TABLE TENNIS SOUTH ISLAND TITLE WON BY J. ARMSTRONG

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 12

TABLE TENNIS SOUTH ISLAND TITLE WON BY J. ARMSTRONG

The men’s singles, two junior mixed doubles and a half-share in the women’s doubles was the measure of the success of Canterbury players in the South Island table tennis championships, which concluded in the Crichton Cobbers’ gymnasium on Saturday evening. In addition, Canterbury players were very narrowly beaten in the finals of the women’s singles and the mixed doubles.

In winning the final of the men’s singles. J. Armstrong (Canterbury) showed without doubt that his present form places him among the best three players in the Dominion. The 24-year-old Armstrong has been' among the best in New Zealand for many seasons, and it is unfortunate that he will not be competing in the national championships. Seeded third for the title, Armstrong in the semi-final and final beat the Otago players, W. T. Scott (seeded second), and R. L. Foster (fourth) His wins in both these matches were very decisive. As always. Armstrong concentrated upon his fine long-range defence to win his matches.

Playing Scott, who uses a spongerubber bat, Armstrong showed great patience in a match where his opponent was also prepared to play carefully At the start of the first game the Canterbury player was attacking, but he soon settled into his steady> defence and. in* both tfis matches,, improved right to the end. Scott hit well «n the second game to win handsomely, but Armstrong allowed him no latitude in the third and fourth, winning these 21-10 and 21-8. Good Retrieving R. L. Foster tn the final, tried to break down Armstrong’s defence with hard-hit shots. It was to no avail. , although Foster hits very well on the forehand, and his backhand drive, is beautifully-produced and very fast Armstrong again lost the second game in this match, but won the third and fourth going away. One point in the fourth game drew thunderous applause from the large crowd when Armstrong, many feet back from the table, returned five terrific drives in a row. This unbelievable retrieving was a feature of Armstrong’s success throughout. Foster, in a semi-final, had caused, a surprise by eliminating his voucher brother. B A Foster, the defending champion B A. Foster was not in good touch and, with his brother attacking at every opportunity, he was .given little opportunity to use his very hard drives. Nevertheless. B A. Foster freauently drew applause f or his very fiat and fast backhand drive.

A most popular victory was that of the South landers. R. W. R. Mercer and J. L Catton, in the final of the men’s doubles Plaving the Foster brothers, holders of the title. Mercer and . Catton soon settled down to steady long-range defence, with Mercer, in particular, hitting hard when the opportunity presented itself. The younger Foster was again out of touch, and could do little right. Towards the end of the match Mercer hit four or five clean winners to clinch the title. He was playing in the Christchurch competitions last season, and this was the first time that he and Catto have plaved together in a championship Mrs P Purdon (Canterbury) was forced to yield her women’s singles title to hei old opponent. Mrs J. Magorian (Otaeo) in a bard-hittine final. These players have met on many occasions, -and on Saturday they again showed that thev are evenly matched. Mrs Magorian, a former holder of the national title, won 21-18 in the fifth game. These ttvo had little difficulty in winning the women’s doubles title. B. A. Foster won his only title for the evening when he and Miss V Braumann (Otago) beat Armstrong and Mrs J. Shadbolt (Canterbury) in the final of the mixed doubles event. After losing the first two games, the Canterbury pair won the next two and looked possible title-winners, only to lo«se 21-23 m the fifth game Earlier, thev had eliminated the ■titleholders. Mercer and Mrs Purdon.

Bert Juniors The best of the junior players were T. Underdown (South Canterbury) and Miss J. L. Sara (Nelson) Wnderdown. who has recently turned 14, won the under 16 boys’ title, and was very narrowly defeated in the final of the under 18 title by W. N Evans (Hutt Valley) He handles his sponge-rubber bat with confidence and, with another four years as a junior, he should win many more titles in this section.

