle between Natasha Chokjlat and Liana Barrett-Chase will be one to watch as two of the fittest players in the league go head-to-head.

The fifth placed Adelaide Thunderbirds will be flying high after their upset win over the Firebirds on Monday night and will been looking to soar even higher in round ten.

Sitting just outside the top four on goal percentage behind the NSW Swifts, this week they play the SKOPE Canterbury Tactix who need a win to stay in the finals race. Tactix will need to be right on their game from the opening whistle if they want to knock off the Thunderbirds.

For the Thunderbirds, Geva Mentor was best on court in their win over the Firebirds, this week she will match up against English team mate Rachel Dunn. They will know each other's games inside out so expect to see an interesting tussle in the circle.

The Energy Events Centre in Rotorua will host the match of the round with a top of the table clash between the ladder leaders the ColourPlus Waikato / BOP Magic and the Queensland Firebirds. The Firebirds will be pushing for a win after their loss to the Thunderbirds and with Magic fresh off the bye, this game will have it all.

Incredible match up's flood the court but none more intriguing than one of the league's most prolific shooters Romelda Aiken up against arguably the best goal keeper in the world, Casey Williams. If any team has a solid defensive unit to tame the dangerous Aiken, it’s The Magic.

At the other end of the court, Firebirds goal keeper Laura Geitz has really stood out and her on court performances have been nothing short of outstanding. This game will see her face the biggest challenge of her career to date as she takes on superstar shooter Irene Van Dyk.

Monday night netball gets under way with a clash between the bottom of the table.

West Coast Fever with only one win to date will play hosts to the Suzuki Central Pulse who are on the hunt for that elusive victory. Both teams have had close encounters during the competition and 9^th and 10^th positions are not an indication of the talent these two sides have.

Despite boasting one of the league's most potent shooters in Caitlin Bassett, they have failed to finish off matches when they have been right in the contest. The Pulse has come so close in many of their matches however the young team from Wellington has fallen short in the clutch moments. With pride on the list, this game will be an important one for both teams.

One of the key match up's in this contest should come from the midcourt with the clash between the English speed machine Karen Atkinson and the Pulse’s enforcing and demanding wing defence Cushla Lichtwark. Lichtwark has been a consistent performer in a losing side and will need all her skill and might to compete with the pace and craft of Atkinson.

The final game in Round 10 between the LG Northern Mystics and the NSW Swifts may hold huge significance in how the competition unfolds towards the business end of the season.

The Swifts are clinging onto fourth position while the Mystics who have had a slow start to the season have finally gathered some momentum and will be bringing solid form into this encounter.

Leana De Bruin has been one of the outstanding players in the Mystics and they will need her at her relentless best in this encounter against a top notch shooting combination of Catherine Cox and Susan Pratley.

The match up in the centre between Temepara George and young Australian squad member Kimberlee Green will give an indication where she stands on the court against world-class opposition.

As we approach the finish line, Round 10 is set to play a crucial role in the story as all teams now begin to make their run to the finals.

UPCOMING ROUNDS 10 - 13 (ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL)