LAWN tennis Seeded Men Tested In Championships

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 13

LAWN tennis Seeded Men Tested In Championships

Strong north-west gusts and the pjtry heat probably played quite big P art in results at the Canlawn tennis champion-i-ps 'which began at Wilding -eg yesterday. But conditions ;«re much the same for all. and , xas unusual to find the four jgeded players in the men's jjgles taken to three sets on the igt day. Of the four seeded rtfflen. one was beaten and pother looked for a time as if je was almost certain to lose. Because entries were so small jos year post entries had to be gtepted and - even then there rere only 22 in the men’s singles ed 13 in the women's singles, nere were many more when the .'ampionships were held last year igause they were just before’ the jaw Zealand titles at Wilding fritin the men s singles, the post etries of J. Cornish and W. A. Dickson. meant that the top «ded player. A. L. Blackwell, pd the fourth seeded M. C. Healey both had difficult tests g the first day. Blackwell beat famish. 3-6. 6-1. 6-3 and Healey jeit Dickson. 5-7, 6-2. 6-4. The other two seeded men. A. 5 L. Hunter, second, and A. D. jfaston. third, also both lost their frst sets. Hunter was fully extended by a Wanganui visitor. W. G. Tolhurst, to win. 3-6. 6-4. 6-4. ind Huston beat B. Crofts, 4-6, t-2. 6-2. The women’s singles were even pore interesting for the top *eeded Miss J. Davidson, a member of the New Zealand side rhich toured Australia recently, kas in real danger of being fceaten. Mrs E. D. Campbell, touch older than her junior opponent. and formerly highlyranked in Hutt Valley before she Joined the Cashmere club this pason, was only beaten 2-6. 7-5 t 4 t Miss P. Allen, fourth seeded woman was beaten by an Avon«ide clubmate. Mrs J. McKay. 6-3. C-6. 9-7, in a most gruelling match —a reversal of the result when they met in a ranking match recently. Miss Allen won comfortiblv then in two sets. i One of the best performances ras given by an under 17 junior. Miss Denise Souter, of Timaru. rho took the third seeded Miss L Luxton to 7-5 in the first set but lost the next two 6-2. Mrs J. Lewis, seeded second beat Miss K. Brander, another junior, 6-3, •M. Miss Davidson Erratic In the high wind. Miss DavidRn was most erratic against Mrs Campbell. As usual she impressed with the power and brilliance of her service, drives and • volleys, but it was not unusual i for her to follow an ace with a double fault or an unhittable return to the corner with a very weak one into the net. Mrs Campbell, whose serve also had a lot of pace and was more consistent. showed the ability much of the time to take advantage of her opponent’s mistakes and she also ■tad some grand attacking moments. In the third set, when , fte appeared to tire, she could lot withstand the force of Miss 1 Javidson’s driving and volleying. Miss Souter, can take great redit for her display against one o experienced as Miss Luxton—lot so long ago fourth ranked in he Dominion. For one so young • the Timaru junior showed re- - markable concentration and her s {round strokes delighted those vho saw r them. She held a lead • it one stage of the first set but s tfter she lost the set she appeared to relax. Mrs McKay turned the tables n Miss Allen but the way was • far from easy. Early in the Batch there were some long and • excellent rallies but play der* teriorated towards the end of the third set. Mrs McKay brought Bod volleying to bear to go • lhead from 7-7. Men’s Matches Hunter was not up to his best form when he met the Wanganui Jhyer, Tolhurst for he made ®any mistakes he could hardly tfford against such a good retriever. Tolhurst covered the taseline very quickly and he used the wind to advantage with spin if a slight flick of the racket »hich made the balls hang in the •fo and forced Hunter to make “S own errors. Hunter won by tightening up his play later when » found that his usual agrres£on was failing. Although he lost the first set fo fine play by the stylish Cor- - stsh. Blackwell found that he rould beat his opponent by forefog him into the backhand corner *ith shots with the wind. Many | •• these drives into that corner ®neoff the grass so quickly that j Cornish could not get them back •yer the net and often when he | «d he was so far out of court • * on the defensive that he could tot reach another return put quickly wide on his forehand. Ornish showed great courage in ‘-"at he always tried to turn deinto attack and these two five perhaps the best display of day in conditions which were *orse than they had been earlier. There was a lot of hard hitting c the contest between Huston fod Crofts. Huston’ service was I ‘ very pacy one. although it was Jot always accurate. In spite of high kick. Crofts was usually •ole to return it. and his was also •display of some merit. His passhots were especially attractive. Dickson, who has been in good this season, gave Healey ,'a match, varying length and Action well. His service was! Mp kicking high in the wind.; “'f Healey in the end had thej ®Bhtly better all-court game. - Results:— SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Men’s Singles » Round.—B- R- Crawford beat f Watson. 6-3. 6-1; D. J. Marshall W. piom. 7-5. 6-4; B J. Aldbeat P. T. Wylie. 6-1. 6-4; G C. i*Be beat G Proctor. 6-1. 6-0; M. t Healey beat I. E. George. 6-3. 6-3; ii A. Dickson beat r. Gregorv. 6-0. J- Cornish beat P. Minehan. 6-0. .Second Round.—J. B. Souter beat c Hastings. 6-1 6-2; A. D. Huston B. Crofts. 4-6, 6-2. 6-2: A. D. L. S»ter beat W. G. Tolhurst. 3-6 6-4, •/•Crawford beat Marshall. 6-1. 6-4; beat Aldridge. 6-1, 6-2: Healev Dickson. 5-7 6-2 6-4; A. L. ••ackwell beat Cornish. 3-6. 6-1. 6-3. Women's Singles Kifost Round.—Mrs E. D. Campbell . Miss L. Mandon. 6-3. 7-5: Miss ise Souter beat Mrs G. de Bazin. ! 3 ’-1; Miss P- Allen beat Miss A. £-'*• 6-3. 6-2; Mrs J. McKay beat i B. Mollison. 6-4 6-3: Miss K. i "? r -der b«at Miss H. Parris. 6-0. 6-1. , Round.—Miss Luxton beat Souter. 7-5. 6-2: Mrs McKav '■‘Miss Allen. 6-3. 2-6. 9-7; Mrs J. beat Miss K Brander. 6-3. 6-2; La Davidson beat Mrs Campbell, 7 -5. 6-4. Men’s Doubles vtiP* Round.—R. Payne and P. j U ll * beat R. Watson and J. Beatty. M c Healev and W. J. beat W. G. Tolhurst and W. A. I ' c,ts on. 6-0, 6-2. 1

