LAWN TENNIS Pritchard And Miss Mardon Win Singles

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28556, 9 April 1958, Page 15

LAWN TENNIS Pritchard And Miss Mardon Win Singles

The top-ranked Canterbury player, C. W. Pritchard, won the men’s singles for the second year in succession in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s Easter tournament which concluded at Wilding Park yesterday. Also, Pritchard beat the same opponent in the final as he did last year, G. A. Burton.

Similarities do not end there for both Pritchard and Burton are former Otago representatives who have been playing in Christchurch for several seasons; they know one another’s games especially well and they have contested several finals in the last few years. Theirs has always been a good rivalry in tournament, club or ranking match.

Pritchard has at times been beaten by Burton but yesterday he was convincingly the master, winning, 6-4, 6-4. The women’s singles was a triumph for the young Avonside player, Miss L. Mardon. In her best tournament win to date, she beat Miss M. Johnston, of Wellington, 6-3, 6-4. Miss Mardon is the second player in the Canterbury Howe Shield junior team to Miss C. Smith, whom she beat in a semi-final on Monday. She was seeded eighth for the women’s singles, compared with Miss Johnston’s third seeding, and she was beaten by Miss Johnston, 9-8, in a semi-final of the girls*' singles on Monday. Miss Mardon has greatly increased her stature in Canterbury tennis this season. Clean Hitting Pritchard won the final of the men’s singles by his clean, sure hitting, his steadiness, and by good placement He had to contend with Burton, who as usual, was always capable of making grand recoveries from behind and who attempted to do so. Down 0-3 in the first set, Burton caught up to be down, 4-5 before he lost the set, 4-6. Burton was showing patches of fine play when he covered the net and he produced some good overheads but, even at his better moments, he was not properly in touch.

Pritchard again gave a good display of his smooth stroking and consistency when he went to a 2-0 lead in the second set. Then Burton made one of his notable recoveries to catch up to 2-2 with a mixture of grand retrieving and aggression, following his service to the net when the ball hung in the air. Pritchard regained control for a 4-2 lead and after that he did not look like dropping a set. Burton even began to miss overheads and made errors at crucial times. Pritchard excelled with some sharply angled volleys and some returns to Burton’s feet as

he came to the net, and he , played nearly all his shots with care and concentration. Censisteßt Drivii* Driving deeply and consistently ’ and playing some superb passing i shots. Miss Mardon took the first set from her redoubtable Wellington opponent, 6-3. Miss : Johnston showed flashes of very : competent play but generally Ae did not have the punch in her ( shots that she had when she beat Miss Mardon on Monday. 1 Games were won evenly in the second set with Miss Johnston taking the odd game lead each time until Miss Mardon took her ' first lead at the vital stage of 5- Miss Mardon’s retrieving and i passing shots came to her aid • again and, although she dropped one match point she won her second one. Miss Johnston made many errors towards the end. Burton and Pritchard teamed well later to win the men's doubles from two young players, B. Judge and L. Walpole. The women's doubles was won by Mrs J. McKay and Miss P. Allen, the Avonside club pair. Tliey beat Misses Johnston and J. Archibald, of Wellington. SENIOR EVENTS Men's Singles Final.—C. W. Prttdiard beat G. A. Burton. S-4, 6-4. Women’s Sissies Final.—Miss L. Mardon beat Miss M. Johnston, 6-3, 6-4. Men's Doubles Semi-final. —B. Judge and L. Walpole beat P. Mackenzie and K. Familton, 6-4, 6-2. Final.—C. W. Pritchard and G. A. Burton beat Judge and Walpole, 6-1, Women's Doubles Final.—Mrs J. McKay and Miss P Allen beat Misses M. Johnston and J. Archibald. 10-8, 6-2. Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals.—G. A. Burton and Mrs J. McKay beat P. Steinmetz and Miss K. Williams, 7-5, 6-0; G. D. Moss and Miss C. Smith beat M. C. Healey and Miss D. Norrie by default; C. W. Pritchard and Mias P. Allen beat K. Familton and Mias P. Andrews, 6-2, 6-1; T. Hameiss and Miss J. Andrews beat D. Law and Miss J. Barron, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. Semi-finals.—Burton and Mrs McKay beat Moss and Miss Smith, 6-4, 6- Pritchard and Miss Allen beat Harneiss and Miss Andrews. 6-4. 6-4. Final.—Burton and Mrs McKay beat Pritchard and Miss - Allen, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. JUNIOR EVENTS Boys' Singles Under 19 Final.—P. Alexander beat D. Jamieson, 9-1. Girls* Singles Under 19 Final.—M. Johnston beat K. Brander. 9-3. Boys* Doubles Final.—B. Judge and L. Walpole beat L. Watkins and L. Elliott, 9-2. Girls’ Doubles Final.—B. Blackburn and J. Andrews beat L. Mardon and K. Brander. 9-6.