LAWN TENNIS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27226, 18 December 1953, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT CONTINUES

SEMI-FINALS PLAYED Finals and semi-finals were reached in most of the sections of the Cromb and Merritt junior tennis tournament at Wilding Park yesterday. The tennis was again of a high standard. Two visitors to Christchurch, Miss M. Douglas, of Morrinsville, and Miss V. Moir, of Waipara, showed perhaps the best form of competitors.

The game between Miss Moir and Miss S. Field, the second player in the Otago Howe Shield team, in a semi-final of the girls' under 19 singles, was one of the most interesting of the day. Both were hitting balls hard, but Miss Moir was the more forceful of the two. She had Miss Field running across the baseline with perfectly placed drives to the corners. Her opponent, even with her excellent retrieving. ability, could not cope with these shots. Miss Moir tired slightly when the score was 8-1 in- her favour, and Miss Field took a game on her own service. However, the match was won 9-2 after Miss Field had survived two match points. Miss Moil-, who won the event last year, has not been available for the Canterbury Howe Shield team this year. The other semi-final in the girls under 19 section was won by Miss M. Westgarth, fourth on the Canterbury under 19 ladder. She will play Miss Moir in the final. , , . Her extra experience enabled ivliss Douglas to beat Miss P. Byrne, an Opawa club plaver, 8-2, in a semi-final of the girls' under 15 singles. Miss Byrne, a feature of whose play is a nice backhana swing, gave Miss Douglas her stiffest opposition in the tournament so far. Miss J. Davidson and Miss G. Hopkinson, first and second on the Christchurch girls’ under 17 ladder, and Canterbury Howe Shield players, will contest the final of the girls' under 17 singles Yesterday, Miss Davidson eliminated the West Coast junior champion, Miss J. Lambert, in the quarter-finals, and later beat Miss B. Mollison, the fourth Canterbury Howe Shield player, 9-5, in a semi-final. Miss Hopkinson beat Miss J. Andrews in the other semi-final, 9-1. Shirlaw Taken to 9-6

The top plaver on the Canterbury boys under 17 ladder, B. Shirlaw, was taken to 9-6 bv A. Joseph in a semi-final of the boys' under 17 singles. Shirlaw was leading at 8-3 after playing very soundly in all departments of the game, when he lapsed into errors. Joseph, playing a good first service and chasing every ball, t°° k three games in succession, which included match points, in an attempt to even the scores. However, Shirlaw won the last game with a beautiful angled volley. His easv style, top spun forehand, and welj, placed smashes, were pleasant to watcn. One of the outstanding younger Players in the tournament has been G. Judge, ot Christchurch Boys’ High School, third on the Christchurch under 17 ladder. He has reached the semi-finals m the boys under 15 singles and with Shirlaw in the under 17 doubles beat A. Smith and Joseph, 9-2, in a semi-final. Because of the very large entry in the under 15 sections of the tournament, n is thought that next year an . und or an under 13 section may be included. Small entries in the under 19 sections, however, make it possible that those sections may not be included. Results of matches played yesterday

BOYS’ MATCHES Under 15 Singles Third Round.—G. Judge' meat D. Tryon, 9-0; D. Jamieson beat, G. Hillgrove, 9 P Skelton beat W. Lindsay, 9-7. R- Neuman beat B. McGee. 9-3; B. Aldridge beat R Tavlor 9-6; P. Wilson beat D. McNicol, y 9-3; R. Irvine beat R. W. Moore, 9- Quarter-finals.— Judge beat Jamieson, 9-2; Aldridge beat Wilson, 9-4; Neuman beat Skelton, 9-2; Freaer beat Irvine, 9 5. Under 17 Singles Quarter-^nals.—A. Huston beat G. Dowlings 9-6: J. Cadenhead beat B. HoP^ 1 "; son 9-1: B- Shirlaw beat M. Crozier, 9-2, A. Joseph beat G. p - Wi J so T l l’ ?.'h' Q« Semi-final.—Shirlaw beat Joseph, 9-6. Under 19 Singles Semi-finals.—B. Crofts A^ eat M P; Q H -i all, g_4- t r. Watson beat E. Alexander, 9-1.

Under 15 Doubles Second Round.—D. McNicol and C. Freear beat B. Judge and P. McDougall, 9-8; M. Seaward and I. Thompson beat D Hare and G. Wilson, 9-8: M. Jordan and R. Irvine beat P. Harley and P. Cogswell 9-8‘ K. Baxer and M. Urquhait beat Watkins and L. Jones 9-4; M Sardinian and D. Tryon beat B. Berkeley and H. Ja Qua°rter-finals.—McNicoll and Preeai J beat Walpole and Wilson, 9-8; Jordan and Irvine beat Seaward and Thompson, 9-8, Baker and Urquhart beat Barcham and T^Semi-finals.— Taylor and Aldridge beat McNicol and Freear, 9-7.

