Hawkes And Broun In Top Form

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31585, 24 January 1968, Page 14

Hawkes And Broun In Top Form

(N.Z Press Association) AUCKLAND. Seeded singles players flew through the early rounds of the Auckland lawn tennis championship yesterday. R. N. Hawkes (Wellington), now a leading candidate for a place in the New Zealand Davis Cup team, and the top seed in the men's section, was untroubled to beat the young Aucklander, J. Ross, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6 4. But Hawkes could yet be hard pressed by the youthful H. Broun, whose vast improvement since his inclusion in the New Zealand team was well demonstrated yesterday. Broun easily handled the national Maori champion, B. Maihi, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. The Canterbury youngster, J. Mitchell, the sixth men’s seed, took time to settle against M. Oliver, but won 8-6, 6-1, 6-2. P. Thompson (Auckland) beat H. Schmidt, 6-1, 6-1. 60. and then teamed with A. May to play the wily veteran R. J. Keenan and E. D. White. The match was much closer than the score of 6-4, 6-2. 6-2, to Keenan and White would indicate. In the women’s singles the second seed, Mrs P. Stevens

(Northland) beat Miss M Amer, Miss B. Vercoe, the top seed, beat Miss C. Bray, 6-2, 6-4 An excellent fight was put up by the double Olympic track champion, P. G. Snell, in conceding victory to the experienced D. Shaw only after five hard-fought sets. Shaw won 11-9, 6-3. 4-6, —l.