Badminton THOMAS CUP TIE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29264, 23 July 1960, Page 15

Badminton THOMAS CUP TIE

Australians In Lead

(Nero Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON N.» July 22. In the Thomas Cup badminton tie between Australia and New Zealand in Feilding this evening K. C. Turner (Australia) established an early lead in the first game as A. M. Stephens made many of his returns out or into the net. The Australian's . steady backhand and sudden swift forehand drive often caught the New Zealander unawares. Turner took the first game comfortably. 15-3.

The second game opened betterfor Stephens who tried playing Turner at his own game, but after holding him 2-1. for a long rally. Stephens began to give ground. Turner pressed the advantage and made soft, spooned returns resulting in rallies which Stephens almost always lost. The New Zealander had no answer to the hard backhand Turner used to end the pat-a-cake struggle at the net. Turner finally took the game 15-6 and won the match. ;• Full Three Games

The next match went the full three games, when the New Zealand captain, J. E. Robson, took the first, 15-10. The game was close until the Australian. F. Russell, fell, and was unsteady enough to let the New Zealander establish a lead. The second game went the other way with the Australian winning. 15-10. Both players rallied hard, playing high shots, but the Australian was all over the court and out placed his opponent most of the time, Russell showed his style when he smashed his way to victory in the third game. There was no answer to his powerful forehand, in Robson’s' arsenal, and Russell’s quick, Suiet backhand was more than the few Zealander could handle. Robson struggled hard, and after going down 8-0 held Russell at 9-1, during a spectacular rally. Russell had too strong a lead to be ousted, and finally took the game, 15-4, and the match. New Zealand gained a last-minute chance to win the tie when J. E. Robson arid P. D. Skelt beat the Australians. S Russel! and I. Hutchinson. in the final doubles match of the evening Details (with Australian names first)- are:— . Singles.—K. C. Turner beat A. M. Stephens, 15-3, 15-6; F. Russell beat J. E. Robson, 10-15, 15-10, 15-4. Doubles.—Russell and I. Hutchinson lost to Robson and P. D. Skelt. 15-10, 11 “ 15 - 10 “ 15 - *