Miss Sara showed a fine attacking stvle in winning the girls’ under 18 singles and, with Mi<=s J WardHolmes. the doubles event also. In the singles final. Miss Sara hit well to overcome the persistent defence of Miss B Dasler (South Canter- £ ury 2r’ . In t,le * ir,s ’ doubles final, the Nelson pair beat Misses Y Hart and J. Watkins (Malvern). Results were:— Senior Men’s Singles.—Quarter-finals: W. T. Scott beat V. N. Brightwell. 24-22. 21-13, 21-14; J. Armstrong beat B. Sonntag. 21-15. 21-11. 21-7: B. A. Foster beat R. M. Radford. 21-10. 21-15. 21-13; R. L. Foster beat R. W. R fiercer. 17-21. 22-20, 20-22. 21-17, 2118. Semi-finals; Armstrong beat Scott, 21-17, 9-21, 21-10, 21-8; R. L Foster bent B. A. Foster. 21-19, 21-18. 15-21, 23-25, 21-15. Final: Armstrong (Canterbury) beat Foster (Otago). 21-12. 19-21, 21-16. 21-10. Men’s Doubles.—Quarter-finals: R. W. R. Mercer and J. L. Catto beat R. J. Orr and M. A. Cox. 21-15. 21-12. 21-15; W. T. Scott and J. Yovng heat V. N. Brightwell and T. R. D. Flint 21-19. 21-19. 14-21, 16-21. 21-14; B. a’ and R. L. Foster beat A. A. Whittaker and K. Stevenson, 21-14, 21-16. 21-15: P. S. Alexander and P. C. South beat W. N. Evans and J. C. Roach. 21-17, 21-19, 17-21, 21-15. Semi-finals: Mercer and Catto b*»at C cott and Young. 21-15, 21-14, 22-20; Foster and Foster beat Alexander and South. 21-18, 17-21, 21-8, 22-24, 21-15. Final: Mercer and Catto (Southland) beat Foster and Foster (Otago), 16-21, 21-16, 17-21, 21-16, 21-14.

Women’s Singles. Qdarter-finals: Mrs J. Magorian beat Miss J. WardHolmes, 21-15, 21-7, 21-10; Mrs J. beat M'ss R. Cameron, 2115. 21-19, 21-14; Mrs P. Purdon beat Miss E. Brown. 21-11, 21-15, 21-13; Miss F. beat Miss B. Dasler. 21-13, 21-12. 19-21. 21-11. Semi-finals: Mrs Magorian beat Mrs Shadbolt, 21-15, 21-15, 21-13; Mrs Purdon beat Miss Inglis. 21-12, 23-21, 21-10. Final: Mrs Magorian (Otago) beat Mrs Purdon (Canterbury), 19-21, 21-18, 9-21. 21-13, 21-18. Women’s Doubles.—Quarter-finals: Mrs P. Purdon and Mrs J. Magorian

beat Mrs R. Mathieson and Miss M. North, 21-7, 21-3, 21-19; Miss R. Cameron and Mrs M. Barnes beat Miss F. Inglis and Miss S. Brown, 21-7, 12-21, 22-20, 10-21, 21-19; Miss P. Crowe and Miss V. Braumann beat Miss J. Sara and Miss J. WardHolmes, 21-17. 14-21, 21-13, 18-21, 2118; Mrs J. Shadbolt and Mrs T. May beat Mrs T. Mathieson and Miss L. McKenzie, 21-8, 21-12, 21-15. Semifinals: Mrs Purdon and Mrs Magorian beat Miss Cameron and Mrs Barnes, 21-10, 21-15, 21-10; Mrs Shadbolt and Mrs May beat Miss Crowe and Miss Braumann, 21-16, 19-21, 21-19, 22-20. Final: Mrs Purdon (Canterbury) and Mrs Magorian (Otago) beat Mrs Shadbolt and Mrs May (Canterbury), 21-13, 21-14, 16-21, 21-18.

Mixed Doubles.—Quarter-finals: B. A. Foster and Miss V. Braumann beat G. Drewitt and Mrs T. May, 21-10, 21-18, 21-17; V. N. Brightwell and Miss F. Inglis beat R. L. Foster and Miss R. Cameron, 18-21, 21-13, 21-15, 21-17; R. W. R. Mercer and Mrs P. Purdon beat W. Evans and Miss L. McKenzie, 21-13, 21-14, 21-14; J. Armstrong and Mrs J. Shadbolt beat W. Scott and Miss P. Crowe, 2119, 14-21, 21-16, 21-19. Semi-finals: Foster and Miss Braumann beat Brightwell and Miss Inglis, 21-13, 2111, 21-15; Armstrong and Mrs Shadbolt beat Mercer and Mrs Purdon, 21-19, 21-10, 21-15. Final: Foster and Miss Braumann (Otago) beat Armstrong and Mrs Shadbolt (Canterbury), 22-20, 21-8, 15-21, 10-21* 23-21. Men’s Plate—Final: J. L. Catto 'Southland) beat J ! . Young (Otago). 21-18, 21-11.

Women’s Bracelet.—Final: Mrs T May (Canterbury) beat Miss V Braumann (Otago). 21-19, 21-19.

