P. S. Alexander Wins Country Singles

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

P. S. Alexander Wins Country Singles

P. S. Alexander (Malvern) won the men’s i Singles when the country lawn tennis championships were completed at Wilding Park yesterday. Alexander, a member of the Hororata club now studying at Lincoln College, beat A. J. Hewitt (Malvern) in the final. Seeded third. Alexander went through the men’s singles field without the loss of a set. In a semi-final he beat W. G. Lewthwaite I (Banks Peninsula), runnerup last year, and this year needed second, and later beat the top-seeded Hewitt i in the final. Hewitt is a former holder of the title. ! In service, volley and smash Alexander was supreme. He took the net at 'every opportunity in both jhis semi-final and final, and i forced his more experienced opponents into errors as ! they tried in vain to keep him on the baseline. j Lewthwaite served well and made good angled volleys against Alexander, but 'had to take many risks to stay on the attack. With Alexander following his first and second serves into the net Lewthwaite had to rely on lobbing to maintain the offensive. Alexander’s smashing was a feature of his play. Harder Match i Alexander found Hewitt a | harder opponent, especially in i the second set of their final. I Hewitt drives passed very low j over the net, and made volleyi ing difficult. However, the win- , ner played an intelligent game, • his backhand was very reliable, i and he judged his advances to the net very well. Hewitt found that his service and general play were not quite severe enough to enable him to take the offensive regularly. Alexander was very quick, and took risks to keep in an attacking position. Playing together for the first time, the unseeded pair of Lewthwaite and Alexander had a comfortable win in the final of the men’s doubles against I the Hurunui pair, A. Smith and B. Forbes. Lewthwaite completed a successful meeting by taking the mixed doubles title with Kirs N. Skilling. This again was a scratch partnership as R. i Hudson, who was to have part- ! nered Mrs Skilling, was unable I to play. This pair won a long (final against I. Pickering and Miss M. Mac Kay. A very high standard of tennis [was given by the players in the junior sections. The North Canterbury players L. Watkins and Miss D. Corich, both well--1 known in town competitions, each won three titles. The defeated singles finalists were N. Alexander and Miss H. Bruce, both of Ellesmere. Watkins reversed the result of last year's junior final when he beat Alexander. Last year in this match Alexander had a 6-1, 6-3 win. but yesterday, apart from a lapse of interest in the second set, Watkins was clearly superior. He has been in very good form this season and has an outstanding record in junior competition. Miss Corich showed that she has a great deal of talent, and confirmed the good impression she has made in the senior women’s competition this seaison. In her final against Miss Bruce, conqueror of the topseeded Miss D. Smith in a semi-final. Miss Corich showed ability to fight back from a losing position. Miss Bruce. with steady stroking, went to a 5-3 lead and led 40-15 on her own service. Miss Corich, with determination, slowly played her way out of trouble to take that

the next, both narrowly. She hit some powerful forehand drives, and served particularly well, but for the most part was content to chase the ball round the court and wait for Miss Bruce to make an error. With Miss L. Ashby. Miss' Corich featured in an upset in the final of the girls’ doubles by beating the titleholders. Misses D. Smith and M. Smith. Watkins and Miss Corich repeated their victory of last season over Alexander and Miss Bruce in the final of the junior mixed doubles. Winners of events completed in the previous week-end were: women’s singles. Mrs C. Pearce; women’s doubles. Misses B Taylor and M. Mac Kay; boys’ doubles. L. Watkins and N Alexander. Results were:— Men’s Singles Semi-finals.—A. J. Hewitt beat I. Pickering, 6-2. 6-1; P. S. Alexander beat W. G. Lewthwaite, 6-3, 6-2. Final.—Alexander beat Hewitt, 6-2. 6-4. Men’s Doubles Semi-finals.— A. Smith and B. beat M. Johnson and M. Feary. 3-6. 6-4. 6-0; W. G Lewthwaite and P. S. Alexander beat J. Blakeley and B. Cobden-Cox. 6-3, 6-2. Final—Lewthwaite and Alexander' beat Smith and Forbes, 6-1, 6-4. Mixed Doubles Second Round.—l. Pickering and Miss M. Mackay beat P S Alexander and Mrs M. Stevenson, 2-6. 6.-3, 6-3. Semi-finals.—W. G. Lewthwaite and Miss N. Skilling beat A. J. Hewitt and Mrs N Gil™°ur - 6’?. 7 ‘ 5: Pickering and Mr? n beat M ' Feprv and Plc kenng, 6-3 8-6 Lewthwaite and Mrs w v eat , p wkering and M.SS Mackay. 11-9, 2-6, 6-3. Boys’ Singles naI ;T~L. Watkins beat N Alexander. 6-2 1-6 6-2 £ ir,s ' Singles e D 7 . 5 C % f ch beat Girls’ Doubles T F, A n et D - Corich and and A M by S^Fth t . “T e 6 S -2 D Smith Mixed Doubles Miss n u Wa tkin S and ne*t C° nch beat S. BarB ru |Vk e e a r ‘ i 3 M ri is and Final.—Watkins and Miss Brace 6-3, ‘ BA!,exander 8 A !, exander and Miss