United Leads In Senior Men’s Tennis Competition

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31275, 23 January 1967, Page 14

United Leads In Senior Men’s Tennis Competition

Elmwood’s win over Edgeware, by 78 games to 69, enabled United to go to the lead in the senior men’s tennis competition, which resumed at Wilding Park on Saturday after the holiday break.

United won all Its matches i > against Beckenham, but one was a bloodless victory because of the late arrival of an opponent. Edgeware began badly against Elmwood. In the struggle for positions in the closing game before the major round splits into sections, Edgeware received a set-back when it lost both doubles. B. Crofts led the way to retrieving the position in the singles when he beat W. Edgecumbe, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Crofts played a forcing game, taking the net, particularly on his own service. Games went with service in the final set before Crofts broke Edgecumbe’s for the vital margin, 5-3. Crofts held his next service to take the match. E. L. Martin (Edgeware) was too good for G. Rodley, but L. W. Watkins had a long, close game against L. Legge, who finally succumbed at 8-10, 6-3, 5-7. Edgeware was now three .matches to two and needed the final singles—P. Boatwood v. W. Thom (Elmwood). Thom took the first set, 6-2, but Boatwood had Thom more on the defensive in the second set. Boatwood won it, 6-4. Thom then won 6-2 for the match, to make matches 3-all and sets 8-all. Elmwood won by 78 games to 69. Woolston beat Cashmere, 5-1, to keep well in the running for its fourth successive premiership. Though United goes to the top of the points table, the top four with one round to go are Edgeware, United, Woolston and Elmwood. United v. Beckenham

Singles.—R. McCutcheon beat W. Tuck, 6-3, 6-3; J. Griffiths beat J. Cowern, 6-2, 6-4; W. Lew-

thwaite beat P. McGoldrick, walk-over; J. Taylor beat H. Gover, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Doubles. McCutcheon and Lewthwalte beat Tuck and Cowern, 6-4, 6-1; Taylor and Griffiths beat McGoldrick and Gover, 6-2, 6-2. United won by 6 matches to 0. Edgeware v. Elmwood Singles.—P. Boatwood lost to W. Thom, 2-6, 6-4, 2-6; B. Crofts beat W. Edgecumbe, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; E. L. Martin beat G. Rodley, 6-2, 6-2; L. W. Watkins beat L. Legge, 10-8, 3-6, 7-5. Doubles.—Boatwood and Martin lost to Thom and Legge, 6-4, 0-6, 2-6; Crofts and Watkins lost to Edgecumbe and Rodley, 4-6, 2-6. Elmwood won by 78 games to 69. University v. North Linwood Singles.—J. Martin lost to P. Angland, 6-2, 1-6, 3-6; M. Dow lost to J. Cullington, 0-6, 6-2, 2-6; C. Ronayne beat B Crawford, 6-1, 6-1; H. Armstrong lost to R. Watson, 2-6, 0-6.

Doubles.—Martin and Dow beat Cullington and Watson, 12-10, 6-4; Ronayne and Armstrong lost to England and Crawford, 2-6, 2-6. North Linwood won by 4 matches to 2. Woolston v. Cashmere Singles.—B. Aldridge beat H. Minson, 6-0, 6-1; R. Neumann beat P. Alexander, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; I. Behrnes lost to J. Dickie, 5-7, 7-5, 5-7; A. Thomas beat M. Blank, 6-4, 6-1. Doubles. Aldridge and Behrnes beat Alexander and Dickie, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2; Nelmann and Thomas beat Minson and Blank, 6-1, 6-3. j Woolston won by 5 matches to Second Grade Men’s Tennis Matches in second men’s grade, section 11, played at Wilding Park on Saturday morning resulted:— Linwood Avenue II beat St. Albans H, 6-0; Woolston beat Opawa by default: Cashmere beat St. Martins, 6-0.