GREEN AND BIRD MEET IN FIRST ROUND OF SQUASH

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 15

GREEN AND BIRD MEET IN FIRST ROUND OF SQUASH

r pilE Timaru trio of F. N. x Coe, K. R. Green and G. L. Bird have dominated the Canterbury open squash rackets championships. Coe took the title in the first four years, from 1956 to 1959. Green won in 1960 and 1962, Bird in 1961, 1963, and again last year. The sole intruder has been G. A. Davidson who in an allChristchurch final in 1964 beat D. R. Preston in five games.

It is extremely unfortunate therefore, that a match which only a few years ago

was always a likely final, should take place this year in the first round. For in the 1966 championships

which start tonight at the Chester street courts, Green (now of Wellington) is not among the four seedings, and bad luck has drawn him against Bird in his first match. Bird has been seeded first, followed by J. S. Walker (Hamilton), B. J. Rippin (Timaru) and L. M. Greene (Hamilton). The form of the top contenders might well have a bearing on the selection of the New Zealand team to tour Australia in August. The Christchurch club, which will control this tournament, has every reason to be pleased with an entry large enough to make a fourth men’s grade necessary, and certainly matches should be close and interesting from the outset. Apart from the Bird-Green encounter, there will be specula-

tion on the chances of J. G. Foulds—who lost only in five sets to Rippin recently —extending the vastly experienced W. A. Green: in Rippin’s match against R. J. Goodall, and in the form of Walker, who first meets the former New Zealand representative L. G. Milne. The title-holder, Bird, should certainly reach the final but if Walker comet through as seeded, Bird, who lacks in Timaru the opportunities for hard play offering northerners, might well find himself fully extended. The full A grade first round draw is Bird v K. R. Green, P. G. Angland v R. M. Garrett, Foulda v W. A. Green, S. Sue! ling v Greene, Rippin v Goodall, J. Haynes (Timaru) v J. H. N. Pine, J. Henderson v R. D. Monk, and Walker v Milne.