Foster and Mrs Traill have best prospects

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 11

Foster and Mrs Traill have best prospects

r TWO of the most respected players in New Zealand table tennis, B. A. Foster (Otago) and Mrs N. Traill (Northland), have emerged as likely to regain their men’s and women’s singles titles at the national championships which begin at Cowles Stadium on Saturday evening.

The North Island will play the South on Saturday and Canterbury will play the Australian University team the day after. On August 26 and 27 the tntenassociation championships will be played and the week will conclude with the indivdual events on August 28, 29 and 30.

Both Foster and Mrs Traill last won the national singles titles in 1966. Last year the seventh ranked European player, D. Neale (England), won the title, heating fellow-countryman, S. Gibbs, in the final and Mrs Traill was unavailable for tournaments in New Zealand when the national team returned from the world championships,

Foster will come to the championships with a fine record. His only loss this season is to Ung Nan Ming (Canterbury). Since then he has won the North Island and South Island singles titles and has convincingly beaten Ling Nan Ming. He seems destined to be only the second New Zealander to win both island titles and the national title in the same year. The other was R. V. Jackson (Auckland) in 1955.

Foster is not likely to be pushed until he reaches the semi-finals. He will probably meet D. T. Thomer (Wellington) in the last 16 and then B. T. Cross (Hutt Valley), seeded No. 8, and either G. V. Wilkinson (Auckland), No. 5, or G. A. J. Frew (Northland), No. 3. Foster’s skilful variations of chop, his Stirling defensive qualities and telling counter hitting are almost certain to be too consistent for the others.

Although Ung Nan Ming could spring a few surprises, the most feared player at the championships could be the fierce hitting H. J. Waterhouse (Wellington). He is unseeded but will have

an excellent chance of reaching the last eight He should meet J. Armstrong (Canterbury), seeded No. 6, in the last 16 and after his win over Armstrong in the final of the Marlborough open championships the former New Zealand representative appears to have Armstrong's measure after being a little disappointing earlier in the season.

Should Waterhouse get into the quarter-finals he will have every ehance of upsetting A R. Tomlinson (Auckland), seeded No. 2 Tomlinson has not played with his usual verve this season and a semi-final between Waterhouse and M. W. Borlase (Wellington), seeded No. 4, is a definite possibility.

Foster is known to fear Waterhouse more than any other opponent. A final between Foster and Waterhouse appeals far more than a repetition of the North and South Island finals between Foster and Borlase.

Ling Nan Ming will carry most of Canterbury’s hopes of success in the men's singles. He will meet Wilkinson if he reaches the last 16 but although he has beaten him he will have to improve on his recent form to breach Wilkinson’s unremitting defence. If he

survives this encounter he will meet Frew.

Mrs Traill has a fairly easy draw. Barring accidents, she will meet Mrs M. Broadbent (Wanganui), seeded No. 7, in the quarterfinals and either Miss V. M. Rolston (Hamilton), No. 6, or Miss J. E. Brown (Hutt (Valley), No. 4, in the semifinals. She should not find any of these players difficult. Her strongest rivals, Mrs C. E. Tadema (Hamilton), No. 2, Miss D. L. Wade (Bay of Plenty), No. 3, and Miss Y. M. Fogarty (Otago), No. 5, meet in the other half of the draw. It appears likely that last year’s champion, Miss Wade, and Mrs Tadema will meet in the semi-finals, but the junior, Miss Fogarty, is a rising star who could be very successful provided she has the stamina to last a heavy programme. Mrs Traill would be regarded as one of the few greats in the history of the game in New Zealand. She has won, in all, 27 national senior and junior titles. Her model temperament and almost infallible defence make her an obvious choice to take the title.