Japan Has Easy Badminton Win

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31150, 29 August 1966, Page 13

Japan Has Easy Badminton Win

(N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, August 28. Japan made a clean sweep in the first round of the Thomas Cup men’s badminton tournament on Saturday night by beating New Zealand by nine

The Japanese team will now meet Australia in the second round of the Australia and New Zealand zone of the 1966-67 Thomas Cup. Although the New Zealand team showed better form in today’s matches, it was still dominated by the quicker footwork and more accurate strokes of the Japanese. The Japanese took two singles and two doubles matches on Friday night, and three singles and two doubles matches on Saturday.

In the singles on Saturday, R. Pursers took an early lead of two points in the first set before I. Kojlma settled down. For a time the pair seemed evenly matched, but Kojima slowly pulled away to take the set, 15-9. In the second set he. led > all the way, winning, 15-5. Y. Itagaki had little trouble in beating the New Zealand junior champion, J. Compton, 15-2, 15-0. Compton’s cross smashes were good but were often too bard, landing outside the court.

In the third singles match, M. Akiyama beat D. Higgins, 15-7, 15-10. Akiyama gained his points from strong smashes to Higgins’ forehand. He kept his opponent in deep-mid court and gave him little chance to come forward to the net.

The most exciting games of the evening was the doubles match between Itagaki and T Anzawa and R. Purser and Higgins.

This game looked like New Zealand’s only opportunity of beating Japan but in a valliant struggle Purser and Higgins went down to the Japanese pair 15-12, 17-14.

Japan took an early lead before New Zealand settled down in the first set. At one stage New Zealand was winning 11-8, but crippling returns by Anzawa took Japan back into the lead. In the second set, after considerable see-saw play, New Zealand took the lead with a good margin of 13-8. Japan rallied at 14-ali. The game was set to three and Japan took all three, 17-14. E. Sakai and T. Miyanga beat G. Hinton and I. Brostol in the final match, 15-7, 15-3. After the score reached 7-all in the first set, the Japanese pair streaked away and New Zealand could not score again.

In the second set Japan took the initiative and was 6-1 before New Zealand could score again. Good close-up work! by Sakai dominated the game and play was concentrated around the net. The set ended in a 15-3 victory for Japan.

Results: — Singles (Japanese players first).—M. Akiyama beat J. Purser, 15-7, 15-8; I. Kojima beat D. Higgins, 15-8, 15-4: M. Akiyama beat D. Higgins, 15-7, 15-10; I. Kojima beat R. Purser, 15-9, 15-5; Y. Itagaki beat J. Compton. 15-2 15-0.

Doubles.—Y. Itagaki and T. Anzawa beat R. Purser and D. Higgins, 15-12, 17-14; E. Sakai and T. Miyanga beat G. Hinton and I. Brostol, 15-7, 15-3: T. Mayanga and E. Saikai beat J. Purser and D. Higgins, 15-10, 15-4; Y. Itagaki and T. Anzawa beat G. Hinton and I. Brostol, 15-6, 15-4.