LAWN TENNIS North Linwood Lead May Be Challenged

Press, Volume C, Issue 29467, 20 March 1961, Page 18

LAWN TENNIS North Linwood Lead May Be Challenged

North Linwood and United, both of which have lost only one, could finish equal with six points after the last round of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association's senior men’s competition at Wildins Park next Saturday. On Saturday. North Linwood beat Edgeware by 5 matches to 1. and United beat Elmwood by 4 matches to 1. North Linwood now has five points to United's four but United has still to complete a contest with Woolston from the previous Saturday. At present Woolston leads this by 3 matches to 2 and A. D. L. Hunter (United) and B. J. Aldridge, have a set each in the top singles. Next Saturday. North Linwood will play Elmwood and United will play Opawa. These are the bottom teams in the competition. In the other fixtures on Saturday, University beat Opawa by 6 matches to 0. and Cashmere beat Woolston by 3 matches to 2. University at present has half a point more than United and is only half a point behind North Linwood, but unless North Linwood loses next Saturday it cannot get up University will play Cashmere next Saturday. Points are:—North Linwood 5, University 4J, United 4 (with a match to complete), Cashmere 4. Edgeware 2i. Opawa 1, Woolston 1 (with a match to complete), Elmwood 1. Results were according to form in the women’s competition and Cashmere remains the only unbeaten team. It beat University without the loss of a match on Saturday and it should beat United next Saturday. Fernside-Kaiapoi, a new team in the competition this season, is Cashmere’s closest rival but it has already lost to that team. On Saturday Fernside-Kaiapoi beat United by 6 matches to 0, Avonside beat St. Albans, which has lost two key members of its team, Mrs B. Allen and Miss R. Jones, by 6 matches to 0, and Fendalton beat Shirley by 6 matches to 0. So in all four contests the losing teams did not win a match. The women's points are:— Cashmere 6. Fernside-Kaia-poi 5, Avonside 4, Fendalton 3, St. Albans 3, United 2. University 1, Shirley 0. Upset Singles Singles matches were not notable except for one and this provided perhaps the biggest club match upset of the season. In this the top University player, L. Walpole, a much improved player this season, beat Canterbury’s second ranked man. G. Moss, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. Moss has been beaten only once before in local competitive play this season and that was by the top-ranked C. G. Judge in a ranking match. Walpole’s win was a great credit to him and one of the best he has had but he played against a Moss who became less and less interested as the match progressed and who had only a shadow of his true form. Moss looked as fit and as quick as usual when he won the first set. 6-2, but he was making errors and being passed when he faced a 1-3 deficit in the second set. He fought back to 3-3 but it was then that his interest waned. As the match went on his mutterings, mainly “I’m sick of tennis” became more frequent and so did his play deteriorate. Walpole was quick to take advantage of this: he readily accepted every point that was given him and he got many by his own tactical ability. He won the third set in double quick time. In the leading North Linwood team, G. A. Burton was in better form than he was the week before to beat B. Crofts (Edgeware), 6-2, 6-8, 9-7, in a match with great determination from both players and R. Watson had a fine 6-0, 6-1 win over T. Harneiss. For Edgeware, L Martin played one of his best games of the season to beat the experienced B Crawford 6 ’ 7-5 n the women’s competition, M:ss S Mackay playing top for University in the absence of Mrs G Middelberg, took the top Canterbury woman, Miss J Davidson <Cashmere) to 5-7 in the first set but could not sustain her form and lost the second. 1-6. SENIOR MEN University v. Opawa Singles.—L. Walpole beat G. Moss. 2-6. 6-3. 6-0; p. Alexander beat S. Clarke. 6-4, 6-3- D Preston beat M. Norden, 6-1' 6-2: D. Heatherbell beat J Averill, 6-2, 10-6. ■Doubles. Walpole and Alexander beat Moss and Nor**en. 6-4. 8-2: Preston and Hetherbell teat Clarke and Averill, 4-6. 6-3. 8-6. to U o iVerSi,y U ° n by 5 matches United v. Elmwood ■ Singles.—A. D. L. Hunter v. W. Thom (unfinished); A L Blackwell beat A. Trembath. 6-fi. 6-2; B. Johns beat J Duegan. 6-3. 7-5; W. Smith beat D Jamieson, 9-7, 6-0 Doubles Blackwell and Hunter lost to Thom and Trembath. 6-3, 3-7. 9-11; Johns and Smith beat Duggan and Jamieson. 6-3 6-3 United won by 4 matches to Woolston v. Cashmere Singles—M Aear lost to B J Shirlaw 6-4 1-6. 2-6; R Neumann lost to M. C. Healey. 6-4 4-6, 4-6; M. Maher lost to'S W Bvllen. 3-6 6-3, 2-6. Doubles.—Agar and Neumann beat Shirlaw and Healey. 4-6. 6-2, 11-9; Maher and Neumann beat Healey and Bullen, 6-3. 8-1 Cashmere won by 3 matches to 2 North Linwood v. Edgeware Singles.—G. A. Burton beat B. Crofts. 6-2, 6-8. 9-7; B. R Crawford lost to L. Martin, 4-6, 5-7; R. Watson beat T. Harneiss 6-0. 6-1; E. S. Cormack beat G. Saunderson. 6-3, 6-4 Doubles.—Burton and Crawford beat Crofts and Harneiss,

