LAWN TENNIS Difficult Play In High Wind

Press, Volume C, Issue 29478, 3 April 1961, Page 16

LAWN TENNIS Difficult Play In High Wind

The most interesting feature of the opening day of the Canterbury lawn Tennis Association's annual Easter tournament at Wilding Park on Saturday was the behaviour of the bails in the strong northwesterly. And although three of the four seeded players in the men’s singles and the four seeded women reached the. semi-finals some of them were In difficulties against opponents who adapted their games to the conditions. It was a day for care and steadiness rather than power and aggression, a day when keeping shots short often paid dividends as a safety first measure. It was a day when the balls played all sorts of tricks and it was common to see players who were receiving lobs twisting and turning to try to get into position as they followed the changing flight of the ball in the air.

It was also a day fraught ; with disappointment as shots ’ which were well produced curved out of court. On the other hand, it was almost as common to see balls hit with racket frames as with strings and some of these shots off I the woed won points in a surprising and most discouraging way for opponents. Fourth Seed Out G Moss, W. Thom, and B. Aldridge, the first, second and third seeds, will take part in today's semi-finals. The fourth seeded player. R. i Neumann, will not. He was ! eliminated in the quarter- | finals by a young South- • lander. J. Mahoney, who has ■ been at Burnham Military i Camp, and who is taking part in this tournament before he returns home. Mahoney, a member of the Southland Slazenger Shield boys’ team two seasons ago. is now ranked about seventh in his province and it was a good achievement to beat Neumann, 6-4. 6-4. Neumann is noted for his hard-hitting game but it was no good to him in the wind and superior control by Mahoney won the match. Mahoney concentrated on returning everything and he allowed Neumann to make the errors. Thom and Johns The most interesting contest was between Thom and the United player, B. Johns, in the first round. Johns, who will soon return to Auckland, made a good impression in his last competitive singles play in Christchurch, where he has only been for a season. It was touch and go for Thom. They played on the centre court at the height of the wind with gusts funnelled round among the stands. They were set all, but Johns got a lead of 5-3 in the third set and at 5-4 he held three match points. As Thom, fighting desperately. saved each one, Johns muttered a quiet “bother.” Johns Jost that game and then the set after being so close to winning it. Thom won. 6-4. 2-6, 7-5. Johns had control for the earlier period of the third set when he was placing well with judgement of the wind, but Thom, who could not hit as hard as he likes to in either service or ground stroke, became more accurate at the end.

In the second round Thom beat a young left-hander. R. Bruce. 6-4, 6-4. Bruce served well and played some good angled volleys, but he could not match Thom for pace and experience. In a second-round match, the top-seeded Moss showed that he was one who had the ability to adjust his game. He beat L. Watkins. 6-1, 6-3, and he was much more in touch with the lines than his opponent. Watkins hit too many out to make any impression on a player of Moss’s standard. A. Brooks, the 15-year-old player who will go to Australian tournaments next month, was no match for Aldridge, who won, 6-2. 6-1. Brooks served quite well, especially on to Aldridge’s backhand. but he made far too many mistakes in other departments of his game. Women’s Matches Mrs P. Leopold. Mrs D. McKinncl Miss K. Williams and Miss 3. Rich, the four seeded women in that order, will play in today’s semi-finals. On Saturday Mrs Leopold was the only one taken to three sets, but the others also had hard matches. Mrs Leopold was extended by the Kaiapoi player. Miss D. Corich, who has been in fine form recently, but the top seed won 7-9, 6-3. 6-3. Miss Corich has a good service which was made more difficult by the wind, but she lacked some of Mrs Leopold s steadiness. Mrs McKinnel had trouble keeping a good length in the first set of her match with Miss J. Andrews, of Ashburton, but she came onto it in the second set and won her points more comfortably. She won, 6-4, 6-3. Miss Rich beat Miss P. Andrews. a sister of Miss J. Andrews. 7-5. 7-5. They played different types of games with Miss Rich trying to attack from all parts of the court and Miss Andrews content to do her attacking with her strong ground shots from the baseline. It looked at times as if Miss Andrews would win because she was making her opponent do most of the chasing, but Miss Rich's more aggressive, playjust succeeded. One section was completed on Saturday and in that Misses S. Jordan and J Mawdsley won the under 19 girls’ doubles.

