Badminton MISS COX BEATEN BY MISS HOPKINSON

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28992, 5 September 1959, Page 15

Badminton MISS COX BEATEN BY MISS HOPKINSON

The convincing defeat of the top-seeded player in the women’s singles, Miss S. Cox (Wellington), by the young Canterbury player, Miss G. Hopkinson, was a feature of the fifth evening’s play in the New Zealand badminton championships at the King Edward Barracks. This defeat, in a semi-final, ended Miss Cox’s chances of winning the title for the sixth time. Miss Hopkinson won the first game very quickly, serving and clearing well, and not attempting any ambitious shots. Miss Cox was continually on the defensive, and frequently hit out over the base-line. Miss Cox changed her tactics in the second game, and her short serves worried the Canterbury player. Misa Cox went to a 7-3 and 9-4 lead. Miss Hopkinson then settled down to have the better of the last stage of this game, but Miss Cox hung on to win the game 11-8. In the third game Miss Hopkinson was again in complete control from the start, and quickly went to a 10-3 lead. She found the last point hard to get, but won this game, and the match, 11-5. J. E. Robson, the top seeded player in the men’s singles, had a hard match with A. M. Stephens, also a former title-holder.

Robson will play P. D. Skelt in the final, and Miss Hopkinson will meet Mrs H. Robson in the final of the women’s singles. Robson Extended

Robson was extended to the full by Stephens in his semi-final match The Waikato player won his points in the first set by bustling Robson into error. Robson hit the shuttle out over the baseline with regularity in this game, and Stephens had a run of remarkably fine drop shots. In the second and third games Robson was covering the court much better, and Stephens was unable to find a gap. Robson also found a better length with his clearing shots, and Stephens, although he scored a few points with well-directed smashes, could not regain the initiative.

In the other semi-final the secondseeded Skelt beat Higgins, seeded eighth. Higgins played well enough to suggest that he could have been seeded higher tljan eighth, and in the second game in particular he made Skelt play his best. For most of the match Skelt was on the attack, and Higgins scrambled around the court in fine style retrieving the shuttle. Skelt was given plenty of opportunities to smash, and this he did well. Higgins, however, returned some very hard-hit smashes, and took the second game to setting. Mrs Robson had a good win over her fellow Aucklander, Mrs V. Gow. The play was not of a standard comparable with that shown by Miss Hopkinson in particular, and Miss Cox, on the adjoining court, but the players were evenly matched. Although Mrs Robson has been playing in second position for New Zealand in international matches this season, she did not have much in hand in this match. Men’s Doubles

The two top-seeded pairs will contest the final of the men’s doubles. The brothers P. D. and A. T. Skelt had a comfortable win in their semifinal against the Canterbury pair, R. K. Macefield and R. P. Pattinson. In the other semi-final A. M. Stephens and N.. R. Thompson had to struggle to beat J. E. Robson and K. Long. The Auckland players took the first game with ease, and lost the second only narrowly. They then led 6-1 in the third, 'but Stephens and Thompson showed their best form to concede only one more point, winning the match at 15-7. The title-holders in the women's doubles, Mrs A. Butterworth and Mrs V. Gow, won their way into this year’s final by beating Mrs Robson and Miss D. Renner easily in a semi-final. Miss Cox and Miss E. Meyer, seeded second, will meet this pair in the final this evening. An unseeded pair, Stephens and Miss A. Mackenzie, reached the final of the mixed doubles. This pair eliminated two higher-rated pairs in S. Barnes and Mrs Gow, and later Robson and Mrs Robson. Stephens and Miss Mackenzie will meet Thompson and Miss Cox in the final. Results were:— Men’s Singles

Semi-finals.—J. E. Robson beat A. M. Stephens, 10-15, 15-9, 15-9; P. D Skelt beat D. B. Higgins, 15-7. 18-16. Women’s Singles

Semi-finals.—Miss G. Hopkinson beat Miss S. Cox, 11-1, 8-11, 11-5;

Mrs H. Robson beat Mrs V. Gow. 11-6, 11-8. Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals. Stephens and Thompson beat Duckmanton and Reid, 15-8, 15-5; Long and Robson beat Cleveland and Hinton. 15-7, 18-15; Macefield and/Pattinson beat Dunn and Henderson, 15-2, 15-9. Second Round.—Skelt and Skelt beat Vincent and Higgms, 15-5, 11-15. 15-8. Semi-finals.—P. D. Skelt and A. T. Skelt beat R. K. Macefield and R. G. Pattinson, 15-12, 15-3: A. M. Stephens and N. R. Thompson beat J. E. Robson and K Long, 10-15, 17-15, 15-7. Women’s Doubles Second Round. —Mesdames V. Gow and A Butterworth beat Misses Hopkinson and • Moorhead, 15-8, 6-15, 15-7. Semi-finals—S. Cox and E. Meyer beat Mrs D. Hay and Miss A. Mackenzie, 15-5, 15-2; Mrs A. Butterworth and Mrs V. Gow beat Mrs H. Robson and Miss D. Renner, 15-7, 15-7. Mixed Doubles Second Round.—P. Skelt and Miss S. Miller beat G. Vincent and Miss P. Sewell,. 15-8, 15-5; E. Harvey and Miss G. Tompkins beat D. Higgins and Miss D. Renner, 9-15, 15-9, 15-11. Quarter-finals. —N. R. Thompson and Miss S. Cox beat E. R. Harvey and Miss G Tompkins, 15-1, 15-12; P. D. Skelt and Miss S. Miller beat R. K. Macefield and Mrs D. Hay, 14- 15-6. 15-8; A. M. Stephens and Miss A. Mackenzie beat S. Barnes and Mrs V Gow, 5-15, 18-16, 15-12: J. E. Robson and Mrs H. Robson beat G. Hinton and Miss J. Hinton, 15- 15-5. Semi-finals.—Thompson and Miss Cox beat Skelt and Miss Miller, 15-12, 15-4; Stephens and Miss Mackenzie beat Robson and Mrs Robson, 6-15, 15-12, 15-10. Boys’ Singles

Semi-finals.—F. Girvan beat I. Christison, 15-10, 15-4; R. Purser beat D. Holder, 15-5, 15-5. Girls’ Singles Semi-finals.—Miss P. Sewell beat Miss F. Cannon, 11-2, 11-1; Miss G. Simpson beat Miss B. Fox, 11-3, 11-7. Boys* Doubles Semi-finals.—l. Christison and D. Holden beat R. Hortin and J. Kinder. 15-3, 15-3; F. Girvan and R. Purser beat J. Williamson and P. Anderson, 15-11. 15-12. Girls* Doubles Final.—Miss B. Fox and Miss G. Simpson beat Miss F. Cannon and Miss K. Parker. 15-7, 15-5. Men’s Plate Quarter-fina's.—D. Holden beat H. B. Dawson. 17-14, 15-5; F. Girvan beat R, K. Macefield by default; N R. Thompson beat M. Cooke. 15-13. 15-12; R. Purser beat S. Barnes, 156, 10-15, 15-12. Women’s Plate Semi-finals.—Miss G. Tompkins beat Miss S. Miller, 11-6. 11-5; Miss S. Field beat Miss P. Sewell, 12-10, 11-6.