Badminton Canterbury Players Win Four S.I. Titles

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30213, 19 August 1963, Page 5

Badminton Canterbury Players Win Four S.I. Titles

Canterbury players won four of the five titles at the South Island badminton championships which concluded in Timaru on Saturday evening. The only title which did not come to Canterbury was the men's doubles in which D. B. Reid and E. Ogier were runners-up. P. Boatwood and Miss K. Williams won the men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles, and Misses Williams and Gormack the women's doubles. The men’s singles final proved the theory that a match is never won until the last point has be*n decided. Boaitwood won the match. 17-15. 18-16, against F. Fiebig, of Waimate. In the first game Boatwood trailed at 4-15, and in the second 4-12. Fiebig won many points in the first with smashes from half-court cleans by Boatwood, who was well out of touch with his drops and line shots. Fiebig covered the court extremely well. A remarkable change in Boatwood’s game allowed him to take his score from 4-14 to 14-14 before winning the game, 3-1, in the setting. His serve, which had previously been half-court, started to function and his drops were fine and his clears deep, which forced Fiebig into errors. The second game was almost a repetition of the first. Fiebig went from 2-4 to 12-4 before Boatwood gained control and levelled at 13-all. and finally won, 5-3, in the setting. There were two long threegame battles in the semi-finals. Boatwood revenged his last year's defeat by E. Wallace, whom he beat. 17-15. in the third game, after trailing for most of the time. Wallace short-served for almost the entire match, which had a most unsettling effect on Boatwood Reid was unfortunate not to reach the singles final. In lus semi-final against Fiebig he won the first game, 15-12, and had several match points in the

second, which he lost. 14-18. Fiebig. who never appears to tire, outlasted Reid, who missed several vital points by hitting the shuttle into the net. In the women’s final between Miss K. Williams and Miss B. Gormack. who are both Canterbury representatives. Miss Williams served well and made very few errors. Miss Gormack had difficulty with her serve and she made costly errors with her drops, which are usually her strongest stroke. The men's doubles final between Reid and Ogier and Wallace and Fiebig was a most entertaining match. Reid was the outstanding player. A lefthander. he played some delightful drops, including a crosscourt backhand. Wallace and Fiebig were the more aggressive pair, and hit winners from any loose shots by their opponents. Misses Williams and Gormack had a good combination and a greater variety of strokes *n their final against Miss P. Cox and Mrs Neale, which they won comparatively easily. The mixed doubles final was an all Canterbury match and also provided some good badminton. Boatwood and Miss Williams, who beat Reid and Miss Gormack, made fewer errors and were helped considerably by the new woodshot ruling Results were:— Men’s Singles.—Semi-finals: Fiebig beat Reid. 12-15. 18-14 15-8; Boatwood beat Wallace, 15-10. 13-15. 17-15. Final: Boatwood beat Fiebig. 17-15, 18-16. Women’s Singles.—Final: Miss Williams beat Miss Gormack. 11-1, 11-2. Men’s Doubles.—Final: Wallace and Fiebig beat Reid and Ogier, 17-14, 7-15, 15-8. Women’s Doubles. Final: Misses Williams and Gormack beat Miss Cox and Mrs Neale 15-7, 15-6. Mixed Doubles.—First round ■ Boatwood and Miss Williams beat Chester and Mrs Ellis. 15-4 15-12; Wallace and Mrs Reilly beat Ryan and Mrs Rogers, 1511. 15-6; Ogier and Mrs Donaghue beat Murray and Miss Cox. 15-7. 15-7; Reid and Miss Gormack beat Fiebig and Mrs Hendy, 5-15. 15-9. 15-11 Semi-finals: Boatwood and Miss Williams beat Wallace and Mrs Reilly. 15-8, 7-15, 15-11: Reid' and Miss Gormack beat Ogier and Mrs Donaghue. 15-0, 15-3. Final: Boatwood and Miss Williams beat Reid and Miss Gormack, 15-8. 10-15. 15-9.