Results: — SENIOR EVENTS Men’s Singles First Round—G. Moss beat W Smith, 7-5. 6-2; L. Watkins beat J. Cullington. 7-9. 6-4. 6-1; A Brooks beat E Dixon. 6-1. 6-1; B. Aldridge beat D Gray. 6-1. 6- R. Nieumann beat N Goswell. 6-1, 6-0; J. Mahoney beat G. Davey. 6-0. 6-1: R. Bruce beat R. G. Hastie. 6-2. 6-2; W i Thom beat B. Johns, 6-4. 2-6, 7Quarter - finals. —Moss beat Watkins, 6-1. 6-3; Aldridge beat Brooks. 6-2, 6-1; Mahoney beat Nieumann, 6-4, 6-4: Thom beat Bruce. 6-4, 6-4. Women’s Singles First Round.—Mrs P. Leopold beat Miss D. Corich, 7-9, 6-3. 6-3: Miss K. Williams beat Miss D. Smith. 7-5. 6-2; Mrs D McKinnel beat Miss J Andrews. 6-4, 6-3; Miss S. Rich beat 1 Miss P Andrew’s. 7-5. 7-5. Men’s Doubles First Round.—W. Thom and G. Moss beat J. Brebner and i G. Ford. 6-0, 6-0; T. Beatty and ,K. Whaanga beat R. G Hastie i and L. Watkins. 6-3. 6-2; R Neumann and B Aldridge beat J. Cullington and A. Brooks. 6-2, 11-9. Women’s Doubles First Round.—Mesdaines D McKinnel and P. Leopold beat Miss D. Smith and Mrs B. Watmuff. 6-4. 6-2: Misses S. Rich and K. Williams beat Misses P.

Andrews and J. Andrews, 7-9. 6-3. 6-4. Mixed Doubles First Round.—W. Thom and Miss K. Williams beat R, McCutcheon and Miss E. Steroid, 6-1. 6-2: G. Hastie and Mies J. Andrews beat K. Kiernan «id Miss L. Rendall. 6-0, *-2: T Thomas and Miss D. Hopping beat N. Gosnell and Mrs Jb WaUnuff. 10-8, 8-6; L. WatMj s and Miss S. _ Rich beat ,J. Mahoney and MfsS D. 6-3, 6-3. UNDER I» EVENTS Boys’ Singles First Round —Bl Bruce Mst J. Watson, 9-2: F TrtmeWbn beat P. 9-3; Xi Davey beat R. Goodman. 9-C Semi-finals.— TrenSrwsn Mat R Stanton. 9-8; ®rt*ce Wjpt Davey. 9-8. Boys* Doubles First Round.—R. Bruce aad G Davev beat G. vhafnhf: s and B. Clark. 9-2; W Edge cumbe and R. Watsonbeat D. Thom and J. Martin.'9-7: A. Thompson and T. Thbrtipson beat Cunningham and A Watson. 9-7; J. Thomas ahd K. Kiernan beat G. Abbie and L. Wood, 9-3; J. Brebner and C. Ford beat R. Goodman and P. Tremewae, 9-6. Second Round—Bruce and Davey beat R. Stanton and S. Molnar, 9-2; Thornaa- and Kiernan beat T. Bradbury and R. McCutcheon. 9-7: Ddgecuntbe and Watson beat Ford and Brebner, 9-7.

Girls’ Doubles First Round.—«. Jordan and J. Mawdsley beat M. Cowdon and L. Rendall. 9-2. Semi - finals.—Jordan arid

Mawdsley beat C. Andrew ahd F. Thomson, 9-8: ,S. Mac Neil I and D. Newton beit D. GoW«ui and Campbell. 9-6. Final.—Jordan and Mawdsley beat Mac Neill and Newton. 6-0. UNDER 17 EVENTS Boys’ Singles First Round.—A. Thompson beat G. Chambers. 9-3; B. Clark beat B. O’Byrne. 9-0; J. Deans beat T. Thomas, 9-8; R. Watson beat C. Wood. 9-7; J. Martin beat T. Thompson. 9-7. Second Round. —J. Brebner beat Clark. 9-2; K. Kiernan beat T. Bradbury. 9-2: W. Edaccumbe beat Deans. 9-4: R. McCutcheon beat I. Stanton, 9-8. G. Ford beat Watson, 9-3; G. Abbie beat D. Thom. 9-3; J. Cullington beat Martin. 9-3:. A Brooks beat A. Thompson. 9-2 Quarter - finals.—Ed gee uni be beat Kiernan. 9-6; Ford beat McCutcheon. 9-6; Cullington beat Abbie. 9-3. Girls’ Singles First Round.—D. Newton beat M. Cowdon, 9-1; P. Lane beat P. Muir, 9-4; S. Mac Neill beat E. Stovold. 9-6: L. Rendall beat V. Bentley. 9-1; F. Thomson beat D. Gowans, 9-3. Quarter-finals. —D. Smith beat Lane. 9-1; C. Andrew beat Newton, 9-7; D. Hopping beat Thomson. 9-6; Mac Neill beat Rendall, 9-2. Semi-finals.—Smith beat Andrew. 9-2. HANDICAP EVENTS Men’s Singles First Round.—T. Beatty (owe 30) beat E. Divon (rec. 15). 9-7; N. Gosnell (owe 15 3-6) beat J. Edward (scr), 9-7: D Fletcher (owe 15) beat T. Thomson (owe 15). 9-4: W. Jamieson (owe 30) beat J. Deans (scr). 9-4. Semi - finals.—Jamieson beat Fletcher. 9-8. Women’s Singles First Round. —M. Cowden (rec. 15) beat P. Plane (owe 15). 9-6; Miss F. Thomson (owe 15) beat Miss L. Rendall (owe 15), 9-5. Men’s Doubles First Round. —N. Gosnell end W. Jamieson (owe 15 3-6) beat B. O’Byrne and J. Deans (fee. 15). 9-7.