Avonside Holds Lead In Senior Women’s Matches

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27873, 23 January 1956, Page 14

Avonside Holds Lead In Senior Women’s Matches

LAWN TENNIS

With one more series of matches to be played to complete the first round, the new Avonside team—the only one unbeaten—holds the lead in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s senior women’s competition. In the fourth series at Wilding Park on Saturday, Avonside beat Cashmere, which had been lying in second place with Shirley, by 4 matches to 2. Beating St. Albans by 5 matches to 1, Shirley remained in second place. Because several players were absent --at the New Zealand junior championships at Gisborne, the other fixture set down for Saturday— United v. University—will be played later.

Points are:—Avonside 4. Shirley 3, Cashmere 2. United and St. Albans 1, University 0. United and University are one match behind.

A strong all-round team, Avonside includes the only two players, Miss S. Field and Miss D. Norrie, who have won four club singles matches this season. Formerly of Otago and the third ranked New Zealand junior last season. Miss Field has proved a great asset to the Avonside club since she moved to Christchurch. Promoted to the senior grade this season, Miss Norrie has impressed by her steadiness. A former South Island champion, the top woman, Miss P. Allen, is second ranked in Canterbury and the other member is Mrs P. Boatwood, who played top for South Brighton two seasons ago. Shirley, with a loss to Avonside, is dose on the heels of the leader. It is the only team that has played the same four players each time and three of them, Misses R. Pengelly, A. Dailey and V. Hatch, have lost only one singles—on the first day. A young side which entered the competition for the first time last season finishing well down, Shirley has shown great imnrovement. Saturday’s matches were played in good conditions on fast courts. A strong north-easterly early in the afternoon died down and affected play little on the sheltered courts. Closely Fought Matches All top matches were very closely fought. The number one player for Cashmere, Mrs D. Brightwell, ranked fourth in the province, gave an improved showing on her recent perfomances to hold Miss Allen to a narrow win in three sets. Miss Allen won, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. In a mainly baseline duel, Miss Allen was too steady for her opponent in the first set when Mrs Brightwell, in spite of some fine forehand drives, was making too many errors into the net or out the back.

However, in the second set, Mrs Brightwell struck good form, hitting hard with a good length, serving well—she once aced Miss Allen—running her opponent across the baseline and playing some well-judged passing shots. Mrs Brightwell had plenty of confidence in the third set, too, and was stroking well but was unable to keep up pressure against Miss Alien’s good retrieving. With the score at 6-6, Miss Allen took a love game on her own service and won the next game when Mrs Brightwell hit out.

Miss Field was in'difficulty when she lost the first set to Miss A. Snow, the second Cashmere woman, but she recovered with her usual determination to win, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Throughout the first set, Miss Snow played very smoothly and accurately, placing well to the corners. She impressed with her crosscourt forehand and was successful with volleys in a few excursions to the net. Miss Snow’s shots did not carry much pace and this caused many of Miss Field’s mistakes when she attempted to hit them back too" hard. Tightening up her play a little in the second and third sets, Miss Field gained the initiative, winning points with her forceful ground strokes varied with neat drop shots. She won the match with two excellent smashes.

Miss M. Pauli (St. Albans), ranked third in Canterbury, was given a hard struggle to take the first set 11-9 from Miss V. Moir (Shirley), ranked fifth. But Miss Pauli was not troubled to take the second set, 6-1. The match included some long baseline rallies as both cov--ered the court well. Retrieving consistently, Miss Moir fought for every point in the first set but she lapsed in the second.

The most interesting result in the men's senior reserve competition was a draw, 63 games each, between Cashmere and North Linwood. Cashmere and University, both of which have not lost a match but have one draw each, are now equal at the head of the competition. Results:— SENIOR WOMEN Cashmere v. Avonside Singles.—Mrs D. Brightwell lost to Miss P. Allen, 2-6, 6-2, 5-7; Miss A. Snow lost to Miss S. Field, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6; Miss P. Quinn beat Mrs P. Boatwood, 6-4, 6- Mrs D. Murie lost to Miss D. Norrie, 1- 1-6. Doubles.—Mrs Brightwell and Miss Snow lost to Misses Allen and Field, 2- 6-2, 2-6: Miss Quinn and Mrs Murie beat Mrs Boatwood and Miss Norrie, 4-6, 7-5, 8-6. 1 Avonside won by 4 matches to 2. St. Albans v. Shirley Singles.—Miss M. Pauli beat Miss V. Moir, 11-9, 6-1; Mrs G. Wilson lost to Miss R. Pengelly, 7-5, 3-6, 5-7; Mrs B. Watmuff lost to Miss A. Dailey, 5-7, 0-6; Miss W. Wall lost to Miss V. Hatch, 4-6, 6-2, 5-7. Doubles.—Miss Pauli and Mrs Wilson lost to Misses Dailey and Pengelly, 5-7, 7- Mrs Watmuff and Miss Wall lost to Misses Moir and Hatch, 3-6, 4-6. Shirley won by 5 matches to 1. SENIOR RESERVE Avonside beat North Beach by default; Cathedral beat United II by 6 matches to 0; University beat St. Albans by 6 matches to 0; Shirley beat Avonside I by 6 matches to 0; Elmwood beat Opawa by 5 matches to 1; South Brighton beat United I by 4 matches to 2; Cashmere and Norht Linwood drew, 63 games each.

SECOND GRADE Section I Wigram beat Elmwood by 107 games to 93; Linwood beat St. Martins by 'll matches to 5; St. Pauls beat North Linwood by 12 matches to 4; Avonside Church beat Opawa by 11 matches to 5. Section II Elmwood II beat Edgeware by 11 matches to 5; South Christchurch beat St. Albans by 10 matches to 6; Waimairi beat St. Mary’s by 15- matches to 1; Shirley beat Linwood Avenue by 10 matches to 6. • THIRD < GRADE Shirley beat Addington Catholic by 10 matches to 6; Avondale beat Riccartori Domain by 11 matches to 5. MID-CANTERBURY WINS BROWNING SHIELD Teams representing Banks Peninsula and Mid-Canterbury played matches for the Browning Shield at Akaroa on Saturday. • Mid-Canterbury won by 25 games to 7 games.