Injured Rhodesian In Tennis Semi-Finals

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31863, 16 December 1968, Page 32

Injured Rhodesian In Tennis Semi-Finals

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The Rhodesian, H. Irvine, overcame the handicap of a painful ankle injury to reach the semi-finals of the men’s singles and doubles in the Wellington tennis championships at Central Park vesterdav.

Irvine, who is seeded fourth in the singles, twisted the ankle during a first-round match on Saturday.

He said that he might have the ankle treated during the week, but he did not think it would affect his play in the final stages of the competition next week-end. Irvine scored a convincing win over R. Rae (Hutt Valley) to reach the semi-finals of the singles. Later, he and D. B. Hawkes (Wellington) reached the semi-finals of the doubles by defeating Rae and A. Brooks (Canterbury). Defeat of Miss Legge

The only major upset in yesterday’s play came in the women’s singles. The sixthseeded Miss B. McNeilly (Hutt Valley) convincingly beat the second seed, Miss R.

Legge (Canterbury), 6-4, 6-3, to reach the semi-finals. The top three seeds in the men's singles—B. E. Fairlie (Auckland), O. Parun and R. N. Hawkes, both of Wellington, joined Irvine in the semifinals.

Btairlie beat the Canadian, P. Burwash, 6-0. 6-2, and Parun held off a determined D. B. Hawkes, 6-4, 6-4. Another Canadian. A. Bardsley, gave R. N. Hawkes a tough quarter-final match. Hawkes won the first set 6-1, but the Canadian gained two service breaks to take the second, 7-5.

Hawkes tightened and quickened his play in the final set and broke Bardsley’s service in the first game. The Canadian pegged back a 1-3 deficit to lead 4-3, but lost his service again and went down 6-4.

The top seeds in the men’s doubles, Fairlie and O. Parun, were little troubled to beat G. Harris and J. Legge (Wellington) to reach the semifinals. The overseas players fared better in the doubles and the Rhodesian and the two Canadians all reached the semi-finals. Results of quarter-finals were (Wellington unless stated): — Women's Singles.—Miss B. McNeily beat Miss R. Legge (Canterbury). 6-4, 6-3; Miss R. Dillon (Canterbury) beat Mrs I. Vause, 6-3. 5-7. 6-2: Miss C. MeLauchlan beat (Mrs T. McGregor, 6-2, 6-3; Miss M. Pryde beat Miss B. Burns, 6-1. 6-2. Women's Doubles.—Misses M. Pryde and Legge beat Miss P. Grapes and Mrs H. Young, 6-1, 6-2: Miss Burns and Mrs E. Wentzel beat Miss Dillon and Miss J. Gunn, 6-3. 7-9, 6-3: Misses McLauchlan and McNeilly

beat Misses A. Pryde and S. Codyre, 6-4, 6-1: Mesdames McGregor and Vause beat Miss R. Tillbrook and Miss J. Worth 6-0. 6-0. Men’s Singles.—B. Fairlie (Auckland) beat P. Burwash (Canada), 6-0, 6-2; H. Irvine (Rhodesia) beat R. Rae (Hutt Valley), 6-4, 6-2; R. N. Hawkes beat T. Bardsley (Canada). 6-1, 5- 6-4: O. Parun beat D. B. Hawkes, 6-4, 6-4. Men’s Doubles.—Fairlie and O. Parun beat G. Harris and J. Legge, 6-2, 6-0: D. Hawkes and Burwash beat Rae and A. Brooks (Canterbury), 6-1, -4-6, 6- F. Scarlett and Bardsley beat H. Petley and R. Smith. 6-2, 6-2; R. Hawkes and Irvine beat M. Nicol and I. Houghton, 6-1, 6-2.