First Tie For Seven Years In Men’s Tennis

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31863, 16 December 1968, Page 26

First Tie For Seven Years In Men ’s Tennis

A tie in a senior tennis match is most unusual. In 1961, Woolston and United tied at 91 games all when they completed a fixture at the end of the season that was unfinished earlier; in 1966 Avonside and Elmwood tied, 61-61, in the senior women’s competitions when they also played a match postponed from an earlier day.

On Saturday, at Wilding Park, Beckenham and Woolston tied in the senior men’s fifth round, 53 games all, when each had won three matches and each had won six sets, because every match was won in straight sets.

This result lost Beckenham the lead it had held for three rounds and it allowed North Linwood, the holder of the championship, to go ahead by one point when it beat United by 4 matches to 2. Beckenham is at the further disadvantage of not having had its bye, whereas North Linwood has. Two rounds will he played before the grade is divided into sections and the match between North Linwood and Beckenham from the round postponed When it was wet on November 16 will be a crucial one.

As the only team unbeaten, North Linwood is again in a strong position, but a loss to Beckenham would even the situation.

In the other fixture on Saturday, Edgeware beat Linwood Avenue by 5 matches to 1, but there was not as much interest in this result for two teams which are behind. The points are:—North Linwood 55, Beckenham 54, United 44, Woolston 40. Elmwood 20, Edgeware 20, Linwood Avenue 7. Elmwood had the bye on Saturday. Faiclnatlng Match The meeting between Beckenham and Woolston was a fascinating one which looked close immediately when they shared the doubles In straight sets. In each caae the top player paired with the fourth and Beckenham suffered from being without its second player, A. Brooks, who was competing in the Wellington championships. He would probably have made a Beckenham success certain. When each had won a doubles In straight sets, Woolston had 17 games to Beckenham's 15. Then R. Tuck, who had already played in a senior reserve contest in the morning but who had'won his singles there by default, won the fourth singles for Beckenham, 6-3, 6-1. over D. Adair.

At the same time, R. Neumann, who, like B. Aldridge, was a member of the Woolston side in the 1961 ties with Uni. ted, won the second singles from J. Moseley, 6-3. 6-1. This left the margin the same— Woolston 33 games, Beckenham 31. Mitchell, the top-ranked man in Canterbury and eighth ranked in New Zealand, was given a good battle by Aldridge, ranked fifth in the province last season. Mitchell won the first set comfortably enough, 64, but he was down, 0-4. In the Second when he chased every ball tenaciously and gained In confidence as Mitchell hit but frequently on the sidelines.

Aldridge, as usual, was very fit, and although his stroke equipment is not as good as Michell’s, he gave his redoubtable opponent a* worrying time. There were some grand rallies as Mitchell reduced his errors and won six gamed in succession as he regained control just in time,*. This put the games at Beckenham 43, Woolston 39, as I. Behrnes (Woolston) and D. Haworth (Beckenham) struggled I for the third singles. Haworth Is an improved player In his first senior season and, although he lost the first set. 46. he was 5-2 up in the second and actU» ally held a set point. He then lapsed into errors and it was a credit to Behrnes's fighting ability that he recovered from

there t'o win, 6-4, 8-6‘, and even the games at 53-53. Won All Singles North Linwood was one point behind United entering the round and when it lost both doubles it appeared that its place was badly threatened. However, in a creditable effort it won all four singles, the most creditable of them the win in the top singles by J, Martin. Martin was ranked sixth in Canterbury last season to the ihlrd of R. McCutcheon (United), bur his form has been -rood this season and he played some fine tennis against the Canadian, P. Burwash, in the .-ecent Canterbury champion, ships. McCutcheon has a difficult service when it is going well but one of Martin’s strong points was his return of service on Saturday and he scored a number of winners from It. Apart from that he turned a drive late and deceptively to the corner and he volleyed particularly well at the net and while moving to it. McCutcheon allowed himself to become rattled as the match slipped away and he spent a great deal of his time chasing on the baseline. In the second singles, P. Ang-

land (North Linwood) was content' to play solid ground strokes and await mistakes by his younger opponent, R. Webster. The top man for Linwood Avenue, I. Stanton, lost the first set, 5-7, to a free hitting P. Boatwood (Edgeware) but won the other two, fl-4, 6-2, as Boatwood’s game deteriorated. Stanton is a determined player and he wore down his opponent with retrieving and placement. Edgeware v, Linwood Avenue Singles.—P. Boatwood lost to I. Stanton, 7-5, 4-6, 2-6; B. Crofts beat L. Vallance, 6.3, 6-0; R. Pratley beat B. Ward, 6-2, 6-2; E. Ogier beat D. Findlay, fl-3, 6Doubles. —Boalwood and Crofts beat Sant'on and Vallance, 7.5, 7- Pratley and Ogier beat Ward and Findlay, 6-3, 6-1. Edgeware won by 5 matches to 1. North Linwood v. United Singles.-—J. Martin beat R. McCutcheon, 8-6, 6-2; P. Angland beat R. Webster, 6-3, 6-3; R. Payne beat N. Pattinson, 8- 6-4; R. Bruce beat M. Morrison, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Doubles. —Martin and Angland lost to McCutcheon and Pattinson, 3-6, 4-6; Payne and Bruce lost to Webster and Morrison, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6. North Linwood won by 4 matches to 2. Beckenham v. Woolston Singles.—J. Mitchell beat B. Aldridge, 6-2, 6-4; J. Moseley lost to R. Neumann, 3-6. 1-6; D. Haworth lost to' I. Behrnes, 4-6, 6-8; R. Tuck beat D. Adair, 6-3, 6-1 Doubles.—Mitchell and Tuck beat Aldridge and Adair, 6-3, 6-2; Haworth and Moseley lost to Neumann and Behrnes, 3-6, 0-6. The match was tied, 53 games all.