Parun’s Power Too Much For Hawkes

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31262, 7 January 1967, Page 15

Parun’s Power Too Much For Hawkes

(New Zealand Press Association) NELSON. O. Parun, the 20-year-old New Zealand tennis representative who is to have his second season in England this year, won the South Island singles title today in convincing fashion.

He beat a fellow Wellington player, R. K. Hawkes, 10-8, 6-3, 7-5, in an absorbing contest that produced r.’UUiy fine rallies.

Hawkes, a 26-year-old law student, was South Island run-ner-up for the second time. His speed around the court and accurate placements were not enough to match Parun’s strong service and deep volleys. Hawkes was prone to double fault and had to work much harder than Parun to hold his service. THREE GOOD WINS

Parun, seeded No. 7 for the New Zealand championships in Wellington next week, will go into the tournament with the confidence from wins over three players seeded higher than him.

To win the South Island title, he beat J. B. Souter (Wellington) and J. Lockington (Auckland) and Hawkes, without losing a set The opening games set the tempo of the match, with Hawkes breaking through immediately on Parun’s first service, and going on to lead 5-4

with his own service to follow.

However, Parun played one superb return of service at Hawkes’s feet and Hawkes double-faulted twice for Parun to level at 6-6. Games went with the service until the eighteenth game when Hawkes again twice double-faulted. He saved two set points, and the exciting game see-sawed until Hawkes made a simple error and Parun followed it with a setwinning return of service. With his big service working well, Parun raced ahead to 5-1 in the second set, and errors by Hawkes in the third gave Parun the chances to

take the match by holding his service at 6-5.

The women’s singles title went to the top-ranked New Zealand player, Mrs E. Mitchell, of Northland. In the final she beat Miss Cecilie Fleming, of Auckland, 6-2, 6-4. Mrs Mitchell and Miss Fleming combined to win the women's doubles with an easy victory over a Nelson pair, Mrs J. Goodall and Mrs J. Hanna, 6-1, 6-2. These were the only three A Grade titles decided before a thunderstorm forced the tournament to be abandoned. It bad already been extended an extra day because of rain earlier in the week.