Inter-Island table tennis won by South

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32699, 31 August 1971, Page 18

Inter-Island table tennis won by South

"The Press” Special Service WANGANUI. In an evening of upsets, the South Island had its best interisland table tennis contest for years in Wanganui last night.

The South Island was superior in the men’s and women’s matches—and Canterbury players were especially prominent.

M. W. Burrowes began well against G. B. Murphy, the present New Zealand champion, and the in-form Aucklander took a while to get into top gear as Burrowes hit a number of consistent forehand drives home.

However, Murphy pulled ahead to win the set at 21-16, and then asserted a little more domination to take the second set more comfortably, but by the same score. Burrowes appeared to be rushing his shots in this game. On the adjoining table, Canterbury’s Lok Sim Wong scored an upset win over the New Zealand representative, R. Lee, to level the match at 1-all.

Wong really poured on the pressure in the second set with very confident looping

and hitting, and after building up a big lead in the final set, Wong held on to defeat a faintly listless Lee.

B. A. Foster put the South Island in front momentarily when he defended excellently to defeat his old rival, A. R. Tomlinson, but J. R. Morris made it 2-all when he beat Canterbury’s third member in the side, Ling Nan Ming. Ming played very well in the face of Morris’s consistent driving and balloon defence, and led healthily at 10-6 in the third set. However, Morris fought back in great style to edge home. Foster and Burrowes eagerly grabbed three fortuitous edge balls to defeat Tomlinson and Murphy—a good performance remembering how this pair fared against Hong Kong in Christchurch.

An intensive practice session in the afternoon under the Canterbury director of coaching (Mr T. R. D. Flint) obviously paid off, because the South Islanders, Ming and Wong, won and it was 4-2.

Wong was obviously having an “on” night, and he proceeded to hammer Murphy in superb style, and Lee then crashed to Burrowes, 21-23, in the third set and the South Island had the break. Burrowes received warm applause for a fine exhibition of pressure hitting.

Ming rounded off a fine night for the South Island by beating Tomlinson. In the women’s match, Mrs J. F. Boswell proved too steady for a slightly nervous Miss B. A. Taylor to put the North Island one-up before Canterbury’s Mrs T. May scored a good win over Miss D. L. Wade. Miss Wade was a far cry from the attacking player she can be, and made a number of casual errors.

Miss Y. M. Fogarty continued Southland’s good start when she beat Miss K. A. Fraser in straight sets, and Otago’s Mrs R. Sunderland then upset Mrs C. Aitchison and it was 3-1. Mrs Sunderland played exceptionally well against her higherrated opponent, driving crisply, and at times retrieving excellently to win in three sets. The doubles were shared and the South Island, which has not won in 13 years, was 4-2 in front.

Miss Taylor’s grim threeset win over Miss Wade took the South Island to five, but

Mrs Boswell completed a good night by beating Mrs T. May in straight sets. Results (North Island names first):—

Men’s singles.—First round: G. Murphy (Auckland) beat M. Burrowes (Canterbury), 21-16, 21-16; R. Lee (Hamilton) lost to L. S. Wong (Canterbury), 21-15, 17-21, 14-21; A. Tomlinson (Auckland) lost to B. Foster (Otago), 21-16, 11-21, 16-21; J. Moms (North Auckland), beat L. N. Ming (Canterbury), 18-21, 21-14, 21-18. Second round: Lee lost to Burrowes, 22-20, 5-21, 20-22; Murphy lost to Wong, 17-21, 17-21: Tomlinson lost to Ming, 12-21, 18-21; Morris lost to Foster. 14-21, 19-21. Women’s singles.—First round*. J. Crosby (Franklin) beat B. Taylor (Canterbury), 21-19, 21-14; D. Wade (Auckland) lost to T. May (Canterbury), 14-21, 19-21; K. Fraser (Franklin) lost to Y. Fogarty (Otago), 19-21, 15-21; C. Atchison (North Auckland) lost to R. Sunderland (Otago), 18-21, 21*18, 17-21. Second round: J. Boswell (Franklin) beat May, 21-14, 21-14; Wade lost to Taylor, 21-10, 14-21, 18-21; Atchison lost to Fogarty, 9-21, 17-21; Fraser lost to Sunderland, 19-21, 21-19, 18-21. Men’s doubles.—First round: Lee and Morris lost to Ming and Wong, 16-21, 21-14, 12-21; Tomlinson and Murphy lost to Foster and Burrowes, fB-21, 14-21. Second round: Tomlinson and Murphy lost to Ming and Wong, 16-21, 2145, 12-21; Morris and Lee lost to Foster and Burrowes, 21-16, 19-21, 14-21. Women’s doubles.—First round: Boswell and Fraser beat Fogarty and Sunderland, 7-21, 21-18, 21-13: Wade and Atchison lost to May and Taylor, 15-21. 14-21. Second round: Wade and Atchison lost to Fogarty and Sunderland, 17-21, 20-22; Fraser and Boswell lost to May and Taylor. 17-21, 21-17, 19-21.