Tennis Semi-Finalists Work Hard

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30951, 6 January 1966, Page 3

Tennis Semi-Finalists Work Hard

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON, Jan. 5. R. N. Hawkes was the only player who had no difficulty today qualifying for the semi-finals tomorrow in the North Island men’s tennis singles at Hamilton. In the quarter-finals today Hawkes beat J. Lockington 6-4, 6-4. The top seed. L. A. Gerrard, had to play at his best to hold off the Australian universities representative G. Pollard 12-10, 7-5.

The left-handed Australian played extremely well. Gerrard showed great skill in returning some outstanding serves with which Pollard delighted spectators. J. E. Robson and J. Souter were taken to three sets before beating R. G. Clarke and P. Becroft respectively. Pollard had a 5-2 lead in the first set but Gerrard fought back in one of the best matches of the week. Gerrard was able to break Pollard’s service at vital stages and his strong backhand stood greatly in his favour. Souter took almost a set to settle down against Becroft. Souter began to hit the ball with greater confidence after losing the first set.

Becroft seemed unsettled when he dropped his service when leading 40-0 at a vital stage in the second set, which Souter took 6-2. The evenlyfought third set was won 7-5 by Souter. Robson and Clarke settled down to a fast moving match. Robson entered his stride smartly to win the first set 6-0. Clarke hit back by taking the second set 7-5. Early in the third set Robson led 2-1. Tomorrow morning the semifinals are between Gerrard and Hawkes, Robson and Souter. The top four seeds. Miss E. Terry, Mrs E. Stephan, Miss S. Clement and Mrs J. Bignell, entered the semi-finals of the women's single. Miss Terry will play Miss Clement, who last week won three titles at the Auckland Championships, and Mrs Bignell will i meet Mrs Stephan. i Miss Terry celebrated her 21st birthday today by beating Heather Robson, 10-8, 7-5, in the quarter-finals. It was

one of the best matches of tire day. It was touch and go which player would take the first set, which went to 10-8 before Miss Terry won. The second set was not as prolonged, Miss Terry winning, 7-5. By her impressive success, gained by producing her best form of the season so far, she enhanced her prospects not only for this tournament but for the national championships at Auckland next week. Miss Terry’s opponent in the semi-finals is fresh from her triple success in the Auckland championships last week. Miss Clement today won without undue trouble from the young Bay of Plenty player Jill Bloxham. Beverley Vercoe won the girls’ under-19 singles title and added the doubles with Deirdre Kerr-Taylor. An Australian, J. G. Alexander, took the boys’ under--17 singles title and Shirley Collins the girls. The prominent contenders in the mixed doubles, the i Australian universities repreisentatives E. Beers and | Betty Fisher, were put out iby a Manawatu pair, A. Mills and Mrs Mills, 6-2, 6-4, in the quarter-finals. Although probably not in his best form, the outstanding junior B. Fairlie beat J. Mitchell, 7-5, 6-3, in the final of the under-19 boys’ singles. Mitchell let two fine opportunities slip in the first set and did not look like getting on top of Fairlie in the second. Results. — MEN'S SINGLES

Quarter-finals. —L. A. Gerrard beat G Pollard, 12-10, 7-5; R. N. Hawkes beat J. Lockington. 6- 6-4;. J. E. Robson beat R. G.'Clarke, 6-3. 5-7, 6-4; J. Souter beat P. Becroft, 3-6, 6-2. 7-

WOMEN’S SINGLES Quarter-finals.—E. Terry beat H. Robson. 10-8, 7-5; S. Clement beat J. Bloxham, 6-2; .1 Bigneil beat B. Vercoe, 6-3, 6-4; E Stephan beat E. Fisher. 6-3. 6-2 MEN’S DOUBLES

Quarter-finals. —R. G. Clarke and J. Souter beat P. Becroft and F. Schwanner, 7-5, 6-3: L. A. Gerrard and B. Fairlie beat B Corbett and I. Beverley, 6-3, 6-3; J. A. Barry and B. E Woolf beat R. N. Hawkes and J. Lockington, 6-2, 6-4; J. E. Robson and A. S. Burns beat G. Elliot and D. Cassidy, 4-6. 6-1. 6-2. WOMEN’S DOUBLES Quarter-finals. —J. Bigneil and A. Glenie beat E. Fisher and S. Coote, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Semi finals.—E. Terry and B. Paterson beat S. Clement and B. Vercoe, 6-3, 6-4. MIXED DOUBLES Second Round. —P. Keller and E. Nelson beat J. A. Barry and D. Kerr-Taylor, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; G. Pollard and A. Jenkins beat D. Hawkes and C. Johnston, 6-2, 6-1 BOYS' UNDER 19 SINGLES Final.—B. Fairlie beat J. Mitchell, 7-5, 6-3. BOYS* UNDER 19 DOUBLES Fairlie and Mitchell beat J. Borren and K. Woolcott, 6-2, 6-3. GIRLS* UNDER 19 SINGLES Final. —B. Vercoe beat H. Ward, 6-0, 6-0. GIRLS' UNDER 19 DOUBLES Final.—Vercoe and D. KerrTaylor beat S. Collins and J Elliot, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1. BOYS* UNDER 17 SINGLES Final. —J. G. Alexander beat C. Rickit, 6-0. 6-0. GIRLS’ UNDER 17 SINGLES Final. —S. Collins beat C. Ritchie, 6-4, R-6.