Under 18 Boys’ Singles.—Quarter ’ finals: W N. Evans beat R. Howe, .21-13. 21-11: D. C. McKenzie beat R. Jenkins, 21-3. 21-15; R. B. McCallum beat B. A. McCallum, 21-13, 19-21, 21-11; T Underdown beat C. McFarlane, 21-18, 21-15. Semi-finals: Evans beat McKenzie. 17-21, 21-17, 21-14; Underdown beat McCallum, 21-17, 21-23. 21-19. Final: Evans (Hutt Valley) beat Underdown (South Canterbury). 21-19. 21-18 Boys’ Doubles.—Quarter-finals: W. and B. Evans beat D. C. McKenzie and M. Cloake, 21-8, 21-18; R. B. and B. A. McCallum beat K. Alexander and G. Fletcher, 21-14, 21-15; A. Watt and R. Howe beat T. Underdown and P. Wood, 21-19, 21-15: D Lee and J Jones beat C. McFarlane and B. Webb. 21-18, 21-14. Semifinals: Evans and Evans beat McCallum and McCallum, 16-21, 21-17. 21-10; Watt and Howe beat Lee and Jones. 21-15, 16-21, 21-19. Final: Evans and Evans (Hutt Valley) beat Watt and Howe (Otago), 21-15, 20-22. 21-12.

Girls’ Singles.—Quarter-finals: Miss J. Sara beat Miss S. Hancock, 21-13, 21-9; Miss J. Ward-Holmes beat Miss C. Halliday, 21-11, 21-10; Miss B Dasler beat Miss J. Parrant, 21-9. 21-11; Miss J. Watkins beat Miss S. Burrow, 21-11, 21-8. Semin-finals: Miss Sara beat Miss Ward-Holmes. 18-21, 21-18, 21-12; Miss Dasler beat Miss Watkins. 21-6, 21-6. Final: Miss Sara (Nelson) beat Miss Dasler (South Canterbury), 21-19, 21-16.

Girls’ Doubles—Semi-finals: Miss Y. Hart and Miss J. Watkins best Miss B Dasler and Miss J. Scott. 21-15, 21-17: Miss J. Sara and Miss J. Ward-Holmes beat Miss A. McNaughton and Miss C. Halliday. 21-16, 21-18. Final: Miss Sara and Miss Ward-Holmes (Nelson) beat Miss Hart and Miss Jenkins (Malvern). 21-13, 21-13.

Mixed Doubles.—Quarter-finals: D. C. McKenzie and Miss J. WardHolmes beat B. Webb and Miss J Sara, 21-18, 20-22, 21-13; R. B McCallum and Miss D. Bates beat R Howe and Miss J. Scott. 21-12, 21-23. 21-13; W. N. Evans and Miss B. Dasler beat M. Cloake and Miss J. Wallace. 21-12. 21-13: A. N. Chamberlain and Miss C. Halliday beat T. Underdown and Miss J. Glanville. 21-18. 21-18. Semin-finals: McCallum and Miss Bates beat McKenzie and Miss Ward-Holmes, 18-21, 22-20. 21-15; Evans and Miss Dasler beat Chamberlain and Miss Halliday. 21-13. 21-13. Final: McCallum and Miss Bates (Canterbury) beat Evans (Hutt Valley) and Miss Dasler (South Canterbury), 22-20. 19-21, 21 r 13.

Under 16 Boys’ Singles.—Semi-finals: B. Evans beat B. Watkins, 21-4, 21-19: T. Underdown beat P. Wood. 21-12. 21-17. Final: Underdown (South Canterbury) Evans (Hutt Valiev). 22-20. 21-17.

Boys’ Doubles.—Semi-finals: B. Evans and W. Taylor beat L. Blackmore and B. Watkins, 21-14, 21-18; T. Underdown and P. Wood beat D. Lee and J. Jones. 15-21, 21-15. 21-16. Final: Underdown and Wood (South Canterbury) beat Evans (Hutt Valley) and Taylor (South Canterbury), 21-19, 21-17.

Girls’ Singles.—Semi-finals: Miss L. Jones beat Miss J. Scott. 21-17, 21-16; Miss J. Wallace bent Miss C. Lillevman, 21-17. 21-13. Final: Miss J Wallace (South Canterbury) beat Miss L. Jones (Canterbury). 12-21. 21-15. 22-20. Girls’ Doubles.—Final: Miss J. Wallace and Miss J. Scott (South Canterbury) beat Miss S. Hancock and Miss L. Jones (Canterbury). 17-21. 21-12, 21-13. , _ a Mixed Doubles.—Semi-finals: D. A. Lee and Miss L. Jones beat E. Woodward and Miss C. Lilleyman, 21-19, 21-14; B, A. McCallum and Miss S Hancock beat T. Underdown and Miss J. Wallace. 22-20, 21-15. FinalMcCallum and Miss Hancock (Canterbury) beat Lee and Miss Jones (Canterbury), 23-25. 21-10, 22-20.