Inter-provincial tennis CANTERBURY WENT CLOSE

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32531, 15 February 1971, Page 24

Inter-provincial tennis CANTERBURY WENT CLOSE

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Auckland swept Wellington aside to retain the Wilding Shield in the interprovincial men’s tennis final at the Stanley Street courts yesterday—but not before having to battle hard to withstand a spirited Canterbury challenge on Saturday.

With Auckland 6-2 up .would still have gone to on matches after the Auckland by a on e-set martwo rounds of singles, ein v . - □ , , _ j . Yesterday Canterbury beat theie was no need to Waikato, the other defeated play the doubles against semi-finalist, 8-2, to finish in Wellington. third Place.'

It was a different story against Canterbury, the first round of singles being tied at 2-all, and the match score being 3-all after the doubles. Moving into the second round of singles, the Canterbury player, J. Mitchell, wasted no time in dispatching J. Fergusson, 6-3, 6-4. DOUBLES VICTORY However, Fergusson, who came into the Auckland team as a substitute when P. Becroft pulled a muscle during the singles, had played a vital role in steering Auckland to a good win in the doubles over the Mitcheli-W. Edgecumbe combination. D. Shaw played steady tennis to beat Edgecumbe 6-2, 10-8, in the second singles, and square the match for Auckland, 4-all. K. Long served Auckland well in beating the Canterbury captain, C. G. Judge, 6-1, in the first set, and his sharply-angled backhand carried him to a 6-4 win in the third after Judge had taken the second set, 10-8. MARATHON SET This victory gave Auckland a 5-4 edge, and P. Thomson, playing his usual power game, was in complete command when winning the first set, 6-3, against the Canterbury No. 1, R. N. Hawkes. But the tenacious Hawkes, with clever placements and several spectacular drop shots, came back magnificently to survive three match points and win a marathon second set. 15-13.

Hawkes was willing to play on after 7 p.m. to gain the decider against Thomson, but the Aucklander wished to reserve his energy for the final against Wellington. Even had Hawkes won the third set, and tied the matches at 5-all. victory

Results were:— MATCH DETAILS j Auckland 12 sets, Canterbury 110: P. Thomson beat J. Mitchell, 16-3, 7-9, 6-3; P. Becroft lost to R. N. Hawkes, 1-6, 0-6; K. Long I beat W. D. Edgecumbe, 6-1, 6-4; D. Shaw lost to C. G. Judge, 3-6,! 6-4, 1-6. : Long and Thomson lost to ■ Hawkes and Judge, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6:1 Shaw and J. Fergusson beat Mitchell and Edgecumbe. 8-6, 6-3.' Fergusson lost to Mitchell, 3-6, 1 4-6; Long beat Judge, 6-1, 8-10, i 6-4; Shaw beat Edgecumbe, 6-2,: 10-8; Thomson tied with Hawkes, 6-3, 13*15. Wellington 8, Waikato 2: D.I Hawkes beat J. Barry, 6-4, 11-9; i D. Simmonds beat H. Broun, 6-2, j 6-2; D. Walker beat Q. Maisey. 3-6, 9-7, 6-1; F. Scarlett beat A. Sutherland. 9-7, 9-7. Scarlett and Walker lost to Maisey and . Sutherland, by I .default; Hawkes and Simmonds | beat Barry and Broun, i Scarlett lost to Maisey, by ;default; Walker beat Sutherland., j 6-2, 9-7; Simmonds beat Barry, l 8-6, 6-4; Hawkes beat Broun, 6-1, >6-1. j ! Auckland 6, Wellington 2: | Thomson beat Hawkes, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; J. Ross lost to Simmonds, 3-6, 1-6; Long beat Scarlett, 6-3,1 6-4; Shaw beat Walker, 6-8, 6-4, i 6-1. Thomson lost to Simmonds, j 3- 8-6, 6-3; Ross beat Hawkes, 8-6, 9-7; Long beat Walker, 4-6, i 8-6, 6-2; Shaw beat Scarlett, 6-2. | 13-6. 6-4. Canterbury 8, Waikato 2: i Mitchell beat Broun, 6-0, 6-0; Hawkes beat Barry, 6-3, 6-1; Edgecumbe lost to Sutherland, 4- 4-6; Judge beat Maisey, 6-2, 6-4. Judge and Hawkes beat Broun and Barry, 6-2, 7-5; Mitchell and Edgecumbe beat Sutherland and Maisey, 6-2, 7-5. Edgecumbe beat Maisey, 6-2, 6-2; Judge lost to Sutherland, by default: Mitchell beat Barry, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Hawkes beat Broun, 6-3, 6-0.