S.I. Tennis Titles Hawkes Surprises By Beating N.Z. Champion

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30636, 30 December 1964, Page 3

S.I. Tennis Titles Hawkes Surprises By Beating N.Z. Champion

(Neur Zealand Press Association)

TIMARU, December 29.

The giants fell at Maori Park, Timaru, today, when the No. 1 seed, L. A. Gerrard (Auckland), and the No. 4 seed, J. E. Robson (Auckland), were both beaten in the men’s singles oiinrter-finals nf the South Island lawn tennis chamninnshins

R. N. Hawkes (Wellington) scored a welldeserved victory over Gerrard and the Auckland intermediate, D. Simmonds, was too steady for Robson.

Hawkes beat Gerrard, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, and Simmonds defeated Robson, 6-4, 6-4. It was the second time New Zealand’s top player had failed to reach the final of the South Island titles in Timaru. In the 1961-62 championships he was eliminated by R. G. Clarke (Wellington) in the semi-finals.

Hawkes, the No. 5 seed, will now meet Clarke in a semi-final tomorrow.

Two unseeded players, N. C. McAffer (Wellington) and Simmonds, will meet in the other semi-final.

The top seeds in the women’s singles, Miss R. Bentley (England) and Mrs R. Davy (Canterbury) have reached the semi-finals, as have Mrs E. Mitchell (North Shore) and Miss E. Terry (Waikato). Occasionally

The Hawkes-Gerrard match was one of those encounters that happens only occasionally, the Wellington player running away with the first set with the loss of only one game and his opponent doing likewise in the second with a battle royal for the deciding set.

Hawkes deserved his win because he matched Gerrard off the ground and made fewer mistakes. Gerrard’s return of service from the backhand was almost too bad to be true. He did show flashes of brilliance, but he was erratic.

The crucial game came in the third set, with the score at 3-all, and Hawkes serving. Gerrard scored with two sparkling volleys and a backhand passing shot to lead 40-15, but then fell into silly errors and lost the game. Hawkes showed remarkable concentration to win the remaining games after scoring off splendid net returns. Robson struck a hard nut in Simmonds and in a match that was not of a particularly high standard, he had to use all his guile to try to upset his opponent, and failed. Simmonds volleyed steadily and dealt severely with most overhead shots, winning 6-4, 64, and proving himself a safe player under pressure. McAffer’s War

McAffer, the New Zealand junior champion, battled his way into the semi-finals of the men’s singles with a hardfought win over the experienced B. E. Woolf (Auckland). Decisive volleying gave McAffer the first set, but he was unable to digest the mixed grill served by Woolf in the second.

Although Woolf lost little of his accuracy and variety in the final set, he allowed McAffer to break through in the eighth and tenth games to take the match. Miss Bentley showed impressive form in beating Mrs E. Stephan (Auckland), 6-1, 6-2. She positioned herself extremely well for ground shots and made few errors, even against the stinging

drives which seemed to be the stock in trade of her opponent.

Miss Bentley’s height gives her a decided advantage over most of her opponents. Although Mrs Davy beat Mrs Robson, 6-1, 6-3, she had to work hard for her win. Mrs Robson attacked for most of the game and kept Mrs Davy on the run to win points. But Mrs Davy delivered her shots surely and her placing was sound. Results:—

Men’s Singles Quarter-finals.—R. N. Hawkes (Wellington) beat L. A. Gerrard (Auckland), 6-1, 1-6, 6-3; D. Simmonds (Auckland) beat J. E. Robson (Auckland), 6-4, 6-4; R. G. Clarke (Wellington) beat B. Taylor (Wellington), 6-1, 6-3; N. C. McAffer (Wellington) beat B. E. Woolf (Auckland), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Women's Singles Quarter-finals.—Miss R. Bentley (England) beat Mrs E. Stephan (Auckland), 6-1, 6-2; Mrs E. Mitchell (North Shore) beat Miss B. Vercoe (Auckland), 6-0, 6-1; Miss E. Terry (Waikato) beat Miss S. Clement (North Shore), 6-2, 6-2; Mrs R. Davy (Canterbury) beat Mrs H. Robson (Auckland), 6-0, 6-3. Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals. —Robson and A. S. Burns (Auckland) beat Hawkes and D. Cassidy (Auckland), 2-6, 7-5, 8-6; Clarke and J. B. Souter (Wellington) beat R. McCutcheon and B. Taylor (Wellington), 6-3, 6-2. Boys’ Singles

Quarter-finals. —McAffer beat R. Rodgers (Canterbury), 6-0, 6-2; G. Elliot (Northland) beat W. Davis (Canterbury), 6-0, 6-4; Cassidy beat J. Martin (Canter-

bury), 7-5, 6-2: J. Mitchell (Canterbury) beat S. White (Otago), 6-2, 6-3. Girls’ Singles Quarter-finals.—Miss McKegg beat Miss M. McGrath (South Canterbury), 60, 61; Miss J. Bishop (Canterbury) beat Miss R. Vintlner (South Canterbury), 7-5, 6-2; Miss ,C. Fleming (Auckland) beat Miss L. Beer (Southland), 6-2, .6-2. Girls' Doubles Semi-final. Misses McKegg and Fleming beat Misses Beer and Bagrie (Southland), 6-3, 7-5; Misses Vintiner and Bishop beat Misses Vercoe and McGrath, 8-6,