Visiting Players In Attractive Displays

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29398, 28 December 1960, Page 3

Visiting Players In Attractive Displays

Fow young players visiting the Canterbury championships sponsored by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association gave attractive displays on the two centre courts at Wilding Park yesterday, when they met in quarterfinal matches. None of the four was among the top seeds for the title. One of these matches was a gruelling marathon of nearly three hours in which R. Callander, of Wellington, seeded eighth, beat P. Kelly, of Manawatu, 7-5. 10-12, 6-4, and it was a conteset which either could have won. In the other, another Wellington player, J. Anderson, one of the most impressive at the tournament so far, was too good for D. Heatherbell, of Nelson, seeded seventh. Anderson won, 6-1, 6-4. Both Anderson and Kelly were responsible for early upsets yesterday when they put the second and third seeded men out of the singles in the third round in the morning. Kelly beat A. L. Blackwell, the holder of the title, seeded second, 6-3, 6-3, and Anderson beat B. J. Shirlaw, seeded third, 6-3, 6-2.

Besides the two on the centre courts one other men’s quarterfinal was played and in this the fourth-seeded W. Thom, the young Canterbury player who was overseas this year, was in good form when he beat B. Johns, 6-1, 6-3. The other quarter-final, between G. Moss, seeded first, and A. D. L. Hunter, seeded fifth, will be played this morning. The winner of that match will meet Anderson and Thom will play Callander in the semi-finals later. Sometimes Dull

Although the play in the Callander-Kelly match was nearly always of a good standard it did sometimes become dull for spectators, especially in the second set which was so drawn out. The play slowed down a great deal in the second set and the players took a long time between points. They were conserving energy and it was just as well they did. They had ball boys later. When Kelly went to a 4-1 lead in the first set it looked as if the aggression that had typified some of his play in the earlier rounds would win for him again but Callander, a most intelligent player and one with clever placement, began to get the game going more to his liking and it developed into a tactical battle. It was often Kelly who impressed more, especially with some brilliant returns from almost impossible positions, but he played to his opponent too much down the middle of the court.

In the second set, Callander held a match point at 9-8 but Kelly went on to take the set mainlv because there was never a ball that he did not go for hard. Callander often looked as if he was tiring more than Kelly, and at the end he probably was but he hung on grimly for a courageous win. Anderson looked unbeatable in his first set with Heatherbell and although he was not as impressive in the second set he is sure to provide the winner of the Moss-Hunter game with stern opposition. It was a very quick, 6-1 set with Heatherbell: Reused his full height for a quick service and he topped his forehand sharply, whipping it across court. He followed in very quickly behind his service, covering the court with a long reach and a quick reaction at the net. Heatherbell was not in touch with the lines in the first set but he did much better in the second when Anderson also showed that he could upset his own play with (double faults and that he "had backhand weakness, sometimes giving him a tendency to run round it. Thom again showed how much

faster his play has become when he beat Johns. He was serving brilliantly, covering the court well and putting away winning volleys down the lines. In the last two games he conceded only one point and his power often left his opponent standing well away from the ball. Canterbury’s other hope in this tournament now, Moss, was sorely troubled when he dropped his first set to the Otago number six, D. Duncan, in the third round, but he came on to form later to win 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. Women’s Semi-finalists In the women’s semi-finals today the top-seeded Mrs P. Leopold. ranked third in the province to Miss J. Davidson and Mrs G. Middelberg, who are in the North Island, will play this year’s secondary schools’ titleholder, Miss S. Rich, a 17-year-old member of the Howe Shield team; and Mrs D. McKinnel, seeded second, will meet Mrs C. Pearce, of Rangiora. Mrs Pearce, who was run-ner-up for this title last year to Mrs L. Fitzgerald, was not seeded because she was a late entry. One notable feature of the semi-finals is that Mrs Leopold, Mrs McKinnel, and Mrs Pearce, formerly Miss C. Smith, have been clubmates in the strong Avonside women’s teams in recent years, although Mrs Pearce is now playing for Fernside-Kaia-poi.

