Fit Fairlie Wins Under-19

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31269, 16 January 1967, Page 3

Fit Fairlie Wins Under-19

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. After walking on to the centre court at Central Park yesterday just before 3 p.m. for the final of the national men’s singles, B. E. Fairlie, of Auckland, came off it for the last time just after 7 p.m. In that time he had successively played the men’s singles, the men’s doubles and the under-19 singles finals.

In the under-19 final, Fairlie beat J. W. Mitchell, of Canterbury, 6-4, 6-0, and such is his standard of physical fitness that he showed few signs of tiredness. Mitchell had also played in the men’s doubles, and had distinguished himself there by losing only one service in the four sets. He fought hard against Fairlie, the top member of the Linton Cup team in which he is second, until 4-4 in the first set when Fairlie's ability told. From then Mitchell did not win another game and hit too many loose shots to recover. Mitchell was also runnerup in the mixed doubles. On Saturday, he and Miss Den-

ise Kerr-Taylor, of Auckland, lost 1512, 52, 2-6, to J. G. Simpson (Auckland) and Miss M. Pryde (Wellington). The two Canterbury girls, Misses R. Dillon and R. Legge, were soundly beaten 52, 52, in the final of the girls’ doubles by Misses S. Collins (Southland) and Pryde on Saturday. Misses Dillon and Legge did not hold their earlier form— Miss Legge not serving as well as Miss Dillon not having the same force at the net. Yesterday Misses Pryde and Collins were opponents in the girls’ singles and the 14-year-old Miss Pryde, by winning, 6-2, 52, extended a record of being unbeaten in junior singles since Labour week-end.

The diminutive Miss Pryde has fine ground strokes for one so young, and although Miss Collins tried to take control with the occasional sortie to the net she could not smash or volley well enough.