Junior Tennis Success

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28178, 17 January 1957, Page 7

Junior Tennis Success

An attractive stylist with muci aggression in her play, Mis G. Hopkmson, an 18-year-oi Christchurch junior tennis playes is having a most successful se< gon. Under the New Zealand Law Tennis Association’s compare lively new policy of havin teams of junior players tourin tournaments in the holiday pent she was selected with Miss ft Johnson, of Wellington, B. Shi. law ‘Canterbury) and E. Kiri land ‘Otago) to play in a sent in the South Island at the san time as another team was tou ing in the North Island.

The South Island teai took part in the Sout Island titles at Invercargill an the South Canterbury champioi ships at Timaru. Views Justified Miss Hopkmson has certain! justified the views of the Nev Zealand association on he promise as a junior. She won th women’s singles title of the Souti Island and the women’s double with Miss Johnson. Then, a Timaru, she won the South Can terbury women’s singles, th women s doubles, again with Mis Johnson, the mixed doubles witi Shirlaw, and the girls’ single? Still as a member of the sam« team, she will play in the nationa championships at Wilding Pari

Ranked second to Miss j Davidson on the Canterbur. under 19 ladder. Miss Hupkinso* is ranked sixth senior in thi province. For some years now she has been showing mucr. promise and her game is improving. As top University player she has been fairly successful in club tennis. The Obstacle A title winner for some years in Canterbury junior tournaments, she has most times in major singles events been unable to surmount the formidable obstacle of Miss Davidson. Last season, when Miss Davidson was in the North Island, Miss Hopkinson won the under 19 girls singles at the Canterbury tournament and she gained further distinction at the national tournament when she won the under 19 girls’ doubles with Miss F. Cliff, of Wellington.

By far the most successful member of the junior touring team in the South Island this season, she has impressed enthusiasts at Invercargill and Timaru with her good range ol powerfully-hit strokes and her ab lity to attack strongly from the net.

Although in both singles finals ®he beat players two years her junior—Miss Johnson, at Invercargill. and Miss Denise Souter, at Timaru —that did not detract from her performance. She haa to recover after losing the first set to Miss Johnson but after that gave her opponent no chance to

withstand brilliant volleying and smashing.

Forceful Style

Serving forcefully, Miss Hopkinson has a style reminiscent of the noted Otago player of some years ago. Miss Mavis Kerr. She drives hard with good length on both sides of the court and when she eliminates the mistakes that she sometimes lapses into she should also make her mark in the more important tournaments.