f Women’s Doubles ' =Zi Ir T t Round.—Misses B. Mollison .and J. Davidson beat Misses P Andrews and C. Smith. 6-0, 6-1; Mesdames E. D. Campbell and H. Lovebeat Misses J- Andrews and B. ; Blackbum, 6-4. 6-1. | JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS j B ° ys ’ Singles. Under 19 I Fl f st R°und —W. Thom beat J. B off’® 1 *- c’l- 6 ci ; B - Aldridge beat R. Payne 6-4 6-2; D. Adair beat B. 1 6-1 6-0; G. Aldridge beat R. G. Christie, • 6-3. 6-0. Girls’ Singles, Under 19 First Round.—J. Davidson beat A. . Gerard, 6-0, 6-2; P. Andrews beat D. Rowley-Smith. 2-6. 6-3, 6-T S | Mackay beat D. Byrne. 6-4, 6-3.’ Boys’ Singles Under 17 | First Round.—A. Watson beat J. i Devonshire, 6-3, 6-0; D. Jamieson beat B. McDonald. 6-0, 6-0; C. Brad- | shaw beat D. McNicol, 5-6, 6-0, 8-6; R. Irvine beat P. Muxlow, 6-3, 6-2; I M. J. Urquhart beat R. Blunt. 6-5. 2- 6-2; B. Judge beat G. H. Thorpe. | 6-0. 6-3. Second Round.—G. Moss beat A. Galbraith. 6-0. 6-1; L. Watkins beat R. Wilson, 6-0, 6-1; D. Keenan beat K. Haynes. 6-2, 6-2; J. B. Souter i beat A. Rudkin, 6-0, 6-2; Judge beat 1 G. Freear. 6-5. 6-2; L. J. Walpole i beat Watson. 6-3, 6-2; D. Jamieson beat Bradshaw, 6-3, 6-3; Urquhart ' beat Irvine. 6-3, 6-2. Girls’ Singles Under 17 First Round.—D. MacDonald beat j A. McGlinchy, 6-1, 6-4. I Second Round.—J. Andrews beat ! M. Shekleton, 6-2. 6-5; K. Williams beat Y. Hart. 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; L. Mardon beat J. Mollison. 6-0, 6-0; K. Brander beat J. Hatch. 6-1, 6-5; B. Elackbum beat J. McKain, 6-2, 6-1; Diane Souter beat J. McGarry, 6-0, 6-1; E. Hart beat M. Busch. 6-2, 6-4; Denise Souter beat Macdonald, 6-1, 6-2. Boys’ Doubles First Round.—D. Adair and W. Thom beat K. Haynes and A. Galbraith, 6-1, 6-0. Girls’ Doubles • First 'Round.—J. Mollison and K. [ Williams beat M. Shekleton and M. : Busch, 6-2. 6-0. HANDICAP EVENTS Men’s Singles I First Round.—C. Bradshaw (rec. 3- beat R. McKay (owe 15 3-6), 9-2; D. Forbes (scr) beat A. Watson (rec. 3-6), 9-6; O. Foster (sen beat B. McDonald (rec. 15), 9-8; I. I George (owe 15 3-6) beat R. D. Stewart (owe 15). 9-2. Second Round.—W. G. Tolhurst ; (owe 401 beat R. G. Christie (scr). 9-4; P. T. Wyllie (owe 15 3-6) beat P. Gregory (rec. 15). 9-0; B. Crofts I (owe 30 3-6) beat G. Proctor (owe 15 3-6). 9-1; B. Leopold (rec. 3-6) beat M. Berkeley’ (owe 15), 9-1; Foster beat B. Southam (scr), 9-7; , George beat W. M. Mackay (owe 15), 9-4; Forbes beat Bradshaw, 9-6. Women’s Singles First Round.—Mrs G. de Bazin (owe 15) beat Miss J. Mollison (scr), 9-2; Miss J. McGarry (rec. 15) beat Miss Y. Hart (scr), 9-7; Miss K. Williams (owe 3-6) beat Miss J. Hatch (rec. 3-6), 9-8; Miss S. Mackay (owe 15) beat Miss E. Hart (rec. 3-6), 9-4. Men’s Doubles First Round.—J. Beatty and R. Watson (owe 15 3-6) beat P. Muxlow i and B. Leopold (rec. 15). 9-3; R. I McKay* and A. Leopold (owe 30) . beat H. Blackburn and W. McKay (owe 3-6), 9-7. SOUTH ISLAND TITLES WOMEN’S FINALIST’S DECIDED (New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL. December 26. Miss M. Johnson (Wellington) and Miss G. Hopkinson (Canterbury) reached the final of the South Island and Southland women’s singles tennis championship on the second day of the tournament today. In the semi-finals they beat the young Southland players. Miss B. McDonald and Miss M. Farmer respectively. Miss McDonald won the first set from Miss Johnson and was leading 5-2 in the second set, but her concentration lapsed, and Miss Johnson won 8-6, and went on to take -the last set, 6-3. She will meet Miss Hopkinson on Friday.

