Fairlie Beats Hawkes In Straight Sets

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31329, 28 March 1967, Page 15

Fairlie Beats Hawkes In Straight Sets

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN.

At the New Zealand hard-court tennis championships at Dunedin yesterday, B. E. Fairlie (Auckland) won the men’s singles championship by beating R. Hawkes (Wellington) in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Fairlie owed his success to his superior power in service and smashing, and to his deep volleying and fine ground strokes. There were times when errors crept into his play, but he again showed his ability to pull his game together at critical stages and win vital games. Fairlie’s service, compared with Hawkes’ delivery, was a vital factor and, if not forcing Hawkes into error, gave Fairlie openings for his smoothly stroked deep volleys. Hawkes led 4-3 in the second set after trailing 1-3, and double faulted away a chance to lead 5-4 in the second set. It was his last opportunity to stay in the matdi against an

opponent who outplayed him in most of the strokes. Hawkes* positional volleying and anticipation were good, but even when backed by experience, were insufficient to cope with Fairlie’s greater power and aggressiveness. Mrs E. Mitchell (Northland) gave a delightful exhibition of aggressive tennis to eliminate Mrs M. Rennie (Otago) in the women’s semifinal. Mrs Rennie played well enough to make Mrs Mitchell produce a grand display of fast driving and volleying and deep, angled smashing. Against an opponent renowned for her lobbing ability, Mrs Mitchell was unfaltering. She ran back to recover the baseline lobs and smashed

anything forward of the service line for winners. Miss B. Vercoe (Auckland), with her accurate lobbing, well-placed forehand drives and fine retrieving, gradually reduced the aggressive net play of Mrs P. Stevens (Northland) from a credit to a bad debit account. From the baseline, Mrs Stevens had no effective answer to the accuracy of Miss Vercoe’s stroking and her speed around the court. Championship Singles Men. —B. E. Fairlie (Ak.) beat R. Hawkes (Wn.), 6-3, 6-4. Women.—Semi-finals: Mrs E. Mitchell beat Mrs M. Rennie, 6-0, 6-0; Miss B. Vercoe beat Mrs P. Stevens, 6-2, 6-1. Championship Doubles Men. —Quarter-finals: Broun and Parun (Ak. and Wn.)) beat Sincock and Robertson (O.), 6-2, 6- Hawkes (Wn.) and Lockington (Ak.) beat McAuley and Anderson (0.), 6-3, 6-3. Mixed.—Finals: Fairlie (Ak.) and Mrs Mitchell (Nld.) beat Woolcott (H.V.) and Mrs Stevens (Nld.), 6-2, 6-1. Women. Semi-final: Misses Vercoe (Ak.) and Pryde (Wn.) beat Misses Bloxham (B. of P.) and Field (C.), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Plate Matches Men.—Quarter-finals: B. Huband (0.) beat S. White (O.), 9-7, 6-2; D. Anderson (0.) beat G. Townsend (S.), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. Semi-finals: Huband beat E. D. B. Lusk (Wn.), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; C. Ronayne (C.) beat Anderson, 6-2, 12-10. Women.—Quarter-finals: Miss S. Blakely (0.) beat Miss J. Paterson (S.), 6-3, 6-2. Semifinals: Miss Blakely beat Mrs J. Hanna (N.), 6-2, 6-3; Mrs K. Graham (0.) beat Miss M. Hamilton (S.), 6-4. 6-0. Veterans’ Doubles. First round: D. Radford and R. McKinlay (O.) beat E. D. B. Lusk and G. C. Reid (Wn.), 2-6, 6-3, 7- Semi-finals: R. G. Sincock and J. Robertson (0.) beat P. Durning and J. Cartwright (0.), 6-0, 6-3.