Badminton FINALS OF ANNUAL HANDICAP TOURNEY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29621, 18 September 1961, Page 7

Badminton FINALS OF ANNUAL HANDICAP TOURNEY

Titles were evenly spread when the finals of the Canterbury Badminton Association's annual handicap tournament were played in the Skellerup' Hall on Saturday evening. Sixteen clubs shared the 23 titles. Most of the bet'er players used this tournament as a warm-up for the ' annual championships which will be played this week. For those with little chance of ever winning a championship, the handicap tournaments provided a welcome chance of meeting bet'er players on equal terms. The large number of close matches was a testimony to the accuracy of the association’s handicappers. B. Crofts (Knox) beat M. Ford (Railway) in an interesting final to the A grade men’s singles. Ford had a two-point start on handicaps, but Crofts soon made this up and quickly went to a 7-0 lead. Ford caught him at 8-all, but Crofts always held a slight lead, to win 21-18. Croft's vicious smashing was a feature of this match, and Ford had no answer to these well-directed hits. In the final of the women’s singles Miss J. Davidson (Avonside) beat Miss K. Williams (Selwyn). Miss Davidson cleared and smashed well, and won points by varying her service. Points for Miss Williams came with i well-timed cross-court shots. Miss Davidson led at 14-12, but Miss Williams equalled to hold a match point when serving at 14-all, before Miss Davidson took the match. Popular Victory

A popular victory was that of R. Macefield (Christchurch) and D. Hickey (New Brighton) in the final of the men’s doubles. Macefield is the provincial men’s singles titleholder and Hickey, the president of the Canterbury Badminton Association, plays in the President’s grade. Naturally Macefield dominated the play, but Hickey more than kept his end up with good serving and smashing. A good performance was that of D. Kenyon, a Malayan member of the Teachers’ College chib, in reaching the final of the B grade men’s singles. Kenyon’s team plays in the D grade, but in this tournament he beat many of the best B grad® players, with little difference in handicaps. In Saturday's final he led M. Berkley (Central) 18-14 at one stage, but was unable to maintain the pressure. The junior player. Miss N. Williams (Army) made a good showing in winning the B grade women’s singles, off scratch. She should be to the fore in the junior championships this week. Rangiora gained two titles in the C grade through the attractive play of Miss I. Sinclair. She won the women’s singles and, with Mrs M. Fraser, the women’s doubles. Results of finals were:— A Grade Men’s Singles.—B. Crofts (Knox, minus 4) beat M. Ford (Railway, minus 2), 21-18. Women's Singles.—Miss J. Davidson (Avonside, minus 10) beat Miss K. Williams (Selwyn. minus 61.

Men’s Doubles.—R, Macefield and D. Hickey (Christchurch and New Brighton, scr) beat R Hall and R. Burrell (Selwyn. plus 2). 21-15. Women’s Doubles.—Misses K Williams and R. White .(Selwyn, minus 8) beat Miss J. Davidson and Mrs M. Brown (Avonside. minus 61. 21-16. Mixed Doubles.—D. Reid and Miss N. Baty (Christchurch, minus 9) beat J. McShane and Miss R. White (Selwyn. minus 4). 21-7. B Grade Men's Singles—M. Berkley (Central, plus 2) beat D. Kenyon (Teachers’ College, plus 6). 21-19. Women’s Singles—Miss N. Williams (Army, sen beat Miss G. Sullivan (Railway, plus 1). 15-10. Men’s Doubles.—D. McClure and K. Serra (Army, minus 4) beat A. Atkinson and E. Ogier (Avonside. minus 10). 21-14. Women’s Doubles.—Misses J. Mackay and N. Hughes (Railway. plus 3) beat Miss C. Parris and Mrs E. Boloski (Central, sen. 21-3. Mixed Doubles.—R. Klrton and Miss J. Murray (Technical Blus 6) beat M. Berkley and Mrs Boloski (Central, plus 21. 21-14. C Grade Men's Singles.—R. James (Latimer, minus 12) beat E. Mahon (New Brighton, minus 6). 21-11 Women’s Singles—Miss I. Sinclair (Rangiora. minus 6) beat Miss A Smith (Beresford, scr). Men’s Doubles—A, McDougall

and E. Mahon (New Brighton, minus 4) beat R. Janies "and W. Christie (Latimer, minus 4), 21-12. Women’s Doubles.—Miss I. Sinclair and Mrs M. ‘ Fraser (Rangiora. minus 6) beat Mesdames Y. Taylor and C. McGuire (Canterbury, plus 4). Mixed Doubles.—N. Herron and Miss J. Gibbon (St. James’, scr> beat M. Ismail and Miss L. Caverhill (Teachers' College, minus 8). 21-16. D Grade Men’s Singles.—N. Herron (St. James’, plus 4) beat R. Pannell (Canterbury, plus 2), 21-20. Women's Singles.—Mrs M. Freeman (Burnham, scr) beat Miss P. Neville (St. Mary’s scr). 15-4. Men’s Doubles.—G. Hobson and R. Pannell (Canterbury, scr) beat D. Kenyon and E. Clark (Teachers’ College, minus 12). 21-10. Women’s Doubles—Mesdames K. McGifford and M. Freeman (Bumham, minus 4) beat Mesdames R. Retallick and P. Kellaway (Y.W.C.A., minus 4), 21-11. Mixed Doubles.—N. Herron and Miss J. Gibson (St. James', plus 2) beat A. Eden and Miss C. Evans (Canterbury, minus 4), 21-14. President’s Grade Men’s Doubles.—A. Elmey and R. Gracie (Wesley, minus 4) beat D. Hickey and R. Meynell (New Brighton, minus 8), 21-5. Women’s" Doubles. —Mesdames M. Smith and P. Thurston (Ashgrove, minus 6) beat Miss M. Shannahan and Mrs C. Newton (Christchurch, plus 4), 21-18. Mixed Doubles,—A. Elmey and Mrs G. Sugden (Wesley) beat D. Hickey and Mrs E. Carson (New Brighton, minus 8), 21-8.