BADMINTON

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26220, 18 September 1950, Page 8

BADMINTON

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS CONCLUDED

Play was of the highest standard when the New Zealand badminton championships were concluded at the King Edward Barracks on Saturday evening. The strength of the game appears to be distributed evenly throughout the associations, as titles went to Canterbury, Otago, Wairarapa. and Auckland. The finest game of the evening was the final of the mixed doubles between F. Hawksworth (Wairarapa) and Mrs M. LPotts (Canterbury), and G. Pearce (Otago) and Miss V. Johnson (Auckland). 'Hie large audience was quick to appreciate the excellent play of all four players. Hawksworth and Mrs Potts won after three hard sets, mainly because of their ability to finish off a rally with a well placed smash or drop shot. The recovery shots of all players were magnificent and the courtcraft left little to be desired. Mrs Potts, the triple title holder, had -'another good win when she beat Miss H. Redwood (Auckland) in the final of the women’s singles. Both players smashed well, but Mrs Potts forced her opponent into mbre errors and showed a better sense of positional play. Hawksworth added to his many victories in the New Zealand championships with a win in the final of the men s singles. A. L. Scott (Otago) took Hawks-

worth to 17-14 in the first set with fine recoveries, smashes, and courtcraft, but Hawksworth forced Scott into errors in the second set and won comfortably after some brilliant rallies. Gaining many points from shrewdlyplaced angle smashes and drop shots Misses Redwood and Johnson had a good win in the women’s doubles against the Otago pair, Mesdames R. Stark and C. Lindsay. Misses Redwood and Johnson, both excellent stylists, worked their opponents into losing positions, finishing off rallies with hard smashes. P. D. Skelt and L. A. Rankin (Otago) went into an early lead in the first set of the men’s doubles after some sparkling rallies, finally winning 15-13 after R. G. Pattinson (Canterbury) and Scott had fought back tenaciously. Pattinson and Scott started much better in the second set, but the Otago pair finished too well and won 15-9. Trophies were presented by the president of . the New Zealand Badminton Federation (Mr A. W. Buehler). / In the results the following abbreviations are used:—Canterbury (C.), Otago (O.), Southland (S.), Wellington r (W.), Wairarapa (Wair.), Waikato (Walk.), Auckland (A.). A GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP Men’s Singles P. Hawksworth (Wair.) beat A. I. Scott (O.), 17-14, 15-5. Women’s Singles Mrs M. L. Potts (C.) beat Miss H. Redwood (A.), 11-5, 11-2. Men’s Doubles P. D. Skelt and L. A. Rankin (O.) beat R. G. Pattinson and A. L. Scott (O.), 1513, 15-9. Women’s Singles Misses V. Johnson and H. Redwood (A.) beat Mesdames R. Stark and C. Lindsay (O.), 15-4, 15-7. Mixed Doubles P. Hawksworth (Wair.) and Mrs M. L. Potts (C.) beat G. Pearce (O.) and Miss V. Johnson (A.). 15-10, 17-18, 15-5. HANDICAP Men’s Singles A. T. Skelt (S.), owe 12, beat N. Grice (Walk.), owe 4, 21-16. Women’s Singles Mrs C. Lindsay (O.), owe 5, beat Mrs M. Moore (C.), scr, 15-14. Men’s Doubles K. C. Wilson and W. Welsh (C.), owe 5, beat W. R. Russell and N. Grice (Waik.), owe 2, 21-9. Women’s Doubles Mrs W. Moore and Miss W. Wall (C.), owe 5, beat Mesdames R. Stark and C. Lindsay (O.), by default. Mixed Doubles L. A. Rankin and Mrs R. Stark (O ). owe 10, beat W. Welsh and Miss K. Palmer (C.), scr, 21-2. B GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP Men’s Singles R. Macefield (C.) beat N. Grice (Walk.), 15-7, 15-13. Women’s Singles 1 Miss S. H. Cox (O.) beat Miss E. Kay (C.), 11-5, 11-1. Men’s Doubles K. C. Wilson and W. Welsh (C.) beat R. Macefield and J. Read (C.), 13-18, 15-3, 15-11. Women’s Doubles Mrs E. Neill and Miss S. H. Cox (O.) beat Mrs L. J. Stokes and Miss E. Kay (C.), 15-7, 8-15, 15-12. Mixed Doubles G. Pearce (O.) and .Miss V. Johnson (A.) beat H. M. Purser (T.) and Mrs P. Thurston (C.). HANDICAP Men’s Singles B. Loveridge (T.). owe 2. beat A. Duckmanton (C.), owe 5, 21-14. Women’s Singles Miss D. Bennett (C.), owe 5, beat Miss N. J. Lovegrove (T.), scr, 15-13. Men’s Doubles* G. Ennis and B. Loveridge (T.), scr, beat D. G. Holmes and J. R. Paterson (T.), scr, 21-13. Women’s Doubles Misses D. Bennett and A. Snow (C.), owe 2, beat Miss B. Laurence and Mrs H. M. Digby (C.). scr, 15-14. Mixed Doubles B. Loveridge and Miss N. J. Lovegrove (T.), owe 2, beat D. W. Proffit (T.) and Miss M. Dwyer (W.), rec 5, 21-13. C GRADE Handicap Men’s Singles B. Loveridge (T.), scr, beat J. R. Paterson (T.)» rec 6, 21-15. Mixed Doubles B. Loveridge and Miss N. J. Lovegrove (T.)’, scr. beat A. Macefield and Miss A. Snow (C.), rec 6. 21-17. N.Z. PLATE Men’s Singles N. Grice (Waik.) beat H. M. Sorenson (A.), 21-11. • Women’s Singles Mrs M. Moore (C.) beat Mrs M. Jeffreys (C.)» 15-12. Junior Girls’ Championship Miss S. H. Cox (O.) beat Miss M. Shaw (T), 15-1.