Town tennis teams beat country

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 10

Town tennis teams beat country

Town teams were given strong opposition by Country representative tennis teams in both senior and junior sections when the annual contests were held at Wilding Park yesterday.,

The Town seniors won by 17 matches to 7 and the juniors by 13 matches to 11 and these margins were much closer than they usually have been in this fixture.

However, in the senior section, the honours were taken by the Town top man, W. Edgecumbe. Early in the first set of his match with A. Hewitt, the Malvern man who has been playing tennis for Country for many years, he injured a finger and had to be taken to the Christchurch Hospital to have it straightened. Back to the courts, Edgecumbe continued his match under considerable pain and he played many shots twohanded to protect the finger. Such was his determination that he eventually won, 6-2, 7-6, with a tie-breaker in the second set. Solid player Hewitt is a solid player indeed under any circumstances and for Edgecumbe to win so well with his handicap was a fine achievement. The Injury was suffered when he was diving for a ball in his usual fashion of spreadeagling on the ground. Second for Town, J. Martin was outplayed by the slice and wiles of W. G. Lewthwaite in their first set but then his strong driving and good volleying carried too much pace for the Banks Peninsula man who has also played senior club tennis in Christchurch for many seasons. Lewthwaite’s drop shots were not as successful on the heavy courts as they sometimes are when the surfaces are quicker.

Playing sixth for Town because of the absence of a player, the junior, A. James, gave a good account of himself

in his first senior representative appearance when he took K. Ussher, of Banks Peninsula, 7-6, 6-4. James has good basic strokes and he covers the court well.

In the top women’s singles, the New Zealand Federation Cqp player, Miss R. Legge, was hitting with power and accuracy when she beat Miss J. Habgood, 6-1, 6-4. Miss Habgood also hit hard but she was not nearly

Mrs H. Jamiesoif, formerly Miss H. Bruce, who has been a Canterbury representative a number of times, scored a good win for Country when she beat Miss S. Moore, 6-2, 6-3. Mrs Jamieson was much quicker to the ball than Miss Moore and she was also clever at finding the corners. Results:— Senior Men’s singles.—W. Edgecumbe beat A. Hewitt, 6-2, 7-6; J. Martin beat W. Lewthwaite, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; S. Menzies beat R. Talroa, 6-2, 6-1; J. Dickie beat S. Anderson, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1; F. Versteeg lost to R. Watson, 2-6, 6- 6-7; A. James beat K. Ussher, 7-6. 6-4. Women's singles.—R. Legge beat J. Habgood, 6-1, 6-4; A. Meates beat C. Ralfe, 6-3, 6-1; C. Hampton beat K. Graham, 6-2, 1- 6-3; S. Moore lost to H. Jamieson, 2-6, 3-6; R. Smith lost to P. Taylor, 4-6, 4-6; J. Miles beat R. Thomson, 6-3, 6-2. Men’s doubles. Edgecumbe and Martin beat Hewitt and Lewthwaite, 6-3, 6-4; Menzies and Dickie beat Tairoa and Anderson, 6-2. 6-3; James and Versteeg beat Watson and Ussher, 4-6, 6-4, 7Women’s doubles.—Legge and Meates beat Habgood and Ralfe, 6-3, 6-4; Hampton and Moore lost to Jamieson and Graham, 2-6. 2- Smith and Miles lost to Taylor and Thomson, 3-6, 0-6. Mixed doubles. Edgecumbe and Legge beat Hewitt and Habgood, 6-4, 6-4; Martin and Meates beat Lewthwaite and Ralfe, 6-3, 5- 6-2; Menzies and Hampton beat Talroa and Graham, 6-3, 6- Dickie and Moore lost to Anderson and Jamieson. 2-6, 5-6; Versteeg and Smith lost to Watson and Taylor, 6-5, 5-6, 3-6; James and Miles beat Ussher and Thomson, 6-1. 6-0. Town won by 17 matches to 7.

Junior Boys’ singles.—R. Versteeg lost to B. Clark, 6-2. 1-6, 3-6; M. Purcell lost to R. Smith, 3-6, 6-5, 4-6; J. Hampton beat M. Barton, 64, 6-3; N< Blackburn beat B. Sinclair, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; B. Sanders beat B. Jun:, 4-6. 6-3, 51: J. Lagan beat C. Bright, 6-3, 50. Girls’ singles.—J. Phillips beat J. Dalzell, 6-2, 6-0; P. James beat G. Skilling, 6-3, 6-3; E. Dunne beat F • Vanstone. 6-2, 4-6, 6-5; M. Gallagher lost to S; Angus, 0-6, 2-6; E. Smith beat M. Bate, 6-2, 6-5; M. Mills beat K. Moylan, 6-2, 6-4. Boys’ doubles.—Versteeg and Purcell lost to Clark and Sinclair, 1-6, 5-6; Hampton and Sanders lost to Smith and Barton, 6-5, 1-6, 1-6; Blackburn and Lagan beat Jury and Bright, 6-1, Girls’ doubles,—Phillips and James lost to Dalzell and Skilling, 1-6, 56; Dunne and Gallagher lost to Vanstone and Angus, 1-6, 1-6; Smith and Mills lost to Bate and Moylan, 6-1, 4-6, 56. Mixed doubles.—Versteeg and Phillips lost to Clark ana Dalzell, 55, 2-6. 56; Purcell and James lost to Smith and Skilling, 56. 3-6; Hampton and Dunne lost to Barton and Angus, 1-6, 56; Blackbum and Gallagher beat Sinclair and Vanstone, 51, 50; Sanders and Smith beat Jury and Bate, 55, 54; Lagan and Mills beat Bright and Moylan, 53. 52. Town won by 13 matches to 11.