Badminton STEPHENS NEW CHAMPION

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28371, 2 September 1957, Page 12

Badminton STEPHENS NEW CHAMPION

National Titles Conclude

(New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, Sept. 1.

The national badminton championships ended in Feilding last night, with a new men's champion, A. Stephens (Wellington), who had a comparatively easy victory over R. Reid (Otago). In the women’s singles championship, Miss Sonia Cox, of Wellington, retained the title for the fifth year in succession by beating Miss A. Mackenzie (North Otago), 11-7, 11-8, after a hard fight, in which there was very little margin. In the men’s doubles, A. Stephens and C. Sheerin, the Manawatu player, became the new titleholders by beating A. L. Scott and R. Reid, the No. 1 seeded pair, in a threeset, but recovered to win 15-10 and Sheerin were down 8-15 in the first set, but recovered to win 10-10 and 15-9 in the next two games. The women’s doubles were again won by Miss Cox and Miss N. Fleming (Wellington), who had little difficulty in disposing of Miss A. Harrison and Miss S. Field, 15-4, 15-3. Miss Cox again gained the triple crown by winning the mixed doubles with N. Thompson, beating O. Clegg and Miss Harrison without any difficulty. The junior boys’ singles was won by C. J. Young for the second year in succession. He beat L. Bristol in an exciting match, which was one of the highlights of the evening. Young, after losing the first set by 7-15, gained the second by the narrow margin of 18-1/7, and went on to win the third 15-6.

In the junior women’s singles, Miss M. Moorhead defeated Miss A. Holden with comparative ease. The last event of the evening was the women’s late event, which was finally won by Mrs J. Christiansen from Miss S. Field After a three-set battle in which there was little margin, but in which Miss Field appeared to tire rather earlier than her opponent.-