North Linwood Wins Senior Men’s Tennis

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31631, 18 March 1968, Page 8

North Linwood Wins Senior Men’s Tennis

North Linwood had a struggle to win its last contest in the Christchurch senior men’s tennis competition at Wilding Park on Saturday but it beat Edgeware by 7 sets to 6 after they were equal on matches, and thus won the championship for 1967-68.

North Linwood won the championship for three seasons in succession 1958 - 59, 1959-60, and 1960-61 —and Edgeware was last season’s winner.

The finish to the competition was far from dull because the two fixtures in the premiership section were both decided on sets. There was a possibility that Edgeware would beat North Linwood at one stage and that Linwood Avenue, the second team, could have beaten Woolston by enough to bring it within the margin of five points required for a clear win. In that case there would have been a play-off. In the event, Linwood Avenue won by 8 sets to 7 when the matches were 3-3, and it was a little fortunate to do so. This gave North Linwood 74 points to Linwood Avenue's 58. Edgeware finished with 33 and Woolston with 27. Lower Section The lower section, for the Hartford Shield, was won comfortably by United which earlier in the season had looked as if it would make the top section. It beat Elmwood by five matches to one and the only match it lost was a default by W. G. Lewthwaite when he was one set up against R. Treeby but knew his side had won and wished to compete in the Banks Peninsula championships. United had 45 points to Elmwood’s 29 and Beckenham’s 22. Beckenham had the bye on Saturday.

North Linwood and Edgeware had a fascinating meeting. It was North Linwood which had earlier wrested the lead from Edgeware in the last fixture of the first round when it won. 4-2, to give Edgeware its first loss.

In that match, North Linwood lost both doubles but won four singles. On Saturday the doubles were shared, both won in two sets. Then the consistent R. Payne (North Linwood), who finished the season with only one loss in eight singles, beat L. Elliott, 8-6, 6-3, and the second North Linwood man, P. Angland, beat E. L. Martin, who had not played in their earlier meeting, 6-4. 6-1. This gave North Linwood three matches and six sets and R. Bruce (North Linwood) was set all with R. Prattley for seven sets. Even if Bruce lost in three sets and J. Martin (North Linwood) lost to P. Boatwood in two sets in the top singles, North Linwood would win on sets. This is exactly what happened. More Consistent Boatwood and Martin are both attractive ground-strokers but Boatwood was far more consistent this time for a 6-1, 6-1 win after he had lost to Martin in three sets at their previous meeting. Martin, at this stage, knew that his result did not matter. E. L. Martin (Edgeware), who has not had much tennis this season, was no match for the strong and determined Angland. Payne extended his good record but he was pushed by Elliott, who might have been more successful if he had forced In more, and Prattley and Bruce had a tense battle. Although he is only fourth in the North Linwood side, Bruce is the new club champion, having beaten both Martin and Angland. So Prattley, who was not a regular member of the Edgeware side, but who played in the last three matches and won all his singles, did well to win, 12-10, 3-6. 7-5. He placed the ball well and cut down on errors.

The result of the Linwood Avenue-Woolston fixture was uncertain. They also shared the doubles. B. J. Aldridge (Woolston) suffered another severe defeat from the Australian, B. Leech, 6-0. 6-1, but R. Neumann (Woolston) played one of his best matches of the season to beat the consistent I. Stanton. 6-1, 6-4. Stanton’s first service was not going well and Neumann also took advantage of

his undercut backhand to force into the net. Then the experienced M. Agar, who has won six singles without loss for his club, and who has a wonderful record over a long period, beat L. Vallance, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, in spite of more mistakes than usual. The contest then’ depended on the singles between I, Behrncs (Woolston), who had suffered from influenza during the week, and B. Ward, who can play some fine patches of tennis. Ward won, 8-10, 7-5, 6-3, but only after Behrnes had led 5- in the second set and had actually held a match point. Depleted Side Elmwood was a badly depleted side for the last day and it had no chance of winning the Hartford Shield even though it was only two points behind United before play began. The top man, W. Thom, was not available, and the second, L. Legge, had to attend a Rugby practice. This put J. Duggan, playing only his second match for the season—the other at fourth—in the top berth and he made a good job of it. He took the formidable R. McCutcheon (United) to 4-6, 8-10, and he won his service well. He has always been a difficult opponent. PREMERSHIP North Linwood v. Edgeware Singles.—J. Martin lost to P. V. Boatwood, 1-6, 1-6; P. Angland beat E. L. Martin, 6-4, 6-1; R. Payne beat L. Elliott, 8-6, 6- R. Bruce lost to R. Prattley. 10-12, 6-3, 5-7. Doubles.—J. Martin and Angland beat Boatwood and E. L Martin, 6-4, 6-4; Payne and Bruce lost to Elliott and Prattley, 2-6, 4-6. North Linwood won by 7 sets to 6. Woolston v. Linwood Avenue Singles.—B. .J. Aldridge lost to B. Leech, 0 6. 1-6; R. Neumann beat T. Stanton, 6-1, 6-4; I. Behrnes lost to B. Ward, 10-8 5-7, 3-6: M. Agar beat L. Vallance, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Doubles.—Aldridge and Neumann lost to Leech and Stanton, 4-6, 4-6; Behrnes and Agar beat Ward and Vallance, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1. Linwood Avenue won by 8 sets to 7. HARTFORD SHIELD United v. Elmwood Singles.—R. McCutcheon beat J. Duggan, 6-4, 8-10; J. Griffiths beat G. Rodley, 6-0, 6-1; W G. Lewthwaite lost to R. Treebv, 9-7, 2-1 (default); J. Dickie beat G. Chambers, 6-1, 6-2. Doubles.—McCutcheon and Lewthwaite beat Duggan and Rodley, 6-3, 6-4: Griffiths and Dickie beat Treeby and Chambers, 6-1, 8-6. United won by 5 matches to