Another Avonside player, Miss S. Field, was eliminated in yesterday’s quarter-finals by Mrs McKinnel and this was another marathon match of about two hours. Mrs McKinnel won, 6-2. 0-6, 7-5, mainly because she was slightly the better of two very strong and determined returners. The match was played almost entirely from the baselines and it had its distinct phases. Mrs McKinnel dominated the first set, but Miss Field had more pace on her drives and played her opponent about the court in the second. Mrs McKinnel took the initiative again in the third for a 5-2 lead, but Miss Field, again with more pace from side to side, caught up to 5-5 before she lost. Mrs McKinnel had slightly the better lasting qualities and she was able to cope better eventually in. the hot sun which was causing Miss Field so much burn that she had to don a cardigan. Miss Field was very prominent in Canterbury tennis a few years ago when she came here from Dunedin, but she later went back to Dunedin and has only returned this season. She showed yesterday that she has lost little of her tenacity.

Mrs Leopold had little trouble to take her first set from Miss D. Smith, 6-1, but she was fully extended in the second for 8-6. Miss Smith, who played top in this season’s Howe Shield team, is from Rangiora and is a sister to Mrs Pearce. She allowed Mrs Leopold to take the net frequently against her in the first set while she hung back; she was much more aggressive in the second and that brought her more points. Mrs Pearce had a surprisingly easy win over Mrs E. Campbell, 6-1, 6-1. Mrs Campbell, a player of long experience, is usually very difficult to master, but yesterday she was well out of touch and Mrs Pearce drove hard and consistently down the sidelines for point after point. In the remaining quarter-final, Miss Rich beat Miss K. Williams, like Mrs Campbell a member of the Cashmere club, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. In the deciding third set, Miss Rich showed a style like that of Canterbury’s leading woman, Miss Davidson. She served strongly, using her full height and she attacked at the net as often as she could. Miss Williams played some hard grounds shots and passed well at times, but she was played out of position when her opponent got to the net. Results:— Men’s Singles Third Round—G. Moss beat D. Duncan, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1: A. D. L. Hunter beat R. Neumann, 6-8, 6-2, 6-3; D. Heatherbell beat W. Smith, 6- 6-2: J. Anderson beat B. Shirlaw, 6-3, 6-2; W. Thom beat M. C. Healey, 6-2. 6-3: B. Johns beat J. Cullington, 6-2, 6-4; R. J. Callander beat J. Taylor, 6-1, 6-2; P. Kelly beat A. L. Blackwell, 6-3, 6-3. Quarter Finals.—Anderson beat Heatherbell, 6-1. 6-4; ’ Thom beat Johns, 6-1, 6-3; Callander beat Kelly, 7- 10-12, 6-4. Women’s Singles Quarter Finals.—Mrs P. Leopold beat Miss D. Smith 6-1. 8-6: Mrs C. Pearce beat Mrs E. Campbell, 6-1, 6-1; Mrs D. McKinnel beat Miss S. Field, 6-2, 0-6, 7-5; Miss S. Rich beat Miss K. Williams. 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Men’s Doubles Quarter Finals.—M. Agar and W. Lewthwaite beat K. Baddiley and D. Heatherbell, 6-2, 6-4; G. Moss and W. Thom beat A. Trembath and D. Radford, 6-2, 6-2; J. Anderson and R. Callander beat M. C. Healey and W. J. Smith, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3; A. D. L.

Hunter and A. L. Black beat J. Taylor and P. Kelly, 11-9. 6-1. > Semi-final.—Moss and Thom beat Agar and Lewthwaite, 8-10, 6-4, 6-1. Women’s Doubles Quarter Finals.—Misses P. Andrews and J. Andrews beat Misses D. Hopping and L. Watson, 6-1, 6-0; Miss B. Watmuff and Mrs C. Pearce beat Mesdames E. Campbell and H. Lovegrove, 8-6, 6-4; Mesdames P. Leopold and D. McKinnel beat Misses K. Williams and J. Mollison, 6-0, 6-3. Mixed Doubles Second Round.—W. Smith and Miss J. Hatch beat D. J. Marshall and Miss E. Ogilvie, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; A. Trembath and Mrs P. Leopold beat B. Taylor and Miss J. Andrews, 6-2, 6-3; J. Cullington and Miss D. Smith beat M. Christison and Miss J. McKain, 6-1, 6-2 J. Taylor and Miss S. Field beat L. Watkins and Miss L. Ashby, 6-3, 6-2; B. Shirlaw and Miss K; williams beat K. Baddiley and Miss P. Andrews, 6-3, 6-2; J. Anderson and Miss S. Rich beat A. D. L. Hunter and Mrs P. Leopold, 6-4, 6-2; D. Heatherbell and Mis s D. Hopping beat B. Crofts and Miss L. Watson, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Quarter Final.—Shirlaw and Miss Williams beat Taylor and Miss Field, 6-4, 9-7.