Canterbury tennis team regains trophy

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32561, 22 March 1971, Page 11

Canterbury tennis team regains trophy

Beaten by Otago by 16 matches to 8 in Dunedin last season, Canterbury yesterday at Wilding Park regained the Brightwell Trophy for the annual representative tennis fixture between the provinces.

Canterbury won four of the mixed doubles, played first, and lost two, but then it won all six women’s singles and four j of the six men’s singles so that it had an unbeatable lead with the doubles still to be played. Eventually Canterbuiy won by 19 matches to 5.

Canterbury was expected to be given strong opposition in the women’s section where Otago had a number of players who were in the Nunneley Casket side which won the trophy last season. However, without the woman who was then top. Miss S. Collins, the Otago standard had slipped a little and the Canterbury women were able to make a clean sweep. At one stage this did not look the likely outcome because Canterbury's top player, the Federation Cup second woman, Miss R. Legge, dropped her first set to Miss S. Blakely. Miss Legge could do little right while Miss Blakely was at her steadiest. Miss Legge found length and pace in the second and third sets. Strong hitter Second for Canterbury, Miss J. Habgood also dropped a set to the very experienced Mrs M Rennie. Miss Habgood is a strong hitter who takes the ball at the top of the bounce and she had Mrs Rennie on the run in the first and third sets. In the second set. Mrs Rennie hammered Miss Habgood's backhand, sometimes with a great deal of success, and she forced her younger opponent into errors. The Canterbury men coped with their opponents well except for two matches. The sixth Canterbury man, C. Hunt, had a recurrence of a shoulder injury and had to default in singles and doubles after winning his mixed. Then R. Webster was beaten by the -econd Otago man. S. White. 2-6. 7-5. 6-2. Webster began well but he lost control when he did not get down to the ball well enough and when he did not get his feet into position- White played carefully throughout the second and third sets and forced Webster to leave gaps. W. Edgecumbe. top for Canterbury, was as consistent as usual when he beat D. Radford, 6-4, 6-3, and J. Martin, who has not had a particularly good season. gave one of his best displays when he beat S. Bentley. 6-1, 6-4, with sound ground shots and crisp volleying. The Otago side bad the fascinating situation in which son and father were.at the top and bottom of the men. Denis Radford could not win his singles against Edgecumbe but his father, Des Radford, who has played for ’ a good many New Zealand provinces and who is now over 50, led 64), 34), against the sixth Canterbury man.. Hunt, when Hunt had to withdraw. Canterbury won the under 17 contest by 12 matches to 4 and the under 15 by 16 matches to 0. Results:— SENIOR Men’s singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat D Radford, 6-4, 6-3; R. Webster lost to S. White, 6-2, 5-7, 2-6; J. Martin beat S. Bentley, 6-1, 6-4; S. Menzies beat P. Bathgate, 6-4. 6-3: I. Stanton beat D. Duncan, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1; C. Hunt lost to D. Radford sen.. 0-6, 0-3, by default.

Women’s singles.—Miss R. Legge beat Miss S. Blakely, 1-6. 6-1. 6-4; Miss J Habgood beat Mrs M. Rennie, 6-3. 2-6, 6-3; Mrs C. Armitage beat Mrs L. Wilson, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3; Miss A. Meates beat Mrs J. Stevens, 6-1. 6-3; Miss R. Dillon beat Mrs D. Weitzel. 6-0, 6-2; Miss G. Hampton beat Mrs E. Carruthers, 64), 6-1. Men’s doubles.—Edgecumbe

tand Martin beat Radford and I Bentley, 8-6, 6-2; Webster and I i Menzies beat White and Bath- : gate, 3-6. IS, 6-4; Stanton and Hunt lost to Dunean and Radford ! 'sen. by default. Women’s doubles.—Miss Legge and Mrs Armitage beat Miss ’Blakely and Mrs Wilson, 1-6, 6-3, ; 8-6; Misses Habgood and Dillon beat Mesdames Rennie and Ste- I vens 6-2, 6-i; Misses Meates and ' Hampton beat Mesdames Weitzel ■ and Carruthers, 46 8-6, 641 Mixed doubles. Edgecumbe and Miss Legge beat Radford ' and Miss Blakely, 6-3, 6-2; Webster and Miss Habgood lost to Bentley and Mrs Rennie, 4-6, 6-2, • 46; Martin and Mrs Armitage lost to White and Mrs Wilson, I 46, 48; Menzies and Mias Meates i beat Bathgate and Mrs Stevens, 6-4, 6-3; Stanton and Miss Dillon ; beat Duncan and Mrs Carruthers, 6-2. 6-3; Hunt and Miss I Hampton beat Radford sen. and i Mrs Weitzel, 43, 43. Canterbury won by 19 matches 1 to 5. 1 UNDER 17 Bovs’ singles.—A. James beat < G. GUbison, 42. 44; J. Hampton beat R. Carter, 46, 6-5, 42; 1 N. Blackbum beat J. Alexander, I 40, 42; B. Sanders beat J. Har- I rop, 6-0. 6-0. 1 Giris' singles.—G. Skilling beat J. Partridge, 6-5, 44; E. Smith i beat S. Creighton, 2-6 t 6-3, 6-1; M. Mills beat S. Billing, 43, 43; i E Meates lost to S. Wilson, 46, . 46. Bovs’ doubles. James and : Blackburn beat GUbison and Carter, 43, 42; Hampton and : Sanders beat Alexander and Harrop, 43, 40. 1

Girls’ doubles. Skilling and Smith lost to Partridge and Billing, 3-6, 2-6; Mills and Meates lost to Creighton and Wilson, 3-6, 5Mixed doubles. James and Miss Skilling beat GUbison and Miss Partridge. 6-4. 6-3: Hampton and Miss Smith beat Carter and Miss Creighton, 6-1, 6-5; Blackburn and Miss Mills beat Alexander and Miss Billing, 6-4, 6-1; Sanders and Miss Meates beat Harrop and Miss Wilson, 6-4, 6-2. Canterbury won by 12 matches to 4. UNDER IS Boys’ singles.—C. Brading beat J. Scoones, 6-3, 64; P. Hampton beat I. Stevens, 64, 6-2; D. Croy beat B. Wilson. 6-1, 64); S. Dickson beat S. Lillie, 64), 6-1. Girls’ singles.—C. Newton beat J. Stewart, 6-4, 6-5: L. Leney beat R. Rennie, 6-1, 6-0; A. MehaisW beat M. Purvis. 64, 6-0; S. Chapman beat S. Robertson, 6-1, 6-2. Boys’ doubles. Brading and Hampton beat Scoones and Stevens, 64, 6-2; Croy and Dickson beat Wilson and Lillie, 6-3, 6Girls’ doubles. Newton and Leney beat Rennie and Stewart, 6-3, 64); Mehalski and Chapman beat Purvis and Robertson. 6-2, frS. Mixed doubles.—Brading and Miss Newton beat Scoones and Miss Rennie, 6-2, 6-1: Hampton and Miss Leney beat Stevens and Miss Stewart, 6-1, 6-3; Croy and Miss Mehalski beat Wilson and Miss Purvis, 6-1, 64; Dickson and Miss Chapman beat Lillie and Miss Robertson, 6-1. 6-3. Canterbury won by 16 matches to 0.