Parents And Children

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 12

Parents And Children

In spite of creaking joints and some fathers who must have blown harder after their matches than the horses at Riccarton, the parent and child tennis tournament at Wilding Park yesterday was taken as seriously at the first Wimbledon open. This innovation conducted by the Canterbury Junior Lawn Tennis Association in conjunction with its Easter tournament, brought forth grey hair and white, knobbly knees, but also a series of well-produced strokes of which children could be proud. There were fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, mothers and daughters and the juniors encouraged their parents with cries such as ‘'run mum.” As usual in a handicap tournament, the villain was the handicapper, but he could be content that there were some close matches indeed. The whole field showed some relief at the withdrawal of R. G. Pattinson and his son, N. Pattinson, but their handicap had been so severe that perhaps they would not have been a great obstacle anyway. Some of the fathers felt their success warranted a return to competitive play, but others were disillusioned enough to announce a “return to retirement;” Among the parents were some notable former players, and even present players. H. Dillon was once a Southland representative, Mrs N. Skilling is still a leading Ellesmere woman, Mrs R. Adams is a North Canterbury representative, G. Avery, a prominent Malvern player. A good proportion of them came from the country and they travelled from as far as Hororata. However, in the end the fathers had a bad day and are out before the final today in which a Malvern familv, Mrs J. Croy, and her son, D. Croy, will play Mrs C. Newton and Miss C. Newton, of Christchurch. Results (parents’ names first) were:— First Round.—Mrs M. Wilson and Miss L. Wilson (+3O) beat T. W. Higgins and J. Higgins (+3O), 9-7: G. Avery and P. Avery (+l5) beat N. Sibley and

M. Sibley (—l5), 9-6; Mrs C. Newton and Miss C. Newton (+3O) beat I. Sanders and B. Sanders (—l5), 9-8; T. Moon and T. Moon (scr.) beat Mrs J. Bamford and Miss P. Bamford (+l5), 9-6; R. Hampton and J. Hampton (—l5) beat Mrs N. Skilling and Miss G. Skilling ( —3O), 9-8; A. B. Tuck and R. Tuck ( —l5) beat Mrs McMaster and Miss A. McMaster ( + 15), 9-5. Second Round.—P. Andrew and W. Andrew (+l5) beat M. Wilson and G. Wilson ( + 15), 9-3; Mrs J. Croy and D. Croy (+3O) beat Mrs J. Hokpinson and Miss M. Hopkinson (+3O), 9-1; Mrs Wilson and Miss Wilson beat A. Shaw and I. Shaw ( —l5), 9-0: Mrs Newton and Miss Newton beat Moon and Moon, 9-6; Mrs R. Adams and R. Adams ( —3O) beat P. Kelleher and M. Kelleher (+3O), 9-6; H. Dillon and N. Dillon ( —3O) beat I. Sparrow and Miss S. Sparrow (+ 15 3-6), 9-3; Hampton and Hampton beat F. Hughes and S. Hughes (—l5), 9-1; Tuck and Tuck beat Avery and Avery, 9-6. Quarter-finals. —Mrs Croy and Croy beat Andrew and Andrew, 9-7; Dillon and Dillon beat Mrs Adams and Adams, 9-2; Mrs Newton and Miss Newton beat Hampton and Hampton, 9-2; Mrs Wilson and Miss Wilson beat Tuck and Tuck, 9-2. Semi-finals.—Mrs Newton and Miss Newton beat Dillon and Dillon, 9-6; Mrs Croy and Croy beat Mrs Wilson and Miss Wilson, 9-6.