LAWN TENNIS Leading Women’s Team’s Crucial Game Tomorrow

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28523, 28 February 1958, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS Leading Women’s Team’s Crucial Game Tomorrow

If Cashmere can hold its narrow lead in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association's senior women’s competition for the last two rounds, it will be the first time in seven years that any other team besides United has won the title. K will also be the first time since World War II that a club outside United and North Linwood has succeeded. Cashmere, which moved along jn step with United in the early rounds of this season’s competition, caused a surprise when it beat United by 7 sets to 6 in the last round, the fifth. It has still to play Avonside. tomorrow, and Elmwood, on March 15. Teams enter the last two rounds with the following points: —Cashmere 5, Avonside 4, United 4, Elmwood 3, University 2, St. Albans 1, Opawa 1, and Shirley 0. The draw for the two days respectively is:—Cashmere v. Avonside, Elmwood; Avonside v. Cashmere. United; United v. St. Albans, Avonside; Elmwood v. University, Cashmere; University v. Elmwood, Shirley; St. Albans v. United, Opawa; Opawa v. Shirley, St. Albans; Shirley v. Opawa, University. Cashmere has achieved its unbeaten position, not by brilliance but by experience and steadiness. Its main players—Mrs E. Campbell, Misses A. Snow and K. Williams, and Mrs H. Lovegrove—have not as good singles records as several other players apart from Mrs. Lovegrove, who has won all four singles she has played. But it is significant that the team has lost only one doubles throughout. Cashmere will face one of its

stiffest tests today when it meets Avonside, because that team has been strengthened by the return from overseas of Miss P. Allen a former top member of the side. Two of the first four teams have suffered losses since Christinas; Elmwood lost its top woman Miss B. Nelson, the fourth-ranltoi national player, who has retuß&d to Wellington. After that it lost to one of the bottpm teams, Opawa, 0-8, so it should hot threaten i Cashmere in the last round. United has also lost its top woman, Miss J. Davidson, who has gone to Dunedin. So if Cashmere can beat Avonside tomorrow its win is assured for Avonside arid United meet in the last round. The player with the best individual record in the competition is Miss D. Norrie (Avonside), with a possible five. Those with four wins and no losses are Miss C. Smith (Avonside), Mrs Lovegrove (Cashmere), Miss Nelson (Eliriwood). Miss G. Hopkinson (University), and Miss J. Lambert (University). Misses L. Luxton and Davidson (United), have had four wins and one loss.

FIRMS’ NIGHT COMPETITION The fifth round of the inter-firms’ competitions for the Slazenger shield, played on the floodlit courts at -the Opawa Tennis Club, resulted as follows : Peco v. Mercers II T. Howe and R. Macefield beat E. Marshall and C. Chambers, 13-3; T. Howe and K. Spriggs beat E. Marshal land R. Shekleton, 7-5; R. Macefield and K. Spriggs lost to C. Chambers and R. Shekleton, 6-7. Peco won by 2 sets to 1. N.Z.F. I v. St. G. Atkinson R. Duckworth and J. Adams lost to A. and G. Atkinson, 3-12; K. Baker and J. Adams lost to R. and G. Atkinson, 3-11; K. Baker and R. Duckworth lost to A. and R. Atkinson, 1-12. St. G. Atkinson won by 3 sets to 0. New South Wales v. Shell II A. Williams and B. Lockhart lost to R. Lean and J. Anderson, 5-7; B. Andysen and B. Lockhart beat R. Lean and G. Collinson, 7-5; B. Andysen and A. Williams beat J. Ander-. son and G. Collinson, 10-4. New South Wales won by 2 sets to 1. Comm. Bank v. A.N.Z. Bank J. Shaw and V. Stevenson lost to D. South and A. Williams, 1-16; J. Shaw and J. Butler lost to J. Edwards and A. Williams, 2-14; V. Stevenson and J. Butler lost to J. Edwards and D. South, 2-18. A.N.Z. Bank won by 3 sets to 0. Matches on the other three nights were cancelled because of wet weather. Hoad Wins Long Match (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK. February 27. Lewis Hoad and Pancho Gonzales played a marathon 2 hours and 18 minutes’ match last night before Hoad won, 22-20, 10-8, to take a 17-9 lead in their professional tennis series. A crowd of 18,800 watched the match at Odessa, Texas.