SCOTLAND WINS THREE JUNIOR TITLES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29099, 11 January 1960, Page 7

SCOTLAND WINS THREE JUNIOR TITLES

D. Scotland, second player in Canterbury’s Slazenger Shield team this season, was the most successful competitor in the Canterbury junior lawn tennis championships which concluded at Wilding Park on Saturday. Scotland won three titles in the under 17 section—singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Another notable feature was the success of players from outside Christchurch. Miss E. Ogilvie, who was top player in the West Coast Howe Shield side this season, won the under 17 girls’ singles, beating a Rangiora player, Miss D. Smith, 4-6. 6-3, 6-0, in the final. Then Misses Ogilvie and Smith combined to win the under 17 girls’ doubles. Scotland’s singles final opponent, L. Watkins, is from Rangiora, and Scotland and Watkins also combined to win the under 17 boys’ doubles. Another outside player in the finals was Miss D. Corich, of Kaiapoi, and she and Watkins were runnersup in the under 17 mixed doubles.

That the under 19 sections did not have big fields did not detract from the performances of the winners in those sections. M. Urquhart, who won the under 19 boys’ singles, gave a fine display of power tennis and left several wondering why his entries in such tournaments have not been more frequent. He beat V. Price, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in a match of high standard. Price had his success later when he and I. Laby won the under 19 boys’ doubles.

The under 19 girls’ singles went to Miss J. McKain, who beat Miss L. Watson. 6-4, 6-4, and Miss Watson also had her success when she and Miss K. Williams won the doubles. The mixed doubles, which, like the singles, were played on the Coronation tournament system with every pair playing every other pair, have not been completed because there are three pairs with four wins each. They will have to play off. Strong Service Urquhart, a member of the Elmwood club’s senior team in the Christchurch inter-club competitions, was in good form, especially with service, when he beat Price. Urquhart had a good basis for his aggressive type of game with his swift first service which gave Price difficulty throughout. It kicked very high and caused Price to play down and into the net at times. Urquhart also played sweeping drives and some of his backhand cross-courts were remarkably good. Although he lacked the power of his opponent, Price played well, especially in the second set, and his variation of length was one of his strong points. Miss McKain had stronger drives than Miss Watson and won by keeping a better length. Still, Miss Watson, virtually unheard of before this tournament—she is a member of the Edgeware second grade team —made a notable impact by winning one final and being runner-up in another. The under 17 boys’ singles was another fine match and although Scotland was in better form than he has been in some other contests this season, there was not much between him and Watkins. Competent Well-equipped with strokes, Scotland played competently all round the court and attacked at every opportunity but he still had to be careful about which shots he went to net on because Watkins was a master at passing. Watkins also did some excellent volleying, played with a kind of chop and a flick and many of his forehand shots were chopped also where the shot did not serve him as well.

Miss Ogilvie impressed when she was in Christchurch with the West Coast Howe Shield team and she supported that promise on Saturday. In her first set with Miss Smith she was fighting from behind all the time because the Rangiora girl was placing her drives to the corners and clipping the lines. In the next two sets Miss Ogilvie steadied up a lot and she very coolly began to do to Miss Smith what Miss Smith had done to her in the first set. Miss Ogilvie cut her errors to a minimum and by the third set she was markedly on top and did not lose a game. Miss Ogilvie’s forehand drives down the lines were a delight. UNDER 19 Boys* Singles Final.—M. Urquhart beat V. Price, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Boys’ Doubles First Rounds—V. Price and X>

Laby beat J. Vale and M. Urquhart, 6-1, 6-1. Final.—Price and Laby beat N. Ockwell and A. J. Knight, 6-3, 6-1. Girls’ Singles Final.—J. McKain beat L. Watson, 6-4, 6-4. Girls’ Doubles Final.—K. Williams and L. Watson beat J. Hatch and J. McKain, 6-3, 6-2. Mixed Doubles Third Round.—M. Urquhart and Miss J. Hatch beat N. Ockwell and Miss B. Grainger by default. Fourth Round.—J. Vale and Miss L. Watson beat Ockwell and Miss Grainger, by default; I. Laby and Miss K. Williams beat J. Mclntyre and Miss J. Lane. 6-0. 6-4. Fifth Round. —V. Price and Miss J McKain beat Vale and Miss Watson, 6-0, 6-1; Ockwell and Miss Graingel beat J. Mclntyre and Miss J. Lane. 6-1, 6-4; I. Laby and Miss K. Williams beat Urquhart and Miss Hatch. 8-6, 6-2. UNDER 17 Boys’ Singles Final.—D. Scotland beat L. Watkins, 6-4, 6-4. Boys’ Doubles Final.—D. Scotland and L. Watkins beat J. Cullington and A. Brooks, 7-5, 6-3. Girls’ Singles Final.—E. Ogilvie beat D. Smith, 4-6. 6-3, 6-0. Girls’ Doubles Final.—E. Ogilvie and D. Smith beat S. Rich and K. Reece, 6-2, 6-1. Mixed Doubles Final.—D. Scotland and Miss K. Reece beat L. Watkins and Miss D. Corich, 6-3, 6-3. Boys’ Plate Final.—B. Garvans beat G. G. Ford. 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Girls’ Plate Final.—D. Hopping beat D. Newton, 6-2, 6-0.