JUNIOR GAMES BEGIN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28479, 8 January 1958, Page 10

JUNIOR GAMES BEGIN

Changed System For Singles

Courts were playing dead after recent rain and there was a cold wind for the first day of the Canterbury junior lawn tennis championships at Wilding Park yesterday. With small fields in some sections play had progressed well by last evening. Because of only 11 entries in each of the under 19 boys’ and girls*, singles, the tournament administrators decided to change the nature of the draw. Using the same system as that for the national B.P. tournament, the fields were divided into two sections and each player will play every other in the section. Those with most wins in the sections will play off in the finals. There will be five rounds and a final in each cf the under 19 boys’ and girls’ singles. Two of the rounds were played yesterday. Under an orthodox draw five players would have been eliminated in the first round with no prospect of further games because a plate competition would hardly have been warranted.

Four touring players sponsored by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association—G. Davidson (North Otago), G. Moss (Canterbury) and Misses M. Johnston (Wellington) and M. Hatton (Auckland)—have strengthened the under 19 sections. They all won their two matches fairly comfortably yesterday. Davidson’s Win

Davidson, seeded first for the under 19 boys’ singles, beat D. R. Preston, of Christchurch Boys’ High School, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round.

Davidson followed his swift service, varied well in direction, into the net for quick volleys. His shots were not always reliable and he hit many out, but he did not look like losing, mainly because of some fine volleying. Preston put up a good fight and impressed with his passing shots In the last game he survived four match points with such shots. Seeded second, Moss beat L Kane, a member of the Hutt Valley Slazenger Shield team, 6-1, 6-3. Moss stroked smoothly as usual and he gave his opponent few chances by moving in to cut off returns at the net. Kane had difficulty passing him because of the wind.

•Miss Johnston, seeded top of the under 19 girls, won both her matches with the loss of onljr two games in each. In the other section, Miss Hatton, seeded second, who has been Auckland junior champion, beat Miss B. Stack (Otago), 6-0, 6-3. She was on the attack consistently and.had too much pace on her shots for Miss Stack. The Otago girl gained two games with determination at the end of the second set by fine retrieving and by taking advantage of lapses in concentration by Miss Hatton.

The Canterbury women’s singles champion, Miss Diane Souter, of Timaru, won her first round and had a bye in the second round. Fourth seeded, Miss C. Smith, of Rangiora, beat Miss M. Mahy, of Whakatane, 6-3, 6-1, in the second round, by her superior steadiness. Only upsets of the day were in the under 17 girls’ singles. The fourth seeded, Miss J. Hatch, was beaten, 6-4, 8-6, by Miss A. Freeman; Miss C. Orsbourn, seeded sixth, was beaten, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, by Miss E. Ogilvie, of West Coast-seventh-seeded Miss D. Corich, of Kaiapoi, lost 5-7, 3-6, to Miss J. Cusdin, of Banks Peninsula; and Miss L. Tucker, seeded eighth lost 8-10, 2-6, to Miss C. Rawson’

BOYS’ EVENTS Under 19 Singles SECTION A t Firs^^ R « u P <l - — G> Davi dson beat B Le°p° ld , 6-0 6-2; A. Fensom beat J W.Jrancis, 6-2. 6-1; D..R. Preston, a

Second Round.—Davidson beat Preston, 6-4, 6-3; Leopold beat Fran cis, 6-1, 6-0; Fensom, a bye

SECTION B First Round.—R. Payne beat v Jensen, 6-0, 6-2; L Kano V FulFeir, ’s-i. Vi. G ' MOSS beat R - G

„ ® ec .°? d Round -Moss beat Kane Fifll.r' 3 b» P » a^r ne beat °B* er . 6-2- 6-0; Fuller beat Jensen, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5.

„. . „ Under 17 Singles _ Bound.—l. dark beat G McSmith s t S iF£*? n ? Roi lnd —B. R. Judge beat A Rail.™ ■ 6 ' d ’®’ o: A - Knight beat A. Bateman, 6-2, 6-0; L Walnnle bFat w e ,u® Wan - 6 " 2 ’ •" 0: B Lone “eat L. Watkins. 6-2, 6-1; dark beat L®*"* 0 "- 6 - 2 : P- B. Anderson besit Smith. 11-9, 6-2; P. Muxlow beat J. R. Watson, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; B. McDonald beat F. Mahy, 6-2, 6-0. Under 17 Doubles First Round.—B. Judge and L. Walpole beat D. Smith and A. Bateman, 6-0, 6-0; A. Knight and B. Lane I. Stanton and J. Mclntyre, 6-1, GIRLS’ EVENTS Under 19 Singles SECTION A First Round—M. Johnston beat M. Shekleton, 6-1, 6-1; Diane Souter beat H. Rich. 6-1, 6-3; E. Parris, a bye. Second Round.—Shekleton beat Parris, 6-1, 6-1; Johnston beat Rich, 6-1, 6-1; Diane Souter, a bye.

SECTION B First Round.—C. Smith beat B. Stack, 6-0, 6-1; Denise Souter beat H. Mahy, 6-3, 6-1; M. Hatton beat H. Lord. 6-1, 6-2.

Second Round.—Smith beat Mahy, 6-3, 6-1; Hatton beat Stack. 6-0. 6-3; Denise Souter beat Lord, 6-1, 6-2.

Under 17 Singles First Round.—L. Mardon beat C McNicol by default; G. Robertson beat C. Mugford. 7-5, 5-7, 7-5; J. McKain beat L. Ashby. 6-1, 5-7, 6-4; J. Mollison beat M. Day, 6-1, 6-1; J. Robinson beat L. Fisher, 6-0, 6-2; C. Hanan beat L. Stead. 6-1, 6-4; C. Rawson beat L. King, 8-6, 6-3; L. Tucker beat S. Rich, 6-1, 6-3: A. Freeman beat N. Fahey, 6-2, 6-0; JHatch beat L. Elliott, 6-2, 6-2; E. Ogilvie beat L. Watson. 6-3. 3-6. 6-0; C Orsbourn beat D. Hopping, 8-6, 6-4; J. Andrews beat P. Mahy, 6-1, 6-0; J. Cusdin beat D. Corich,

7- 6-3; A. Howman beat D. Watts, 6-3, 6-3. Second Round.—Mardon beat Robertson, 6-1, 6-2; McKain beat C. Andrew* 6-3, 6-2; Freeman beat Hatch, 6-4, 8-6; Rawson beat Tucker, 10-8, 6-2; Cusdin beat Hanan. 6-1. 6-0; Andrews beat Howman, 6-3, 6-1; Ogilvie beat Orsbourn, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; Mollison beat Robinson, 3-6, 8- 7-5.