Deafness, Cramp Troubled Player

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30947, 31 December 1965, Page 3

Deafness, Cramp Troubled Player

f.Vew Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Dec. 30.

Few more dramatic matches have been seen in Auckland lawn tennis championships than the one in which J. E. Robson beat J. H. Lockington at the West End courts today to reach the final of the men’s singles against J. B. Souter at Stanley street tomorrow.

Lockington, who in the third set was two sets down and facing defeat, looked to be in distress as he moved slowly around the court and often bent his head and leaned on his racquet. Lockington said that he had become deaf at intervals, and obtained relief only when he lowered his head.

Although he thought he might have to default, he recovered to take the set. Lockington came back refreshed for the fourth set, but with the games at 4-all he reached for a lob and fell writhing in agony with a severe cramp in his left leg. He was given salt tablets and a massage and after a few minutes resumed play. Lockington surprised by winning six points, but he was by then merely a passenger, and in the fourteenth game of the set did not challenge a simple placement by Robson. The match was over. After the score had been 3-all in the first set Souter’s victory over K. H. Long was never in doubt

Long had considerable power in his shots and his cross-court angled backhand was frequently a match winner. But he could not string his winners together. The Auckland team, E. D. White and P. B. Becroft, scored a fine win over the New Zealand men’s doubles champions, R. Clarke and J. B. Souter, but their success was short-lived. Late in the day they went

out to the unseeded pair of L. A. Gerrard and B. E. Fairlie in a rousing foursetter.

Semi-final results were:

Men's Singles.—J. B. Souier (Wellington) beat K. H. Long (Auckland). 6-3. 61. 6-3; J. E. Robson (Auckland) beat J. 11. Lockington (Auckland), 6-2. 6-3, S-10, 7-5.

Women's Singles.—Mrs E. Stephan (Auckland) beat Miss B Vercoe (Auckland), 6-4. 3-6, 6-4; Miss S. Clement (Auckland) beat Miss C. Fleming (Auckland). 7 5, 7-5.

Men’s Doubles.—B. E. Fairlie and L. A. Gerrard (Auckland) beat E. D. White and P. B. Becroft (Auckland), 6-4. !-6, fi-3. 6-4.

Women's Doubles. Misses Clement and Vercoe beat Miss M. Kynaston (Australia) and Miss H. Ward (Auckland), d-S. 6-2, 6-2: Miss A. Glenle and .Mrs J. Blgnell (Auckland) beat Miss B. Paterson (Waikato) and Miss E. Terry (Waikato), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.