beat Martin and Saunderson, 6-1. 9-7. North Linwood won by 5 matches to 1. SENIOR WOMEN St. Albans v. Avonside Singles.—Mrs M. Hanna lost to Mrs P. Leopold, 8-6. 3-6, 4-6; Mrs B. J. Watmuff lost to Mrs D. McKinnel, 5-7. 3-6; Miss K. Reece lost to Miss L. Mardon. 4-6, 3-6; Mrs G. Wilson lost to Miss S. Peters, 2-6. 3-6. Doubles.—Mesdames Hanna and Watmuff lost to Mesdames Leopold and McKinnel. 2-6, 3-6: Miss Reece and Mrs Wilson lost to Misses Mardon and Peters, 4- 6-3. 3-6. Avonside won bj- 6 matches to 0. Fendalton v. Shirley Singles.—Miss S. Rich beat Miss J. Cusdin, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6; Miss J. McKain beat Miss J. Edwards. 6-3. 6-3; Mrs L. Buxton beat Miss K. Parris, 4-6, j 6-3, 6-2; Mrs M. Keys beat Miss E. Reaston, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Doubles—Misses Rich and McKain beat Misses Cusdin and Edwards. 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Mesdames Buxton and Keys beat Misses Parris and Reaston, 6-2, 9-7. Fendalton won by 6 matches to 0. Cashmere v. University Singles.—Miss J. Davidson beat Miss S. Mackay, 7-5, 6-1; Mrs E. Campbell beat Miss A. Smillie, 6-4, 6-1; Miss K. Williams beat Miss J. Mollison, 6-1, 6-1; Mrs H. Lovegrove beat Miss L. Tucker, 6-1, 6-3. | Doubles.—Misses Davidson; and Williams beat Misses. Mackay and Smillie, 7-5, 6-3; Mesdames Campbell and Lovegrove beat Misses Mollison and Tucker, 6-1, 6-1. Cashmere won by 6 matches to 0. United v. Fernside-Kaiapoi Singles.—-Mrs J. Lewis lost to Mrs C. Pearce, 4-6. 2-6; Mrs K ■ Conway lost to Miss D. Smith. 5- 2-6; Miss W. Wall lost to Miss D. Corich, 5-7, 2-6; Miss L. Ashby (Fernside-Kaiapoi) won by default. Doubles.—Mesdames Lewis and Conway lost to Mrs Pearce; and Miss Smith. 0-6, 1-6; Miss Wall and Mrs Conway lost to! Misses Corich and Ashby by default. Fernside-Kaiapoi won by 6 : matches to 0.