LAWN TENNIS Town Beats Country By 17 Matches To 7

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28549, 31 March 1958, Page 10

LAWN TENNIS Town Beats Country By 17 Matches To 7

The Country representative lawn tennis team did not give Town as difficult a task as it was expected to and Town won the contest at Wilding Park yesterday comfortably. Generally the Town players had more experience on grass and a better grasp of positional play than those from the country. Members of the Town team also appeared to cope better with the gusting wind which was even stronger than on Saturday. In spite of this a few of the Country players won their matches against formidable opponents wen, and several others distinguished themselves by providing strong opposition. The doubles were played first and Town won the three men’s doubles and two of the women’s doubles to hold a lead of five matches to one. Town then won five and lost one of the men’s singles and won four and lost two of the women’s singles for an unbeatable lead of 14 matches to 4. Town won three of the mixed doubles and lost three, to make the final score, 17 matches to 7 Strong Winds

The fixture, an innovation this season which is expected to become an annual meeting, would have been an excellent one but for the wind which marred the play. On the centre courts it swirled about because of the stands, making shots difficult to judge, and on the open courts it blew balls sharply across the courts. The standard of some of the tennis suffered because of this.

In the top positions the Country players matched their opponents. K. Familton, of Mid-Canterbury, the Country men’s titleholder, pressed the number one ranked Canterbury player, C. W. Pritchard, right to the end. Pritchard won, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5. Familton’s was a fine effort. He hit hard, especially with his service which Pritchard, at times, had difficulty in returning when it was aided by the wind; generally his return of service was sound and deep; and he. whipped. some drives sharply across the court.

What beat Familton was Pritchard’s superior steadiness. He had occasional weaknesses in service but the rest of his strokes were well-produced and, as usual he showed a fine ability to recover from some of the hardest positions. Familton kept the ball weß up to him most of the time but Pritchard was still able to return at good strength. Hewitt Wins A. L. Hewitt, of Malvern, enhanced his already good record at Wilding Park when he beat the second Town man, A. D. L. Hunter, 6-4, 6-4. Hewitt has twice beaten the prominent Avonside player. G. Burton, on Town-Country days. He reached the semi-finals of this season’s Canterbury championships, and now he has added Hunter to his victims. Hewitt gained an advantage from good ground strokes and greater steadiness. Hunter’s volleying, usually his strong point, let him down occasionally. The third Town player, G. Judge, beat A. Brown, of MidCanterbury, 6-4, 6-3. Judge’s allcourt game, care and concentration were too much for Browne, who excelled in service, some of which Judge could not return.

Two other Country men, W. Hewitt and I. Pickering, took their Town opponents to three sets.

Miss G. Hopkinson, of North Canterbury, who plays for University in the women’s inter-club competition and for the Canterbury Nunneley Casket side, had one of her best wins of the season when she beat Miss L. Luxton, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a long and gruelling match. Miss Hopkinson kept on the attack all the time even when the wind upset, some of her volleying, and that paid dividends. Miss Hopkinson went to the net at every opportunity and with that gained a slight mastery in spite of Miss Luxton’s fine ground strokes. The Country second woman, Miss C. Smith, of North Canterbury, played her doubles in the morning but had to default her singles because of an ankle injury she received at Rangiora on Saturday in the North Canterbury titles. The country woman who won her singles was Miss M. Mackay, of Mid-

Canterbury. She beat Miss B. Webster, 6-2, 8-6. The junior fixture was well contested with the Town boys and the Country girls winning. The Town boys won all their singles and doubles, but the Country girls won five singles and two doubles. However, Town won five of the mixed doubles to make the score, Town 16, Country 8. Results (Town names first): — Men’s Singles

W. Pritchard beat K. Familton, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5; A. D. L. Hunter lost to A. Hewitt, 4-6, 4-6; G. Judge beat A. Browne, 6-4, 6-3, B. Crofts beat.W, Hewitt, 6-8, 6-2, 6-2; W. Dickson beat I. Jones, 6-2, 6-3; G. Shaw beat I. Pickering, 6-1. 3-6 fl-3. Women’s Singles

Miss L. Luxton lost to Miss G. Hopkinson, 4-6, 6-3, 4-6; Miss •K. Brander beat Miss C. Smith by default; Mrs J. McKay beat Miss K. Williams, 6-4, 6-1; Miss L. Mardon beat Mrs N. Gilmour, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Miss B. Webster lost to Miss M. Mackay, 2-6, 6-8; Miss B. Blackburn beat Miss P. Andrews, 6-4, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Pritchard and Hunter beat Familton and Browne, 6-3. 6-3; Judge and Crofts beat Hewitt and Hewitt. 6-1, 6-4; Dickson rnd Shaw beat Jones and Pickering. 6-2. 6-0. Women’s Doubles Misses Luxton and Brander beat Misses Hopkinson and Smith, 6-4, 6-4; Mrs McKay and Miss Smith beat Misses Williams and Andrews. 6-4. 1-6, 9-7; Misses Webster and Blackburn lost to Miss Mackay and Mrs Gilmour. 2-6, 3-6. Mixed Doubles Hunter and Miss Luxton lost to Familton and Miss Hopkinson, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7; Pritchard and Mrs McKay beat Browne and Miss J. Andrews. 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; fudge and Miss Brander lost to A. Hewitt and Mrs Gilmour. 4-6, 8-6, 2-6; Crofts and Miss Mardon beat W. Hewitt and Miss Williams, 8-6, 6-1; Dickson and Miss Webster beat Jones and Miss Mackay, 6-3, 6-4; Shaw and Mias Blackburn lost to Pickering and Miss P. Andrews. 4-6, 6-3, 9-11. Town won by 17 matches to 7. JUNIOR Boys’ Singles W. Thom beat L. Elliott, 6-4, 6-1; B. Judge beat R Irvine, 6-3, 6-1; R. Blunt beat J. Creighton, 6-2, 6-2; B. Lane beat M. Jordan, 6-1, 6-3: R. Neumann beat N Alexander, 6-3. 6-0: L. Martin beat B Henderson. 6-2. 6-4. Girls’ Singles K, McGillivray lost to J. Watkins, 4-6, 4-6; J. Mollison lost to Y. Hart, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; A. Freeman lost to J. Morris, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7; J. McKain lost to I. Sinclair, 5-6, 4-6; J. Hatch lost to J. Cusdin, 4-6, 1-6; B. Blake beat S. Heslop, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Boys’ Doubles Thom and Judge beat Elliott and Creighton, 6-2, 6-2; Blunt and Martin beat Irvine and Jordan, 6-1, 6-2; Lane and Neumann beat Alexander and Henderson, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Girls’ Doubles McGillivray and Mollison lost to Watkins and Hart, 4-6, 3-6; Freeman and McKain lost to Morris and Sinclair, 3-6, 3-6; Hatch and Blake beat Cusdin and Heslop, 6-1, 6-0.

Mixed Doubles Thom and Miss McGillivray beat Creighton and Miss Watkins, 6-0; 6-1; Judge and Miss Mollison beat Elliott and Miss Morris, 9-7, 3-6, 7-5; Blunt and Miss Freeman beat Irvine and Miss Hart, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1; Lane and Miss McKain beat Jordan and Miss Sinclair, 6-4, 6-1; Neumann and Miss Hatch lost to Alexander and Miss Cusdin, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6; Martin and Miss Blake beat Henderson and Miss Heslop, 6-2, 6-1.