LAWN TENNIS First-Round Winners Gain Further Success

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28129, 19 November 1956, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS First-Round Winners Gain Further Success

Teams that won in the first round of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s senior men's competition— Elmwood. Cashmere. North Linwood and United—all won again on the second day of matches at Wilding Park on Saturday. All won comfortably except Cashmere, which was fully extended to beat University by 8 sets to 7 after each had won two singles matches and one doubles.

The most surprising feature of the round was the ease with which three teams won their matches when the competition looked most even from sides submitted before the opening. The new Elmwood team, with noticeable all-round strength, beat Woolston by 6 matches to 0. United also beat Avonside without the loss of a> match and North Linwood beat Opawa by 5 matches to 1. Points are:—Section I: Elmwood and Cashmere 2, University and Woolston 0. Section II: North Linwood and United 2, Avonside and Opawa 0. University, last year's winner, and Opawa, were the teams which had to play a second final to find the winner because Opawa had two lives in the knock-out. .

Saturday's weather was not conducive to energetic tennis, and the heat told on some players, who were not as fit as they might be. However, it was also noticeable that the play of some team members improved with the faster courts, which suited their type of play. The most interesting of the individual results was the defeat of the former top Canterbury player, A. N. Bailey, of Opawa, bv the former Otago representative, C. W. Pritchard (North Linwood), who has come to Christchurch from Dunedin this season after being ranked fourth in Otago. Bailey, who won all his nine club matches last season—the only player to do so—was having his first club match and only his second match this season. Although he is not a player who needs a lot of practice to keep in form, he was certainly not up to the standard that made him foremost in the province in the last few seasons.

Pritchard, who is said to favour threeset matches, beat Bailey, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. In the first set it looked as if the tenor would be much the same as Bailey’s past contests, but Pritchard played more and more soundly as the match progressedfl The Otago player began to make more mistakes than usual, and he hit a few volleys into the net, although anything demanding a smash he made certain of. Pritchard’s drives were accurate and well placed, and his passing shots at times were well out of Bailey’s reach. The second North Linwood man, B. R. Crawford, also played well to beat the former Auckland player, M. I. C. Norden, 6-2, 6-3. Crawford hit his forehand with great force and went to the net quickly for some neat drop shots, which his opponent could not reach. A leff-hander. Norden distinguished himself by making some excellent recoveries.

B. R. Penfold, top for University, had a difficult battle to beat M. C. Healey (Cashmere), 6-4, 7-9, 8-6. A very evenlymatched pair, they played good all-round tennis with smooth, attractive strokes. Healey hit some fine smashes, but he was unable to cope with Penfold's clever build-up of play for drop shots, and the University man's passing shots down the sidelines also gained points.

Fine form for the beginning of the season has been shown by the second University player, W. Dickson, in cub matches and the show week-end tournament. On Saturday he beat J. Cornish (Cashmere), 6-1, 7-5. Dickson varied play well and lobbed to advantage, whereas Cornish hit loosely.

The winner of the show week-end tournament. G. A. Burton (Avonside), met his match in R. G. Pattinson (United), who won. 6-3, 7-5. Pattinson’s clever court-craft made Burton cover the court. Burton played better in the second set