Under 17 Doubles Second Round.—J. Cadenhead and M. Crampton beat B. Thomas and P. Thompson 9-5; R- Hopkinson and M. Crozier beat A Clark and A. Page. 9-8; B. King and J. Dalzell beat K. Tahuhu and M. Nutina, 9-1; A. Smith and A Joseph beat T. Gibson and R. Orr, 9-L A. Huston and B. Cobden-Cox beat M. Berkeley and B. Gazzard, 9-0; Jones and Watkins beat G. Dowling and R. Petrie, 9-8. Quarter-finals. —Smith and Joseph beat King and Dalzell, 9-2; Shirlaw and Judge won by default; Cahenhead and Crampton beat Hopkinson and Crozier. 9-4; Huston and Cobden-Cox beat Jones and Watkins, 9-8. , Koat Semi-final.—Shirlaw and Judge beat Smith and Joseph, 9-2. Under 19 Doubles First Round.—P. Thompson and N. W. Thomas beat N. Heal and R. G r £» 9 “p; Alexander ahd Dempsey beat D. Parris | and J. Haldane, 9-8. ’ Semi-finals.—G. Hall and R. Watson beat Thompson and Thomas, 9-5; B. Crofts and McNeill beat Alexander and Dempsey, 9-1.

GIRLS’ MATCHES Under 15 Singles Quarter-finals. —R. Culling beat J. Garratt, 9-1; P. Andrews beat J. Kane, 9-0: P. Byrne beat K. Brander, 9-7; M. Douglas beat J. Casey, 9-1. Semi-finals.—Douglas beat Byrne, 9-2. Under 17 Singles Quarter-finals.—J. Davidson beat J. Lambert, 9-3; B. Mollison beat B. Needham, 9-5; J. Andrews beat P. Brown, 9-8; G. Hopkinson beat L. Cooper, 9-6. Semi-finals.—Davidson beat Mollison, 9-5; Hokinson beat Andrews, 9-1. Under 19 Singles Quarter-finals. —S. Field beat D. Norrie, 9-5; V. Moir beat J. Hobbs, 9-5; M. Westgarth won by default; M. Bailey beat D. Murray, 9-6. Semi-finals.—Westgarth beat Bailey, 9-4; Moir beat Field, 9-2.

Under 15 Doubles Second Round.—M. Douglas and M. McIlwraith beat K. Brander and D. McDonald, 9-2; P. Noonan and H. Hamilton beat B. Blackburn and J. Bailey, 9-1; R. Culling and S. Falconer beat E. Purvis and A. Barcham, 9-4; P. Glubb and J. Casey beat F. Russell and A. Lack, 9-5; V. Tucker and S. Burrow beat W. Mauger and B. Dixon, 9-4; P. Robinson and P. Andrews beat G. Poore and J. Forbes, 9-7. Quarter-finals. —Anderson and Stevens beat Douglas and Mcllwraith, 9-6; Noonan and Hamilton beat Robinson and Andrews, 9-3; Culling and Falconer beat Dailey and Mardon, 9-6. Semi-final. —Anderson and Stevens beat Noonan and Hamilton, 9-7. Under 17 Doubles Second Round. —A. Gainsford and M. Munro won by default; A. Carr and A. Austin beat J. Stevens and S. Edwards, 9-4; G. Leathaby and R. Edmonds beat R. Tewland and J. Chimside, 9-6; B. Mollison and P. Green beat A. Dempster and H. Milner, 9-0. Quarter-finals. —Davidson and Hopkinson beat McCracken and Stone, 9-2; AnI drews and Cooper beat Gainsford and Munro. 9-1; Carr and Austin beat Lethaby and Edmonds. 9-4; Mollison and Green beat McGillivray and Brown, 9-6. Semi-finals.—Davidson and Hopkinson. beat Andrews and Cooper, 9-3; Mollison and Green beat Carr and Austin, 9-6.

Under 19 Doubles Second Round.—V. Moir and V. Hatch won bv default; S. Field and L. Pledger beat D. Norrie and I. Colthart, 9-5; D. Murray and J. Lambert won by default; J. Hobbs and M. Bailey beat J. Patterson and P. Byrne, 9-8. Semi-finals.—Field and Pledger beat Moir and Hatch. 9-6; Hobbs and Bailey beat Murray and Lambert, 9-8.

Under 19 Mixed Doubles Second Round.—A. D. Huston and Miss G. Hopkinson beat R. R. Skelton and Miss M. Bailey, 9-1; R. Watson and Miss M. Mitchell beat R. Petrie and Miss I. Colthart, 9-7: Dempsey and Miss V. Moir beat A. Joseph and Miss P. Brown, 9-8; B. Crofts and Miss B. Mollison beat E. Alexander and Miss D. Walton, 9-1; JCadenhead and Miss L. Cooper beat R. Orr and Miss P. Falconer, 9-3; M. Crozier and Miss J. Patterson beat B. CobdenCox and Miss R. Culling, 9-8. Quarter-final. —Huston and Miss Hopkinson won by default.