In the men’s singles the No. 3 seed. L. J. Townsend (Otago), was beaten by G. Roughan (Southland) in three sets. Townsend, who won the Southland men’s singles title last year, had previously beaten the veteran R. A. Howe (Wellington). UNIVERSITIES’ TEAM Australian Tour Next Month The New Zealand Universities’ swimming and water polo team will assemble in Wellington tomorrow before leaving for a six-week tour of Australia. The South Island members—J. H. Marks (Otago) and J. H. Broomfield. I. H. MacDonald. F. J. Mackenzie, and O. Snoep (Canterbury)—will leave Lyttelton this evening by the inter-island steamer express. R. K. Boswell and G. W. Leach (Waikato), J. M. Orbell and H. J. Sneyd (Auckland), and T. C. Verhoeven (Wellington) will assemble in Wellington today. The team will practise in the Thorndon pool. Wellington, tomorrow morning, and will be bidden farewell by the University of New Zealand at a special luncheon. The team will sail for Sydney in the Wanganella at 4 p.m. CATHOLIC TOURNEY AT NAPIER (New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER. December 26. Over 200 competitors are taking part in the annual championships and interprovincial teams matches of the New Zealand Roman Catholic Lawn Tennis Association which began at Napier today. Plav today centred in the Watson shield, the provincial trophy. Results of matches in the first round were: Hawke’s Bay’ beat Taranaki. 1/5; Auckland B beat Manawatu-Wanganui. 12/4; Wellington beat Waikato. 15/1.