TENNIS University And Edgeware Share Men’s Tourney Lead

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29989, 26 November 1962, Page 3

TENNIS University And Edgeware Share Men’s Tourney Lead

After two rounds, University and Edgeware share the lead in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association's senior men's competition and Cashmere leads on its own in the senior women's competition. When the men's competition was played at Wilding Park on Saturday afternoon. University beat Elmwood by 5 matches to 1, but it had some difficult matches. Elmwood’s victory was gained by L. Watkins over P. S. Alexander and it was well deserved.

Alexander has had a patch of inferior form in which his usually immaculate control has deserted him, and Watkins was quick to take advantage of this. Watkins has had some coaching already this season from the Australian profession. L. Atkins, and his game on Saturday looked improved. His service appears a good deal faster and the rest of his game was more consistent than that of the usually reliable Alexander. Waitkins won, 6-3, 6-3. High Standard The top singles between G. Davidson (University) and W. Thom was of a high standard, and Davidson won again, as he did in the final of the show tournament. These two seem to be emerging as the top men in the province this season, for Thom is playing well in spite of the two defeats. Davidson’s service was again the decisive factor. Although at times it seemed double faults might outweigh aces, there were enough of the good serves to make things very difficult for Thom. Davidson went through one or two games with all aces or near aces, and his volleying was also strong. The University player puts the minimum of effort into his shots for the maximum of power gained from good timing.'

Games went with service in the first set until Davidson broke for a 4-3 lead. Thom broke service in reply to even but Davidson broke again and then held his service for the set. In the second set Davidson broke service three times to Thom's once and won. 6-3. Thom's service break was a determined effort in the second to last game when he survived match points. Thom also served well but he did not have the same pace.

McCutcheon Plays Well In the other contests United beat Cashmere, 4-2, Woolston beat Barrington. 6-0 and Edgeware beat North Linwood, 4-2. In individual matches of interest the junior, R. McCutcheon, playing top for United, beat the experienced I. D. Armstrong (Cashmere) 6-4 4-6, 7-5, and the top North Linwood player B. R, Crawford showed a return to form to beat L, Martin, 8-6 4-6 9-7.

The points are.—University 2, Edgeware 2, Elmwood 1. United I. Woolston 1, North Linwood 1, Barrington 0, Cashmere 0. In the women’s matches played at the United club in the morning Cashmere beat United, 4-2. and Avonslde beat Fendalton, 5-1. Ute points are.— Cashmere 2. United 1 Avonslde 1, Fendalton 0, Shirley 0. Shirley and Fendalton have both had byes. The Cashmere-United encounter was an Interesting one in several ways. First, the top Cashmere pair. Misses J. Davidson and K. Williams were right off form in doubles and lost 3-6. 1-6 to Misses S. Rich and C. Andrew.

Then, the top singles between Misses Davidson and Rich had several embarrassments. In the first set Miss Rieh received one shot from Miss Davidson on the wood of her racket and the ball flew up and hit her sharply in an eye and it turned to a "shiner.” She lost the first set, 1-6, but in spite of her Injury began to match Miss Davidson, who was deteriorating into errors. in the second set.

Opinions Differed Then there was a difference of opinion over the score. Miss Davidson showed some surprise when Miss Rich walked up to shake hands as if the match had finished Miss Rich thought she had lost the second set at, 4-6. Miss Davidson, on the other hand was sure the score was 5-5. They found that Miss Rich thought the score had gone to 3-1 to Miss Davidson and Miss Davidson thought it had gone to 2-2. Miss Davidson managed to convince her it was 5-5 and they played on. Miss Davidson with some annoyance, Miss Rich without her usuai concentration. Miss Davidson won at. 8-6. Miss Rich left the court quickly obviously suffering from the hit in the eye; Miss Davidson waited long enough to express some opinions about tennis in general. In the second singles. Miss K. Williams (Cashmere) played soundly and steadily to beat the hard-hitting junior. Miss C. Andrew. 6-2, 2-6. 6-3 in the third singles. Mrs A. Ryan placed her drives well and gradually got the better of Miss D. Hopping to win, 7-5, 6-2. after a difficult first set. Miss P. Craythorne won the only singles for United. Mrs P. Leopold (Avonslde) was in good form in the top singles of the other contest to beat Mrs P. Boatwood. 6-4, 6-3. Results : SENIOR MEN Cashmere v. United Singles.—l. D. Armstrong lost to R. McCutcheon. 4-6, 6-4, 5-7; M. C. Healey lost to W. G. Lewthwaite, 2-6, 3-6; R. Mlnson beat J. Brebner. 6-4. 6-2; S. Bullen lost to A. Brooks, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6. Doubles.—Healey and Minson beat McCutcheon and Lew-

