COUNTRY TITLES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28531, 10 March 1958, Page 14

COUNTRY TITLES

Familton Wins Singles K. Familton (Mid-Canterbury) won the country lawn tennis men’s singles title and Miss C. Smith (North Canterbury) won the women’s singles title when the Canterbury Sub-Associations’ championships were concluded at Wilding Park at the week-end. In the women’s final on Saturday, Miss Smith beat Miss K. Williams (Ellesmere), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and in the men’s final yesterday, Familton beat A. Hewitt * (Malvern), 6-3, 6-0.

Formerly of Oamaru, Familton first became prominent as a junior at Waitaki Boys’ High School. Since then he has had various successes in North Otago. South Canterbury and MidCanterbury. That his play is well up to the standard of Canterbury’s leading men has been shown in the annual TownCountry fixtures over recent years

Top seeded for the title, Familton looked for a time on Saturday as if he would not reach the final when he was set a most difficult task by I. Pickering (Ellesmere), seeded Pickering took the first set. and held a lead in • the second, but Familton went on to win, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Yesterday Familton was in grand form, playing more surely than he had throughout the tournament. Hitting very hard and with great determination and purpose, Familton kept his opponent behind the baseline for much of the match. Hewitt retrieved with some ability, and returned many very hard shots, but the pace of Familton’s game was too much for him. Hewitt, who did well at the Canterbury championships to reach the semi-finals of the men's singles, was not as sure with his stroking yesterday, and he lost points with mistakes. Hitting the ball at the top of the bounce, Familton varied length and direction cleverly to catch Hewitt out of position several times: he took advantage of some slower serves by Hewitt, and controlled most of his shots well. He also has the advantage of a strong physique. Hewitt was seeded second Women’s Match Misses Smith and Williams are both country players who are also members of town teams in the senior women’s competition and members of the Canterbury junior girls’ Howe Shield team. They were seeded first and second for this title respectively. The match was a long one with much baseline driving of a high standard, but very little net play'. Miss Williams had good all-round strokes, and she was the one who took the net occasionally for a smash or volley, but Miss Smith had fine determination and some sizzling drives to the corners. When the match developed into a driving battle in the third set. Miss Smith showed slightly superior control and placement. With his brother W. Hewitt. A. Hewitt won the men’s doubles from two other brothers, A. Jones and I. Jones, of Ellesmere. Miss Williams was able to turn the tables on Miss Smith in the women’s doubles final when she and Mrs N. Skilling beat Miss Smith and Mrs C. Escott. Results:— SENIOR EVENTS Men’s Singles Semi-finals.—K. Familton beat I. Pickering, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; A. Hewitt beat W. Hewitt. 6-3, 6-4* Final.—Familton beat A. Hewitt. 6-3. 6-0. Women’s Singles Final.—Miss C. Smith beat Miss K. Williams, 4-6. 6-1, 6-4. Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals. —A. Hewitt and W Hewitt beat B. Cobden-Cox and A. J. Blakeley, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; A. Watkins and I. Pickering won by default: A. Jones and I. Jones beat M. Wilson and R. Stevenson, 6-4, 7-5; K. Logan and K. Familton beat F. Amos and B Boothroyd, 6-1, 6-1. Semi-finals.—A. and I. Jones beat Logan and Familton, 4-6, 6-4. 12-10; Hewitt and Hewitt beat Watkins and Pickering, 6-2, 6-3. Final.—Hewitt and Hewitt beat Jones and Jones, 6-0, 6-3. Women's Doubles Final.—Miss K. Williams and Mrs N. Skilling beat Mjss C. Smith and Mrs C. Escott, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Mixed Doubles Second Round (continued). —I. Jones and Mrs N. Skilling beat W. Hewitt and Miss B. Jenkins. 6-2, 6-2; M. Johnson and Mrs B. Pickering beat M. Feary and Mrs M. Adams, 2-6, 6-4, 9-7; A. Hewitt and Mrs N. Gilmour beat A. Taylor and Miss P. Andrews, 6-3, 8-6; G. Harrison and Miss C. Smith beat M. Wilson and Mrs McAuley, 6-2, 6-3; P. Steinmetz and Miss K. Williams beat I. Pickering and Miss R. Sloan, 6-3. Quarter-finals. —F. J. Amos and Miss M. Mackay beat Johnson and Mrs Pickering, 6-2, 6-3; Hewitt and Mrs Gilmour beat Harrison and Miss Smith, 6-3, 6-3; Steinmetz and Miss Williams beat K. Maffey and Mrs Maffey, 6-2, 6-0; I. Jones and Mrs N. Skilling won by default. Semi-fiinals. —Jones and Mrs Skilling won by default: Hewitt and Mrs Gilmour beat Steinmetz and Miss Williams, 6-3. 6-4. Final.—Hewitt and Mrs Gilmour beat Jones and Mrs Skilling, 6-2. 6-1 JUNIOR EVENTS Boys’ Singles Final.—L. Jones beat L. Elliott, 3- 6-2, 6-3. Girls’ Singles Final.—J. Watkins beat Y. Hart. 4- 6-2, 6-2. Boys’ Doubles Semi-finals.—J. Irvine and M. Jordon beat R. Tairoa and G. Argyle. 6-2, 6-4; L. Jones and N. Alexander beat B. Henderson and C. Bradshaw. 6- 8-10, 6-4. Final.—Jones and Alexander beat Irvine and Jordon, 6-2, 6-8, 6-2. Girls’ Doubles Semi-finals.—J. Morris and I. Sinclair beat E. Hart and Y. Hart, 4-6. 7- 8-6; P. Robinson and J. Cusdin beat S. Heslop and W. Woolhouse. 4- 6-1, 7-5. ♦ Final.—Morris and Sinclair beat Robinson and Cusdin, 1-6. 6-1, 6-3. Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals.—L. Watkins and Miss D. Corich beat G. Skinner and Miss W. Woolhouse, 6-2, 6-4; L. Jones and Miss I. Sinclair beat M. Jordon and Miss Y. Irvine. 6-0, 7-5: J. Creighton and- Miss J. Watkins beat J. Irvine and Miss E. Hart, 6-2, 5- 6-2; B. Henderson and Miss Y. Hart beat A. Thorne and Miss L. Watkins, 6-3, 6-1. Semi-finals.—Creighton and Miss Watkins beat Henderson and Miss Hart, 6-4. 7-9, 6-3; Jones and Miss Sinclair beat Watkins and Miss Corich, 6-3, 6-0. Final.—(To be played later).