Unbeaten Edgeware in men’s tennis lead

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32461, 23 November 1970, Page 12

Unbeaten Edgeware in men’s tennis lead

By beating United, last season’s winner, by 5 matches to 1 at Wilding Park on Saturday, Edgeware, which won in 1966-67, became a clear leader and the only side unbeaten in the Christchurch senior men’s tennis competition.

Edgeware’s nearest rival is now Elmwood. Neither has had its bye yet but Edgeware has already beaten Elmwood so with four rounds of play it has won its crucial matches and appears to be in a strong position indeed. United and Edgeware knew -well how important their meeting was and the contest was expected to be keen and close. Keen it Was but not close.

The doubles were shared, but then the young top member of the Slazenger Shield squad, N. Pattinson, lost to

S. Menzies, who was in slashing form, and A. L. Blackwell, not so young, held out for a long time before he lost in three sets to R. Prattley.

The top singles, between P. V. Boatwood (Edgeware) and R. N, McCutcheon, the third and fourth members of the Wilding Shield side, was also expected to be close, but Boatwood was markedly superior this time and continued the fine season he is having. That gave Edgeware the four matches, and it was all over for United. In some ways this was probably a relief for the United fourth man, J. Dickie, because he had pulled a leg muscle in the doubles and could barely

hobble. He would have suffered if the match had depended on him. In the event he was able to default to N. Dillon without it affecting the result.

Edgeware beat United by 5 matches to 1, Elmwood beat Linwood Avenue by 5 matches to 1, and Woolston beat North Linwood by 5 matches to 1 when it won all four singles from the North Linwood players, some of whom are sadly off form this season.

The points are:—Edgeware 31, Elmwood 23, Woolston 13, Fendalton 12, United 11, North Linwood 5, Linwood Avenue 3. Fendalton had the bye on Saturday. BOATWOOD BETTER McCutcheon and Boatwood both hit the ball hard and they played an all-court game. When McCutcheon get his first service in he is difficult for most players to cope with but on Saturday it was not going in often enough and Boatwood was having the better of the rest of the

play. Boatwood, who had a particularly good season in Canterbury tennis three or four seasons ago now looks as if he is going to have another. He concentrated well on Saturday and he varied length and direction intelligently, Some of his half-volley-ing was especially commendable. In the second singles Menzies drew Pattinson in then gushed him back again and Pattinson was forced into so many errors that he appeared to lose hope. He certainly struck Menzies on one of his best days.

Earlier, McCutcheon and Pattinson had taken the first set of doubles from Boatwood and Menzies before the Edge ware pair struck the form which they retained throughout the singles. OUT OF FORM

J. Martin and P. Angland, the two top players for North Linwood and usually two of the, provinces most solid players, are struggling to find their previous standard. They won a close doubles against the top Woolston pair, B. J. Aldridge and C. Hunt but they were both well beaten in singles.

Aldridge was much too energetic and too steady for Martin

and D. Howarth, a gain Woolston made when the Beckenham team did not enter this season, kept a steady length and allowed Angland to make the errors. Howarth keeps his spare hand on his steel racket very late which makes the directions of his shots hard to anticipate. W. Edgecumbe, the former Canterbury player who has played for the last few seasons in Hutt Valley but who is nowback in Christchurch, used all his customary wiles to give Elmwood a 6-2, 6-3 victory over I. Stanton (Linwood Avenue). A good returner himself, Stanton found his match in this respect. North Linwood v. Woolston Singles.—J. Martin Lost to B. J. Aldridge, 2-6, 4-6; P. Angland lost to D. Howarth, 1-6, 5-7; R. Bruce lost to C. Hunt, 4-6, 5- A. Ralfe lost to R. Neumann, 6- 2-6, 5-7. Doubles.—Martin and Angland beat Aldridge and Hunt, 8-6, 7-s;' Bruce and Ralfe lost to Howarth and Neumann, 2-6, 1-6. Woolston won by 5 matches to i

United v. Edgeware Singles.—R. N. McCutcheon lost to P. V. Boatwood, 2-6, 3-6; N. Pattinson lost to Menzies, 2-6, 3-6; A. L. Blackwell lost R. Pratt--3‘6;‘ 6; J - Dickie lost to N. Dellow by default. Doubles.—McCutcheon and Pattinson lost to Boatwood and Menzies, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6; Dickie and Blackwell beat Prattley and Dillon, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Edgeware won by 5 matches to 1.

Elmwood v. Linwood Avenue Singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat I Stanton, 6-2, 6-3; R. Treeby lost to D. Findlay, 3-6, 3-6; L. Legge beat N. Blackburn, 2-6, 0-6; L. Elliott beat B. Morrison, 6-2, 6-2. Doubles.—Legge and Edgecumbe beat Stanton and Findlay, 6-1, 6-3; Treeby and Elliott beat Blackburn and Morrison, 6-1, 6-3. Elmwood won by 5 matches to 1.