thwaite, 3-6. S-4. 8-6; Bullen and Armstrong beat Brebner and Brooks. 6-4, 5-7, 2-6. United won by « matches to Woolston v. Barrinrton Singles.—B. J. Aldridge beat L. Elliott, 8-8. 6-0, 6-3; M. Agar beat G. Ford, S-l, «-l; R. Neumann beat W. Edgecumbe, 3-8. 6-3, 6-2; D, Adair beat T. Knight. 4-4, 6-3. Doubles.—Aldridge and Neumann beat Eliott and Ford, 6-4, 6-4; Agar and Adair beat Edgecumbe and Knight, 6-1, Woolston won by 8 matches to 0. North Linwood v. Edgeware Singles.—B. R. Crawford beat L. Martin, 8-6, 4-6, 9-7; R. Watson lost to T. Harneiss, 6-8. 4-6; E. S. Cormack lost to B. Baxter, 2-6, 5-7; R. Bruce lost to B. Crofts, 2-6. 6-4, 4-6. Doubles.—Crawford and Bruce beat Martin and Baxter, 7-5, 5- 6-3: Watson and Cormack tost to Harneiss and Crofts, 5-7, 1Edgeware won by 4 matches to 2. University v. Elmwood Singles.—G. Davidson beat W. Thom, 6-4, 6-3; P. Alexander lost to L. Watkins, 3-6, 3-6; L. Walpole beat J. Duggan, 6-4, 6- D. Henderson beat G. PolUtt. 3-6, S-4, 6-4. Doubles.—Davidson and Alexander beat Thom and Watkins. 2- 8-2, 6-3; Walpole and Henderson beat Duggan and Pollitt, 6-4, 6-4. University won by 5 matches to 1. SENIOR WOMEN Cashmere v. United Singles.—Miss J. Davidson beat Miss S. Rich, 6-1, 8-6; Miss K. WilUams beat Miss C. Andrew, 6-2. 2-6, 6-3; Mrs A. Ryan beat Miss D. Hopping, 7-5, 6-2; Mrs H. Lovegrove lost to Miss P. Craythorn, 4-6, 5-7. Doubles.—Misses Davidson and Williams lost to Misses Rich

and Andrew, 3-6. 1-6; Mraclames Lovegrove and Ryan beat Misses Cnytborno and Hopping, 6-4. 6-8. 7-3. Cashmere won by 4 matches to 2. Fendalton ▼. Avonside Singles—Mm P. Boatwood lost to Mrs P. Leopold. 4-4. 3-6; Mrs L. Buxton lost to Mias D. Smith. 2-6. 1-9; Miss M. A. McNlah beat Miss D. Corich. 6-1, 8-2; Mrs M. Keys lost to Miss G. Freear, 4-6, 2-6. Doubles.—Mesdames Boatwood and Buxton lost to Mrs Leopold and Mias Smith. 8-1. 1-6; Miss McNish and Mrs Keys lost to Misses Corich and Freear, 5-7, 6-1, 3-6. Avonside won by • matches to 1. SENIOR RESERVE North Linwood beat Shirley bv 5 matches to 1; Cashmere beat Edgeware by 5 matches to 1; Linwood Avenue beat University by 4 matches to 2; Beckenham beat Fendalton by 5 matches to 1. SECOND GRADE MEN Shirley beat St. Ninian’s by 6 matches to 0; Avonside beat Linwood Avenue by 4 matches to 3; North Linwood beat South Brighton by 4 matches to 2: Opawa beat Elmwood by 4 matches to 2: Addington Catholic beat New Brighton by 6 matches to 0; Beckenham beat South Christchurch by 6 matches to 0. FIRST GRADE MIXED B Fendalton beat Waimairi by 9 matches to 7; North Linwood beat South Christchurch by 12 matches to 4; Redcliffs beat New Brighton by 11 matches to 5; Riccarton Domain beat Shirley by 11 matches to 5. SECOND GRADE Section II Redcliffs beat South Brighton by 10 matches tc 4; St. Paul's beat New Brighton by 12 matches to 4; Fendalton beat Shirley by 12 matches to 4.