to catch up to 5-5, but he missed some easy winners at crucial, tunes. Second for United, S. Watson, Rained another good win when he beat J. Reader (Avonside). 6-4. 6-2. in a match of long rallies. Watson's placements and consistency were decisive. Results:— SECTION I Elmwood v. Woolston Singles.—A. L. Blackwell beat W. M. Logan. 6-3, 6-4; A. D. L. Hunter beat M. Maher, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; G. Judge beat B. Aldridge. 6-2 6-3; P. M. Wilson beat A Lee. 11-9, 7-5. Doubles.—Blackwell and Hunter beat Logan and Maher by default; Judge and Wilson beat Aldridge and Lee, 7-5. 6-0. Elmwood won by 6 matches to 0. Cashmere v. University Singles.—M. C. Healey lost to B. R. Penfold, 4-6, 9-7, 6-8; J. Cornish lost to W Dickson. 1-6, 5-7; R. Minson beat B. J. Shirlaw. 6-4, 3-6, 9-7; P. Steinmetz beat B. Crofts, 6-3. 6-3. United v. Avonside Singles.—R. G. Pattinson beat G. A. Burton, 6-3, 7-5; S. Watson beat J. Reader, 6-4, 6-2; T. W. Walls beat A. Leopold. 6-1, 6-1: W. J Lewthwaite beat E. Packer, 6-4. 7-9, 6-3. Doubles.—Pattinson and Watson beat Burton and lO-8, 6-3; Walls and Lewthwaite beat Leopold and Packer, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. United won by 6 matches to 0. SENIOR RESERVE Opawa beat Beckenham by 4 matches to 2; Elmwood I beat Cashmere by 5 matches to 1; North Linwood 11, beat Avonside by 8 sets to 7; Elmwood II beat Fendalton by 4 matches to 2; South Brighton beat North Linwood I by 8 sets to 7; Beckenham beat University by 5 matches to 1; St. Albans beat United by 6 matches to 0. FIRST GRADE Section I Elmwood beat Cathedral by 10 matches to 6; Opawa beat Avonside by 10 matches to 6; Cashmere beat St. Albans by 12 matches to 4; Shirley beat Fendalton by 10 matches to 6. Section II North Linwood beat St. Paul’s by 9 matches to 7; Woolston beat Waimairi by 10 matches to 6; Barrington beat St. James by 13 matches to 3; Riccarton beat St Mary's by 115 games to 108. Under 16 Grade Shirley beat Holy Trinity by 14 matches to 2; St. Albans beat Elmwood by 10 matches to 6; North Linwood beat Woolston by 9 matches to 7: St. James beat St Albans II by 13 matches to 3. Doubles.—Healey and Cornish beat Penfold and Dickson, 10-8, 6-3; Minson and Steinmetz lost to Shirlaw and Crofts. 6-4, 2-6, 4-6. Cashmere won by 8 sets to 7. SECTION II Opawa v. North Linwood Singles.—A. N. Bailey lost to W. Pritchard, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; M. I. C. Norden lost to B. R. Crawford. 2-6, 3-6: R. Meers lost to E. S. Cormack, 2-6, 5-7; G. Moss beat M. J. Beatty, 6-3, 6-3. Doubles.—Bailey and Norden lost to Crawford and Cormack. 5-7, 3-6; Moss and Meers lost to Pritchard and Beatty, 2-6/ 2-6. North Linwood won by 5 matches to

ROSEWALL WINS N.S.W. TITLE

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 18. The Davis Cup player, Ken Rosewall, yesterday- won the New South Wales singles championship. Rosewall beat the Victorian, Neale Fraser, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, in the final at White City. The match lasted an hour and 37 minutes. Rosewall has been one of the world’s top players since 1952, but for four years has failed to win this title. Frank Sedgman, the American, Vic Seixas, Rex Hartwig, and Lewis Hoad in turn deprived him of the honour of holding his home State’s title. Rosewall’s success was based on a very accurate return of Fraser’s left-handed swinging service. Althea Gibson, the American negro

ume, zmin oh i-asec. player, beat Shirley Fry. also of the United States, in the women’s singles final. Miss Gibson won, 10-8 and 6-2.

BRITISH RANKING LIST

LONDON, November 16. Michael Davies, of Wales, heads the men's ranking list, of the British Lawn Tennis Association, which was announced in London yesterday. The women’s list is headed by Angela Mortimer. The full lists are:— Men: M. G. Davies. R. G. Becker, R. K. Wilson, W. A. Knight. J. E. Barrett, G. D. Oakley, G. L. Paish, J. A. Pickard, A. R. Mills. I. J. Warwick. Women: Miss A. Mortimer, Miss A. Buxton, Miss S. J. Bloomer, Miss P. E. Ward, Miss J. A. Shilcock, Miss P. A. Hird, Miss A. S. Haydon, Miss C. C. Truman. Mrs B. I. Shenton. Australian Davis Cup Team.—The Australian Davis- Cup team for the challenge round will be named at the end of the South Australian championships on December 1, the chairman of the selection committee, Mr E. Stephens, said here today.—Sydney, November 17.