Squash Rackets CANTERBURY TITLES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28963, 3 August 1959, Page 7

Squash Rackets CANTERBURY TITLES

F. N. Coe Wins Again

Timaru players dominated the 1959 Canterbury squash rackets championships, which were played in Christchurch during the week-end. The A grade championship was won for the fourth year m succession by F. N. Coe, who beat G. L. Bird in a five-game final. Coe also beat Bird in the final last year. The two losing semi-finalists. K. Green and C. F. Ryan, are also -from Timaru.

Bird, who has been chosen as he number two player In the New Zealand team which is to tour Australia this month, was expected to beat Coe in the final, but. the veteran left-hander won after a very hard match Coe represented New Zealand last season, but lack of opportunity for reauy nard practice this year cost him his place in the 1959 team.

Bird’s hard hitting kept Coe on the run during tne first game, which the 17-year-old Bird won 9-5. Coe had no chance to settle down. In the second game Coe wbn the battle for position in nearly every rally, and he found a weakness in Bird’s game when the younger player found trouble in leturning drop shots to his forehand front corner. Coe maintained his form to win the third game after a struggle, but Bird took the fourth after Coe had seemed likely to win the title in four games Coe was always in control in the last game, and Bird made more simple errors than usual. Although Bird caught up from 1-6 to 4- he could not sustain this effort. Only two local players. M. Hope and R. G Pattinson. reached the second round of the championships singles Here they were beaten by K Greer and Ryan respectively. The two finalists in the B grade championship, B Rippon and J. Isaacs, are also from Timaru. and Rippon beat Isaacs fairly comfortably. Earlier this season Rippon had won the B grade event at the South Island championships at Timaru. P. M. Wilson and D. D. M. Stewart won the A grade and B grade flights respectively Results were:— A Grade Championship.—First round: F. N Coe beat M R. Blank, 3-9, 9-0, 9-2, 9-2; W Gieen beat P. M. Hill. 9-6, 9-2 9-5; M. Hope beat P. M. Wilson. 9-1, 5-9. 9-3 ,9-5: K. Green beat M. O Holdsworth, 9-8, 9-3, 9-1; C F Ryan beat T. W. Callander. 9-5 9-3 9-4, R. G Pattinson beat T P. Kinney, 10-8. 9-4, 10-8; B. Armstrong beat H. S. Gair, 9-7, 9-5. 9- G. L Bird beat E. C. Arundel, 10- 9-4, 9-5. Second round: Coe beat W Green, 9-7, 9-6, 9-2; K. Green beat Hope, 9-2, 10-8, 3-9. 9-1; Ryan beat Pattinson, 10-9. 9-3, 9-4; Bird beat Armstrong, 9-3, 9-0, 9-1. Semi-finals. Coe (Timaru) beat K. Green (Timaru), 9-1, 9-1, 9-7; Bird (Timaru) beat Ryan (Timaru), 9-7, 5- 9-4, 9-5. Final; Coe beat Bird, 5-9, 9-2. 9-5. 6-9, 9-5.

Flight.—Semi - finals: Wilson (Junior Chamber) beat Hill (University), 10-8. 9-4, 9-3: Gair (Christchurch) beat Kinney (Timaru), S-9. 10-9, 9-IG, 10-9 10-9. Final: Wilson beat Gair, 9-1, 4-9, 9-2, 3-9, 9-0. B Grade Championship.—Second round: W. W. Ormond beat R. F. Short, 9-6. 6-9. 9-3, 9-5; J. Isaacs beat J. W. G. Lewis, 9-2, 10-9, 9-4; B. Rippon beat J. H Hartnell, 9-1, 9-3, 9-6; R K. Macefield beat P. F. Coates, 9-5, 9-7, 9-5. Semi-finals: Isaacs (Timaru) beat Ormond (Christ’s College), 9-1, 9-2, 9-6; Rippon (Timaru) beat Macefield (Christchurch). 9-0. 9-0. 8-10, 9-7 Final: Rippon beat Isaacs, 9-1, 10-8, 9-4. Flight.—Semi-finals: C. Waldren (Oamaru) neat R. H. Wait (Christchurch). 10-8, 9-5, 9-2: D. D M. Stewart (University) beat J. Rudduck (Oamaru). 7-9, 9-0, 9-4. 8-10, 9-1 Final: Stewart beat Waldren, 9-0, 9-7, 9-1.